Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to clear the air on Burrell

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) is expected today to confirm or dispel widely accepted rumours that former president of the association Captain Horace Burrell will be the only nominated presidential candidate for the November election.

According to Article 7 (f) of the JFF by-laws, the names of candidates for the presidency, first to third vice-presidents and treasurer must be submitted 60 days before the date of the special general meeting, yesterday, September 4. With exactly 60 days left, the congress parish associations that have not yet submitted nominations for the posts are just about out of time.

In early August, just days after the nominations were opened, JFF general secretary Burchell Gibson indicated that only 50 per cent of the parish associations had submitted their nominations.

No comment

When quizzed by The Gleaner as to how many parish associations have since made nominations, Gibson declined to comment.

"I will not be able to comment on that matter until after the deadline today," Gibson said.

However, if the claims of former general secretary Horace Reid, who questioned Gibson's truthfulness on the issue, are taken as fact, then Burrell is the man with 11 parish nominations having already gone his way. Reid gave thisas the primary reason that current president Crenston Boxhill, the man that was expected to challenge Burrell at the polls, pulled out of the presidential race. That will be officially confirmed today.

KSAFA, while nominating incumbent treasurer Rudolph Speid, has aimed to remain neutral in the matter by not putting forward a presidential candidate, ending speculation of a challenge by by KSAFA president Stewart Stephenson.

The JFF Voting Congress will be held at the Sandals Negril Beach Resort on Sunday, November 4, beginning at 10:00 a.m.