Adrian Frater, News Editor

Jamaica Football Federation President-elect Captain Horace Burrell, the CEO of the Captain's Bakery (second left), presents a cheque for $300,000 to St. James FA President Orville Powell (second right) during Tuesday's launch of the St. James FA Captain's Bakery KO competition. At left is the President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, Pauline Reid, while at right is Wayne Salter, the chief financial controller at the Captain's Bakery. - Photo by Adrian Frater

WESTERN BUREAU:

WHILE NOT detailing the full extent of his plans, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president-elect Captain Horace Burrell said there will be radical changes when the new administration he will lead takes office in another two and a half weeks.

"It does not take a rocket scientist to recognise that a lot of things are wrong and that we must have the guts to take the necessary corrective measures to make it right again," said Burrell, who was addressing Tuesday's launch of the 2007 St. James/Captain Bakery Knockout competition.

"Unless we do, we would have failed all of you who would have put us here," said the former army man, in noting that national football is not in a healthy state. "I intend to pursue my new term with vigour as I intend to get the best results possible."

In his wide-ranging address, Burrell, who handed over a $300,000 sponsorship cheque to the St. James FA, said Captain's Bakery would continue to support local football through sponsorship when he returns to office, regardless of what his detractors might want to say about it.

To the critics

"If someone is going to criticise the Captain's Bakery for my being president and wants me to cease the sponsorship, then I will say to them, go and get support for the parishes and I will be only too happy to step aside," said Burrell.

Burrell also used the opportunity to call on the business community to join Captain's Bakery and other sponsors such as the Hart family to assist football, which he described as a critical tool in nation building. He also conceded that business had gotten better for his company in the west since he started sponsoring football in the region.

In outlining a desire to see western Jamaica's football move back to a position of prominence, Burrell said his new administration would be lobbying the government to use the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium for international football.

"I want to commend the last PNP (People's National Party) government for the wonderful support they gave to football and we are inviting the new government to try and outdo them," said Burrell. "We will be pursuing a lot of initiatives to revive national football and we are going to need a lot of help," he said.