Burrell calls on Chinese firm to develop football infrastructure

ASSOCIATE sponsor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has upped its investment in the nation’s top league with a $25 million injection, it was announced yesterday.

Of that total, there will be a direct payout of $23 million to organisers of the competition the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), with another $2 million going towards promotional activities and special incentives for coaches and players.Reacting to the announcement and commitment to football by the Chinese firm, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, urged them further to look at considering investing in field development of clubs.“If your company (China Harbour) has decided to give each of the football clubs a proper football field, believe me, in years to come, you would be recognised and remembered as the company that changed the quality and standard of football in this country,” Burrell said at the launch of Red Stripe Premier League at the PLCA’s offices in New Kingston yesterday.“I challenge you, China Harbour, please,” said Burrell as he pleaded with a smiling CHEC deputy regional manager, Xiao Yan Ming, who was seated in the audience.The new season kicks off on September 15.As he pressed home his point for the need for total development of the game and the role of corporate Jamaica in this thrust, Burrell warned that the game is bound to stagnate if there isn’t an inclusive approach to growing it.“In reality, we must have additional sponsors if our league is to move forward. We must have better playing facilities, better organisation of clubs, so we have some way to go,” Burrell noted.CHEC’s communication manager, Jennifer Armond, said her company was pleased with its association with the league last season, therefore it was not difficult to re-commit.“The company enjoyed participating in the Premier League as sponsor last season and became aware that it would only be through continued commitment that sport would be able to reap significant results from our initial interest,” said Armond.Supreme Ventures Limited’s senior marketing officer, Andrei Roper, also announced his organisation’s commitment worth $10m through its brand, JustBet.Also, JUTC’s yesterday made it public its decision to continue its partnership with the league.Meanwhile, PLCA chairman Edward Seaga, made note of a change in league format and likened it to the changing formats in cricket that have resuscitated that sport in terms of spectatorship.“There have been many changes in many sports. Cricket moved from five days to one day and now to two-and-a-half hours and that was unveiled in the Limacol competition and the crowd loved it,” noted Seaga.“They loved the excitement in shorter time which gives the players impetus not to sit at the wicket but to give them the joy of seeing the ball rising over the boundaries,” said the former Prime Minister of Jamaica.“Football has had the problem of diminishing crowds depending on the teams, but it has been a long time since we see a really packed stadium.“At the clubs, spectatorship has not been what we wanted it to be except on Monday night because the innovation of the (title) sponsors Red Stripe, and that is one innovation that has helped us to grow more crowd,” added Seaga.“This year we have to undertake more changes. I am not in a position to give you the details at this time because the JFF is to consider the proposals we are making,” he added.It is expected that the league format with 38 games, introduced for the 2007/08 season, will be discarded. For this season, the 12 teams will play three rounds of 33 matches in the preliminary phases, after which the top-eight will then advance to the quarter-final stage in a home-and-away series. It is expected that this phase will see the number-one ranked team facing the number eight-ranked team; the number two vs number seven; number three vs number six; and number four vs number five.The four winners will then advance to the semi-finals, also on a home and away basis, with the two winners from that stage qualifying for the final.The two teams at the bottom of the table at the end of the third round will be relegated.A draw to decide the first set of games to kick off the season was done at yesterday’s press launch which pits defending champion Harbour View away to Sporting Central Academy, while runners-up Waterhouse host Boys’ Town in the marquee match-up on September 15.In the other games, Portmore United travel to Cavalier, Humble Lion play Arnett Gardens, promoted teams August Town and Rivoli United clash and Tivoli Gardens tackle Montego Bay United.China Harbour Engineering Company deputy regional manager, Xiao Yan Ming (left), presents the symbolic cheque of $23m to PLCA chairman Edward Seaga (centre) and JFF president Captain Horace Burrell at the launch of the new season in New Kingston yesterday. (PHOTO: MICHAEL GORDON).

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Burrell calls on Chinese firm to develop football infrastructure

Montesso, Gama quit national programme — Burrell

DALLAS, Texas — Recently appointed technical director of Jamaica’s football Brazilian Alfredo Montesso has quit, the Jamaica Observer has learnt.

President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell confirmed that he has received and accepted the Brazilians’ resignation.The other Brazilian in the programme, Under-20 head coach Luciano Gama, will also be making his way home, bringing an end to an era of Brazilian coaching domination at the national level in Jamaica.“I have received the resignations of the men and have accepted them and I expect that both gentlemen will be returning to their homeland at the shortest possible time.“I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution to Jamaica’s football and I wish them all the best as they move to the next chapter of their lives as coaches,” Burrell told the Observer here yesterday.The JFF boss said that Montesso had indicated even as he was appointed technical director that he was interested in a full coaching appointment, preferably with the senior national team.“He had shown an interest in the head coaching job, but there was no vacancy for that position. When (Theodore) Whitmore left the position, we knew straight away that we needed someone who had the experience of leading a national team and one with success behind his name,” said Burrell, who is in the USA for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.Just a week ago, Whitmore’s successor as head coach of the Reggae Boyz was unveiled in the form of German national Winfried Schafer, the former head tactician of Cameroon, the team he guided to the African Cup of Nations title in 2006.“The Brazilians came and they did their best to help Jamaica’s football, but now it’s time for us to move on as we look to strengthen our ranks as we get ready for the remaining matches of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying play-offs beginning with a game away to Panama on September 6,” Burrell noted.However, when contacted last evening, Montesso said he was forced into a corner with a possible clash of philosophy, and the fact that Schafer would not be reporting to him, as technical director.“Once you have a particular philosophy, like you have a technical director from Brazil and then… once the president takes a decision to have a German coach, of course it’s something we have to discuss and we have to see if this can match,” Montesso said.“The coach says he wants to do the senior team in his way. He will not be reporting to the technical director and I don’t agree with that, and of course I have to take a position if I don’t agree.“This is what the president said in an interview that he (Schafer) will be reporting directly to the president. I don’t think that is the way I want to work,” he added.The departure from the programme by Montesso and Gama follows the dismissals of their countrymen, technical director Walter Gama (Luciano’s father) and goalkeeper coach Armando Bracali following a shambolic performance of the Boyz in the Caribbean Cup in Antigua and Barbuda last December.The decision to dismiss the senior Gama and Bracali was said to have emerged from what was deemed a technical review process by the JFF Technical and Development Committee headed by Howard McIntosh.That review of the disaster in Antigua was ordered by Burrell.Jamaica failed to make it to the semi-finals of the Caribbean tournament, which effectively eliminated them from the ongoing CONCACAF Gold Cup.Montesso, who has had two prior stints with the national programme, first came to Jamaica as a trainer on the Rene Simoes-led technical team that guided the Boyz to their historic France 1998 World Cup qualification.The Brazilian’s latest sojourn was enabled after he was handpicked by Whitmore to assist with the senior Boyz in 2011.But after the resignation of Whitmore, following the team’s 0-2 loss to Honduras on June 11, in the World Cup qualifying play-offs that threw the Boyz’ campaign in a tailspin, the JFF moved to a new course of action.As the search continued for a new head coach of foreign import, Montesso was diverted to focus more on the development side of the programme.MONTESSO… the coach said he will not be reporting to the technical director and I don’t agree with that

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Montesso, Gama quit national programme — Burrell

Burrell plans to offer Whitmore development squad

There is the possibility of a continuing role for Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore in Jamaica’s coaching set-up, hinted JFF president Captain Horace Burrell.

The football boss made the comment at a function on Wednesday to present Whitmore’s successor, German Winfried Schaffer, as head coach of the Boyz.“Tappa still has a role to play… he’s a developing coach who is committed to the country’s football, and who I believe has a bright future,” Burrell told the Jamaica Observer.“When you look at his track record, Mr Whitmore has not done badly, but at this time we believe we needed more experience and that is what we have gone for,” he said.Burrell said there’s a proposal on the table to possibly appoint Whitmore as head coach of the development of the Under-23 squad, the group that would try to qualify for the Olympics and a direct feeder for the senior rank.“We plan to put him in charge of this crucial development team… also as part of his continued development, we will also be sending him on some courses,” Burrell disclosed.“It’s unfortunate how things turned for Whitmore and the senior team, but there’s no animosity either way… there is a mutual respect and understanding that this is football at this level. He remains an asset that we intend to continue to invest in,” said the CONCACAF vice-president.With Schafer coming on board and Jamaican Vin Blaine appointed his assistant, the new order would suggest that technical director Brazilian Alfredo Montesso would not have direct survey of the senior team, and with the possible appointment of Whitmore to the Under-23s, his focus now would be concentrated on the development side.“The technical director is responsible for developing football at the various levels, and we believe that with his passion for development and his overall expertise and experience, Mr Montesso will be able to continue to serve our football in a significant way,” said Burrell.Whitmore had resigned as head coach of the senior Boyz following a string of losses — four back-to-back in the CONCACAF hexagonal — which left Jamaica rooted at the bottom of the standings on two points.Jamaica have four more games, starting with one away to Panama on September 6, to rescue their flagging Brazil 2014 World Cup campaign and clinch one of four possible qualifying spots.Meanwhile, The USA lead the CONCACAF qualifying campaign with 13 points, followed by Costa Rica on 11, Mexico on eight, Honduras with seven, and Panama on six.

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Burrell plans to offer Whitmore development squad

Burrell dismisses claims Reggae Boy tested positive

LOCAL football boss Captain Horace Burrell dismissed claims by a local media outlet that a senior national player has tested positive for a banned substance.

Speaking to reporters at the unveiling exercise for new Reggae Boyz coach, German Winfried Schafer at the JFF’s New Kingston office on Wednesday, said there was “absolutely no truth to the ugly rumour”, which surfaced at a time when the nation is struggling to come to grips with swirling news that two of its top athletes — Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson — were among a total of five who have reportedly failed drug tests.“I have no report of that (of a Reggae Boy) failing any drug test… there’s absolutely no truth to the claims that a player has been tested positive for a substance that is on the list of banned items,” Burrell said.The president of the JFF stated that the matter he has been made aware of, from a medical perspective, is that FIFA doctors had expressed concerns with the method an “approved medication” was administered to players on recent overseas assignments in the ongoing CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign.“I think the method of administering of medication by our doctor is what is in question here… some players were treated intravenously, and apparently that is not allowed.“Maybe the player was to be given a tablet rather than [being] given the same medication through the vein, so it was just a matter of method,” explained Burrell.He said that FIFA doctors, who he claims are present at international official competition matches, may not have been satisfied with the manner in which some players were treated.“As you know, there are FIFA doctors at these games who would send in their reports, so maybe realising that our doctor may have given a player, or players, fluid through the veins, thought maybe that was not right,” Burrell noted.He said that chairman of the JFF Medical Committee and a member of CONCACAF’s Medical Committee, Dr Guyan Arscott, is looking into the matter with a view of clarifying and putting the matter to rest.“In another few days, Dr Arscott should be ready with his report, as he is now meeting with all the relevant people, and I am sure he will issue a statement in due course to clear all of this up,” Burrell said.At the same time, the football boss urged the media to be very careful how they report on sensitive matters, saying it must be uncompromising in its pursuit of truth and responsible journalism.“I must say I am incensed, because our media practitioners need to be more responsible… one can’t just feel irie and send out any report you like,” Burrell said, taking a swipe at a popular local radio station that reported the story that a local-based Reggae Boy was tested positive for a banned substance.Like other athletes, footballers too are targets for random testing by anti-doping officials.

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Burrell dismisses claims Reggae Boy tested positive