Michael Ricketts

Reflecting on his campaign and victory, Ricketts while speaking with Sportsmax.TV, expressed both gratitude for the support received and a cautious optimism about the road ahead. He was also confident of victory.

"Let me first say thanks to the Father up above, who would have given me the mental strength to have gone through this campaign, which was terrible but I have so much to be thankful for. We had always canvassed the numbers and we were almost spot on because we had a meeting two days ago and we came out 40-16, so we would have lost one of those votes and it ended up at 39-17,” he stated.

As he looked ahead, Ricketts said his new administration would be looking to right some of the wrongs made during his previous administration.

“We have always been confident but guarded in our utterances. We would have made mistakes so the onus is now on us to ensure that we put some corrective measures in place as we try to move the football forward," Ricketts remarked, highlighting the need for prudence and diligence in addressing past shortcomings.

In his commitment to effecting positive change, Ricketts disclosed plans for reform within the JFF's leadership structure. Notably, he announced that Raymond Anderson would not be returning as a vice president in his administration. Instead, Ricketts introduced new vice presidents, including Gregory Daley, Elaine Walker-Brown, and Barry Watson, while also welcoming Rudolph Speid and Bruce Gaynor as ordinary members to the now 11-member board.

Addressing a pressing issue, Ricketts provided an update on the ongoing dispute with the senior Reggae Girlz over unpaid fees. He expressed optimism about recent developments, indicating progress towards resolution.

"Well, their representative has actually written to say that the girls have now agreed that we have paid them in full so I hope that that is the start of the process of rebuilding that relationship and getting these players to represent this beautiful land of ours," Ricketts affirmed, signaling a positive step forward in the effort to mend fences with the national team players.

Looking ahead to the future of Jamaican football, Ricketts pledged to engage stakeholders and pursue growth opportunities within the sport. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration and inclusivity, he underscored his commitment to working with individuals dedicated to advancing football in Jamaica.

"Our new committees will be put in place before this week ends and the work starts immediately. During this campaign period, I would have come across some persons who seriously have an interest in growing the sport. We will definitely be engaging some of these persons as we try to improve the brand and to grow football," Ricketts concluded

Ricketts, who has been president since 2017, will now serve a second full term at the helm, after riding out the buffeting winds of controversy most of which centred around the fallout between Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz and the administration over alleged unpaid fees and general disrespect.

His slate is comprised of St Catherine FA President Elaine Walker-Brown, St James FA President Gregory Daley, Portland FA President Raymond Grant, and Manchester FA President Barry Watson. JFF Vice-President Bruce Gaynor and JFF Technical Committee Chairman Rudolph Speid are also part of Ricketts’s slate as ordinary directors.

Carole Beckford of Team RSA, Anderson's slate in commenting on the loss, stated, "39-17 suggests that the delegates voted in an overwhelmingly strong position to retain Mr Ricketts and his team, whether or that constitutes a failure (of Anderson's slate) is yet to be seen. However, I think we have ruffled enough feathers that people need to understand that football is not governed the way it should be to attract the kind of attention and sponsorship that is required. There are enough people on the RSA team that are still very much involved in their clubs, executives and in different formats and committees and Mr Ricketts says he will reach out to people, so let's see how that works.

"There are some very important years to come for football for Jamaica. This week is the Gold Cup competition. Football never stops, the election has just been part of the process our team lost and we will continue to support the development of football in Jamaica."

It is unclear at this time whether Anderson plans to continue as a JFF vice president.

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In fact, Ricketts, who has been in power since 2017, promised to not only build on the Reggae Girlz tremendous success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and, by extension, their legacy, but also sustained growth going forward, if re-elected.

Still, the strained relationship between his administration and various coaches and players of both the senior Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz team, in particular, cannot escape them and Ricketts knows he will have to convince more delegates than is customary, to vote in his favour.

Last year's changes to the JFF's constitutional reform will result in an increase in delegates from 13 –previously consisted solely of parish confederation presidents –to 56, comprising more stakeholders.

“The challenge from vice-president Anderson comes at a time when the JFF is doing so very well to the point where for the first time it has its own Tax Compliance Certificate which is among a number of significant strides that we have made over the years. We are very well current with our tax payments and that's something we haven't been able to do or say for so many years,” Ricketts told Sportsmax.tv.

“I would also refer to the success from the technical component of the programmes and the success from a financial standpoint. So, we really are on a track for greatness, especially having had Adidas, arguably one of the finest apparel manufacturers on board as our main sponsor. This is no ordinary feat to achieve this,” he added.

With elections due by November, Ricketts pledged to make inroads in areas where there have been shortfalls, namely a proper grassroots programme to ensure sustained development, as well as to iron out payment issues with the history-making Reggae Girlz, until then.

“So things are progressing, we've been getting a number of sponsors in recent times which shows that the JFF is doing something right. So for vice-president Anderson to contest for the position of President, I am not sure the timing is right.

“But I welcome whatever challenges there are. I know that the work has been done and I want to assure every single stakeholder that this is just the start of a number of initiatives that will impact the total well-being of every single boy or girl in this country,” Ricketts declared.

Anderson, who has served in previous administrations has the likes of former Cricket West Indies President Dave Cameron, Marketing Strategist Cecile Dennis, Kingston and St Andrew Football Association President Mark Bennett and St Thomas Football Association President Wayne Thompson, on his campaign team.

“Let's see what the outcome will be, I have the greatest respect for him [Anderson], I just hope that the people around him will maintain a level of professionalism and respect and not make derogatory comments. But there are no ill-feelings, just that the political battle lines have been drawn. So again, let's see what will happen from here on,” Ricketts stated.

That said, Ricketts heaped praises on the Lorne Donaldson-coached Reggae Girlz, who became the first Caribbean team –male or female –to make the knockout round of a World Cup since Cuba’s feat in 1938.

The Girlz held powerhouses France and Brazil to goalless stalemates and defeated Panama on their way to the Round of 16.

“This year certainly must go down as one of the most significant years in the history of football in this country. The achievements were absolutely wonderful and we must credit or technical staff or technical committees for the positive results that we got. The Girlz and more recently the Under-15 boys, really have done so very well,” the president noted.

“We are just very, very delighted and we must now put things in place to ensure that the legacy continues. I know this must provide some kind of a catalyst for every little girl or boy, who now really wants to play the sport of football. Congratulations and a big thank you again to all the stakeholders and all the sponsors, who contributed in so many ways to make the Reggae Girlz campaign the success that it was,” he ended.

It is a position with which JFF President Michael Ricketts appears to agree. Sportsmax.TV has obtained a Whatsapp voice note created Saturday night in which a player speaking on behalf of the team, is heard demanding Wint’s resignation and President Ricketts seemingly agreeing with the players.

“On behalf of the team, captain, vice captain, we are asking Mr Wint to resign. That’s the only way we move forward. Can we get your word on that?” said an unidentified player.

A voice sounding like the JFF president responded, “I am saying I agree.”

“You agree as the president. Okay,” the player said in reply.

This latest fallout stems from a situation that developed in Suriname on Saturday night where the Reggae Boyz played to a 1-1 draw with the home side in their opening match of the CONCACAF Nations League.

After the match, the players came to the realization that they did not have a return flight to Jamaica for the return match on June 7. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Jamaica was to have shared a charter flight with the Suriname national team back to Jamaica on Saturday night. However, Jamaica is alleged to have failed to come up with their share of the cost of the flight.

The players are reportedly still in Suriname.

Calls to both JFF President Ricketts and General Secretary Wint went unanswered up to the time of publication on Sunday.

It is unknown what arrangements are being made for the players to get back to Jamaica to prepare for their match against Suriname and their upcoming match against Mexico on June 14.

He was speaking at the JFF Headquarters where new and returning sponsors were announced as well as the revealing of the association’s new website.

Adidas, Courts Jamaica, Irie FM, First Choice Pharmacy, Wisynco, GraceKennedy Ltd, Sports Development Foundation, First Choice Pharmacy and Stewart’s Automotive were introduced as new or returning sponsors along with the Bob Marley Foundation, the Jamaica Pegasus and Holiday Inn.

“What’s missing is the full participation of Corporate Jamaica. This journey we are on with the JFF is a critical one for the overall growth of our country,” Pengelley said, speaking on behalf of the sponsors’ representatives in attendance.

“We talk about businesses coming back, business is strong, tourism is strong. I am not seeing where people appreciate what value the advertising, promotion and the teams being abroad is bringing to Jamaica.

“People that sell in Jamaica, companies that sell their manufactured goods should be on board because when people come here they are buying our products and that benefits everyone.

“My appeal to Corporate Jamaica is recognize that the publicity that our teams are generating around the world is bringing people to Jamaica. They put Jamaica on the map every time they do something.”

Meantime, JFF President Michael Ricketts said it took a lot of hard work to get sponsors back board to support several campaigns that the national teams are involved in. The Reggae Boyz are about to begin their campaign in the Concacaf Gold Cup in June while the Reggae Girlz will begin theirs at the FIFA Women’s World Cup later this year.

A number of the junior teams are also competing at the international level, most notably the U20 Girls who recently won their group to advance to the final round of the Concacaf U20 Championships qualifiers.

“In these times of austerity it is not easy to get sponsors on board but I think we have a product that is marketable,” he said. “We have a brand that people want to be a part of.”

To emphasize his point, he revealed that during a recent meeting with Adidas, they expressed their elation with what was happening with the Jamaica kit.

“Every single piece of kit in the United Kingdom was sold,” he said. “We met with (former Reggae Boy) Deon Burton, one of our celebrated from the ’98 campaign. He wanted a shirt and could not get one to buy. The product is marketable. Jamaica’s football is going places. The girls are doing very well; the boys will test their true mettle at the Gold Cup.”

The 52-year-old, who has been head of the country’s national team since 2020, has faced resurfaced allegations that he attempted to force himself on a player in 2010, during his time as coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team.

Busby has denied the allegations in a previous report, but the Whitecaps did part ways with the coach sometime after the accusations surfaced.  The team, however, made no mention of allegations of sexual misconduct being the reason he was fired.

Major League Soccer announced that it would conduct investigations into how that situation was handled.  The JFF for its part has asked its parent body FIFA to conduct a full investigation into the incident, which will determine the next steps to be taken. 

“We will await the evidence of the FIFA investigation.  We do not want to make permanent decisions until we have the facts.  At the same time, we have to ensure that our women and girls are protected by those who lead them,” JFF president Michael Ricketts said via a press release.

Busby coached the team in two practice matches against Costa Rica and was expected to lead a camp later this month.

The Jamaica Football Federation has confirmed two friendlies for the Reggae Girlz on February 23rd and 26th against South American side Peru.  Both matches will take place in the capital city Lima at the Estadio Miguel Grau.

The Jamaican women will be hoping to qualify for a historic second consecutive World Cup.

Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts made the announcement during a virtual press conference this morning.

“I am pleased to announce that Jamaica’s Woman National Senior team will play two international friendlies in the United States as part of the US Soccer 2021 Women’s National Team Summer Series. On June 10, the Reggae Girlz will play Nigeria at 4:30 pm and on June 13, they will play World Champions and host, the United States at 9:15 pm,” Ricketts said.

Both games will be played at the BVVA Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Ricketts said that Portugal will also be involved in the series and like Jamaica will only play two matches while the USA and Nigeria will play three games.

The president said it is expected that of the other three teams, the USA and Nigeria are expected to provide stern tests for the Reggae Girlz, who have been inactive for more than a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As we know, the US team is the best in the world and Nigeria, currently ranked 38^th, is a historic powerhouse and the number-one team in Africa,” he said, adding that they have ensured that the players’ safety will be guaranteed.

“Our agreement ensures that the team will play in a highly-controlled environment under very safe Covid-19 protocols.”

In preparation for the four-team tournament, Ricketts said they are planning to have the players in a camp from June 4-8.

In addition, Ricketts said, the JFF intends to have more camps and international matches before the World Cup qualifiers begin in November.

Shaw won the women’s Footballer of the Year award with 80 per cent of the voters opting for either the Manchester City striker or Chelsea’s Lauren James. James finished runner-up with another Manchester City standout Alex Greenwood finishing third. Yui Hasegawa, Elisabeth Terland and Khiara Keating completed the top six.

In a release on Friday, Ricketts pointed out that the award spoke volumes of Shaw's impact on Manchester City's Women's Super League charge, as she has been a model of consistency since joining the Gareth Taylor-coached club in 2021. Her performances have placed Manchester City on the brink of securing their first WSL title since 2016.

“This award is a beautiful feather in her cap and a massive advertisement for Jamaica’s football,” Ricketts said.

“I am happy to see the consistency in quality shown by Khadija. She has always been a top player, but her standard has risen a notch this season. This augurs well for the national team in the future. We wish her all the best on the road to recovery,” he added.

Prior to Shaw sustaining a broken foot during her last Women’s Super League match against West Ham, the Reggae Girls captain scored 21 goals, which were complemented by three assists in 18 games this season.

Shaw is the third Jamaican-born individual to have won the award after John Barnes (1987-88, 1989-90) and Raheem Sterling in 2019.

However, she is the first national representative to receive the honour, as both Barnes and Sterling were England internationals when they earned the recognition.

The 56 delegates will come from three pillars and, according to Ricketts, the JFF held an emergency congress on Sunday to sanction the Pillar-Three delegates.

Ricketts explained that there are six entities associated with Pillar Three but of that six, only three were able to meet the requirements.

He put this down to misinterpretation of the federation’s new constitution.

“The new constitution and its articles seem to be causing a lot of issues because people are not interpreting the contents of the articles,” he told SportsMax.tv on Monday, explaining that this was also an issue at Sunday’s meeting.  “What happens now is that there are certain criteria based on the articles that entities must meet for them to qualify for voting at the congress. They were listed! Of all the applicants, three would’ve met all the requirements.”

The president says the JFF received applications from two different coaches associations, a former players association and the beach-football association.

One of the coaches associations, headed by former senior women’s coach Vin Blaine, was not considered as it has been defunct for some time.

“The coaches', where one Mr. Vin Blaine, who is not even domiciled in Jamaica, says that he heads a coaches association with four listed persons. One of those persons does not live here and one of those gentlemen said that he is not a part of the association which has gone defunct for years. They have not been operative,” Ricketts told SportsMax.tv on Monday.

The other association, comprising current active head coaches, met all the requirements and was approved.

“The other one is current and includes practicing coaches now like Merron Gordon, Andrew Peart, Rudolph Speid and Xavier Gilbert among others. They met all the requirements,” Ricketts added.

He went on to say that the former footballers' association also met the requirements and were approved but the Beach Football Association did not because of “serious misrepresentation” as Ricketts put it.

 “The directors for the Beach Football Association were not named, the members were. The directors are those that are listed at the Company’s Office. There were members who were asked to serve. There is a huge debate right now because of one particular gentleman. A member of KSAFA got up in the congress yesterday and said that gentleman has vehemently denied ever being a part of the directorship,” Ricketts explained.

“However, the gentleman sent an email to the JFF this morning (Monday) saying that he is, in fact, a member. So, as it is now, there was serious misrepresentation because the gentleman sent an email saying he is, in fact, a member of the board of directors for beach football. What has happened is because that was raised, I suggested that we defer sanctioning the Beach Football Association until we get clarification so the other two-the coaches association and the past players association-were accepted,” he added.

The remaining stakeholders who have not applied will have until some time in December to try and meet the requirements.

“There are others who we would’ve reached out to and have asked them to apply. So, there are now applications from ISSA, PFJL among others. The referees have some further documents to be submitted. In an effort to ensure that we get all the stakeholders on board, we have extended the period to sometime in December so that those entities who have not met the requirements have a chance to get themselves up in line with the requirements and to apply so we will again have to have another congress maybe just before the voting congress,” he said.

In conclusion, Ricketts lamented the publicizing of the ongoing situation and accused detractors of trying everything to discredit the current JFF Board of Directors.

 “We are publicizing the whole thing and, believe me, we’re making so many issues, making mountains out of molehills, all in the interest of politics," the JFF president said.

"It is just sad how people will do everything to discredit this board. We are not perfect and we make mistakes but, my God man, don’t just try and destroy something you are a part of. We try to be strong and try to be guided by the articles of the constitution and we’re just hoping that after the election, things will be normal and that we just move forward in an effort to grow the sport of football which ought to be our aim and ambition."

After Marley resigned from her role as Global Ambassador for Jamaica’s women’s football programme, the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation followed suit and announced its discontinuation of funding support to the JFF and the national women’s programme.

A statement signed by the Foundation’s General Counsel Lecia-Gaye Taylor and released on Thursday, said the decision was not made lightly given their “long and meaningful” partnership with the JFF over the years.

While Marley pointed to the current state of affairs involving the senior Reggae Girlz World Cup representatives and the JFF as reasons behind her departure, the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation said its move was to reassess its priorities.

“We have been privileged to witness the growth and development of women’s football in Jamaica, and we are proud of the achievements and progress that have been made during our collaboration.

“However, as circumstances change and our foundations evolves, we must reassess our priorities and the impact of our funding on various causes and organizations. In light of our revised focus and funding priorities, we have come to the conclusion that we can no longer continue our financial support of the JFF programme,” the statement read.

Like Marley, the Foundation expressed its commitment to the empowerment of girls and the development of women’s football in Jamaica and, as such, will continue its support under the Football is Freedom initiative.

Both Marley and the Foundation, have been instrumental benefactors to the country’s governing football body over the years and their absence have started to raise questions about how the JFF will fill that huge gap in its JFF’s coffers, a fact Ricketts is very much aware of.

“I am saddened by the unfortunate decision of Miss Marley to cut ties with the women's programme at this time. This is even more so as we are of the view that we had made significant progress in the discussions and are just awaiting the World Cup players to come back to us and advise of their availability. We must thank Miss Marley and the Bob Marley Foundation for all the support that they have given over time. We want to assure her that the gains that have been made will be concretised as we move into the future,” Ricketts said in a release.

“We are happy that she [Marley] will continue to lend support to local women's football through the "Football is Freedom" initiative and are eager to offer any support that might be requested. The JFF no doubt will always welcome the contribution of Miss Marley as we continue to develop women's football and provide a path for the young girls in Jamaica,” he ended.

In fact, both underscored the importance of sustained development to ensure the team’s continued success as they progress toward higher levels of competition, including a possible FIFA Under-17 World Cup qualification.

The Andrew Peart-coached young Reggae Boyz clinched the CFU title with a 7-1 hammering of French Guiana in the final in what was an exceptional display of talent and cohesiveness throughout the tournament hosted in Trinidad and Tobago.

However, both Ricketts and Chung recognize that winning this title—the first for the country in a while—is just the beginning. The challenge now is to maintain the momentum, ensuring these players are nurtured and developed as they transition to the Under-17 level and beyond.

“Congratulations, coach Peart. You have shown the highest level of commitment to this program, and we want to assure you that the JFF will give you as much support as we can to ensure that there is some longevity, there is major productivity, and that the process will continue leading up to our Under-17 qualification for the World Cup,” Ricketts declared during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

Ricketts spoke passionately about plotting a strategic approach for player development and, by extension, the need to keep players active and together as they transition to the next level.

“When you participate in a competition with 23 teams and you come out scoring 25 goals and conceding two, it is indeed impressive. This is something that will put us in a situation where we will now have to put in place a contingency plan to ensure that all of our teams, from 14 up to 17, are, of course, in training so that we can all make that transition from 14 to 15, 15 to 16, and 16 to 17.

“That certainly will present a huge challenge, but just like how we were able to be successful in our journey just completed, I think we can achieve success at other levels,” Ricketts reasoned.

“What we really need is for private sector, the government, and, of course, our parent organizations to come on board because we want to certainly qualify for the Under-17 World Cup next year and we want to run up a sequence of qualifications. But we must have an organized plan in place to ensure that the U-14s make the transition, likewise, U-15 and U-16, so that every year we can participate in this global tournament,” he added as he alluded to the support provided by FIFA for the U-14 campaign through its Talent Development Scheme (TDS) program.

Chung also highlighted the importance of continuity, as he pointed out to the fact that Jamaica’s winning team was made up solely of local-based players.

“Nobody came from overseas, which shows that we have the talent here. If we put the infrastructure in place to hold everyone together, then we could be producing the world class footballers, just like athletics now locally is producing the world-class athletic stars. That's our intent to the program,” Chung stated.

He stressed that the focus should be targeted on ensuring these players continue to build together as a unit and strengthen their chances for future successes.

“Everything that you see here is based on strategic decisions that have been taken, the work that we've been doing to grow things incrementally and have cumulative benefits. We want to ensure that this Under-14 team is the one that goes on, after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, that will qualify also for the 2030 World Cup and continue that going forward. This success doesn't come just overnight; this is something that is coming from a seed that was planted just over a year ago,” Chung explained.

Meanwhile, Peart believes that with dedicated leadership and a clear roadmap, the future looks bright for the young Reggae Boyz, as their performances are not to be taken lightly.

“The quality of opposition we played against was really at a good level for Under-15s. When you look at Trinidad and Tobago or Puerto Rico, with an influx of diaspora players from the United States, and Aruba, who had players coming down from the Netherlands, the quality was really good,” Peart declared.

Ricketts believes the Girlz have not been shown enough appreciation for their historic accomplishment of qualifying for a second-consecutive World Cup but says KFC's support represents a step in the right direction and another example which he hopes other corporate companies will follow.

The one-year partnership will see KFC pumping $6 million in cash and another $1 million in products to the Reggae Girlz, who are currently in camp putting the final pieces in place ahead of the July 20 to August 20 showpiece, in Australia and New Zealand.

"We need to show far more appreciation to our Girlz and when you think of the struggles some of these players went through, the sacrifice and commitment to get a country like ours to two global tournaments consecutively, it is no ordinary achievement," Ricketts said during a press conference at JFF’s St Lucia Avenue base on Wednesday.

"So, I must recognize Mr. [Andrei] Roper and KFC for coming on board to partner with the JFF to ensure that we improve the quality of life for all these girls that constantly and consistently make us so very proud. This is something that we can gloat about and hopefully this really sends a strong signal to Jamaica as it relates to the positive and social impact that these two qualifications have on our little boys and girls," he added.

While most of their focus is currently on the World Cup, Ricketts said the Olympic Games Qualifiers against Canada in September, as well as the women's Nations League and Gold Cup, has not been lost on them, hence is call for more support.

But beyond that and despite the financial constraints, the president pointed out that his administration is intent on getting things right going forward, particularly where developing the country's football from the grassroots is concerned.

By virtue of the Girlz qualification, the JFF is assured of just over US$1.5 million from FIFA, but that figure could increase if the team goes beyond the group stage. The Girlz are drawn in Group F alongside France, Brazil and Panama.

"We are just intent on ensuring that the whole psyche of our little boys and girls are positively impacted. We struggle to meet our footballing demands when you think that we have 12 teams, six on either side of the gender, that we must take care of, it is challenging, but we are managing.

"So, I want to again mention our sponsors we had Courts last week and now KFC joining the Marley Foundation and others, but we need other corporate entities to come on board as we try to impact the social needs of the boys and girls that are interested in playing the sport," Ricketts shared.

"We must put programmes in place, and we are intent on getting a proper grassroots programme. We have a committee which is responsible for talent identification, grassroots and development, so this committee will be very active in identifying grassroots kids and having them properly harnessed and then get them in a formal setting so we can then make the transition from little kids to high school players and then inevitably, national players," the president noted.

Meanwhile, ROJ’s Brand Manager Andrei Roper explained that this partnership with the senior Reggae Girlz is an extension of that with captain and prolific goal scorer, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw.

The 26-year-old Manchester City striker, who is not in the current camp, is expected to join up with the final squad when they head to Amsterdam for a pre-tournament camp before heading to Australia.

"We really wanted to help to make the Reggae Girlz journey to the World Cup that much easier, theirs is a tremendous achievement and I don't think we fully appreciate as a nation what a huge achievement it is. They are true ambassadors for Jamaica, not just for women's sport but for brand Jamaica on a whole, so for us at KFC we pride ourselves on giving back... just supporting all those pillars of society that really represent everything positive about Jamaica," Roper affirmed.

"Women's football is an area where we did see an opportunity to really give a bit more as a brand. Last year, we started a partnership with Khadija Shaw as our big deal ambassador, so this is just a fitting extension of our relationship with Khadija, who is the face of women's football and so we are broadening our scope and partnership to the wider Reggae Girlz programme.

"So, we just want to say thanks and just to help make their preparations a bit easier because we know it’s going to be a tough group and so we want to just really make the last lap going Down Under that much easier. So great partnership for us and we are glad to be on board," he stated.

Carvel Stewart, Vice Chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) made the announcement on Thursday, after securing the approval of Michael Ricketts, President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

The decision to suspend matches was also in keeping with Wednesday night’s request by Prime Minister Andrew Holness that there not be large gatherings in a bid to limit the spread of the deadly virus.

Two Jamaicans have tested positive for the virus and seven are in isolation.

“In accordance with the government’s announcement last night and after a fairly short meeting this morning, it was decided that the matches for today and the weekend would be postponed to observe the government’s wishes that we don’t have large crowds attending,” said Stewart.

“We have not yet decided on the further involvement of the teams and we will be meeting next week again to determine if we go as of the next round or if there are further delays.”

The suspension of the RSPL comes on the heels of the news of the cancellation of the 110-year-old Boys and Girls Championships that were scheduled to be held at the end of March. Also, the finals of the Digicel Grand Prix have also been cancelled over concerns over the spread of the virus, whose spread has prompted the World Health Organisation to declare a pandemic.

More than 121, 000 people have been infected by the virus with more than 4000 dying as a result.

In recent days, the NBA, La Liga and Serie A have suspended play until further notice as the virus continues to spread unabated across the globe.

Chung’s assertions came as he provided the latest update of the governing football body’s finances, delivering on a promise to increase transparency and accountability at an organisation plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

“I've been here for a few months now, so I think it's timely to give an update as to where we are, what challenges we are still faced with and what progress has been made in relation to some of the things that I committed to at the start of my tenure here because I think that accountability is very important,” Chung told journalists during a press conference at the JFF’s St Lucia Avenue base.

On that note, Chung, revealed that the JFF finances, for the first time in a long time, reflected an $11 million surplus at the end of July, which he believes is testament to progress made.

“When we come in November one of the things, I said is that we need to recognize that changing and developing our product doesn't happen overnight, we're going to have hiccups. We've had some hiccups, but what we have attempted to do, which I think we have been successful in some respects, is to fix the brand,” Chung shared.

“You can’t drive the car until the car is fixed. The engine has to be fixed and, therefore, over the past few months we’ve been looking at the strategies for fixing the product because you can’t sell a product unless it’s fixed. So, recently, we’ve been getting in sponsors and the reason why we’ve been able to get sponsors is because we fixed the product that’s there,” he added.

That said, Chung addressed two widely circulated issues that he said were a misrepresentation of the facts aimed at condemning the Michael Ricketts-led administration. One of those issues involves a $107 million debt to the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), while the other surrounds another $30 million missing from the JFF coffers.

“The JFF unlike many organisations, have a Tax Compliant Certificate and we not only got it, but we updated and renewed it. That $107 million owed to TAJ is related to penalties and interest coming from as far back as before 2017.

“Last year we went into negotiations with the tax authority, and we paid off all the principals outstanding. The discussion at the time was, ‘show us that you’re keeping up to date with your payments’, which we did, and then by March we were able to apply for a write-off of the penalties and interest,” Chung, who is also an accountant explained.

He continued: “The other thing I saw people saying that $30 million is missing that was classified as miscellaneous, but that $30 million came up because when the audit was done, and the issue was that $30 million was not classified properly to the line item.

“I am an accountant, I know that many companies have that issue with their auditors, so we reclassified it and everything was classified successfully and we got the audit issued by the auditors. So that implication that there is money missing, there is no money missing, it was just how it was accounted for and then it was classified, so for me, where we are coming from is significant in terms of the accomplishment.

Finally, Chung is cognizant that they still have much more to do to achieve the level of comfort where trust in the JFF and, by extension, sustainable development of the country’s football is concerned.

“We would not have got the sponsorships if we did not fix the product. Now we are not at the level that we want yet, because we still have not finished fixing the product. But we've gone a far away in making inroads,” the general secretary ended.

Ricketts has been returned to the presidency of the Jamaica Football Federation following elections held in Negril, Hanover on Sunday.

He defeated challenger Raymond Anderson 39-17 in the vote count that was completed at the Royalton Resort in Negril, shortly before 5 pm Sunday.

Ricketts, who has been president since 2017, will now serve a second full term at the helm, after riding out the buffeting winds of controversy most of which centered around the fallout between Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz and the administration over alleged unpaid fees and general disrespect.

Minister Grange said, “I anticipate an early meeting with the new administration to hear of the plans for the Federation going forward.”

“I believe differences should be put aside and that the focus should be on what is best in the interest of the further progress of Jamaica’s football, in both the men and women’s game. The mantra should be renewal, recommitment and repair. Let us all work together, there is much more still to be done.”

JFF president Michael Ricketts expressed great optimism about the appointment.

“We are truly elated to announce the appointment of Mr. McClaren as Head Coach of the Reggae Boyz. We are confident we made the right decision, and we are looking forward to him guiding our nation towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Ricketts said.

McClaren also expressed great excitement of taking charge of the Reggae Boyz.

“I am extremely proud and excited to take up the position of Head coach for The Jamaica Men’s National Team. I had no hesitation in accepting a position that is ideally suited to me at this stage of my career,” McClaren noted.

“Prior to returning to Manchester United for a second spell, I spent time at FIFA as a Technical Advisor on their Global Eco Analysis project. Jamaica was one of the teams I worked with and I quickly came to realize the potential the country possessed. In the years since, that potential has grown significantly and there is every reason to believe that with continued hard work and development a bright future lies ahead,” he added.

McClaren's coaching career includes significant achievements with Manchester United, the England National team, and clubs like Middlesbrough F.C. and FC Twente.

The Reggae Boyz will commence their campaign in the 2024/2025 edition of the CONCACAF Nations League on September 6 against Cuba at the National Stadium.

This Nations League cycle will also serve as a qualifier for the 2025 edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Further details about McClaren's first press conference will be announced later.

With one day left before the deadline to sign contracts for the upcoming campaigns, the JFF and representatives of some national players remain far apart on wage demands.  The JFF has submitted a final offer of US$2,000 (300,255.80) per match, per player for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the players have, however, requested US$7,000 ($1,050,895.30).

According to Ricketts, however, the offer made by the JFF is grounded in the reality of what the federation can afford and as a result, is unlikely to be adjusted.

“We are still waiting and hoping for an amicable settlement.  I do hope that the players will be reasonable and balanced in whatever they decide to do.  I hope that they will agree to something that is manageable,” Ricketts told TVJ Sports.

“The committee has been having talks in recent times with the lawyer who represents some of the players.  How many of the players he legitimately and legally represents we are not sure but we want to ensure that we do have a relationship with our players,” he added.

The JFF president, however, warned that some players run the risk of being left out of the program if no agreement can be reached in time.

“I want to say that if a player insists that he is not signing for what we can afford to pay, then we are not going to hold anything against that player or particular players but the show has to go on, and if there are players willing to play and some who are not willing to play then we will have to go with those who are willing to play,” Ricketts said.

The workshop begins on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston, and ends on Friday, October 8, with a closing session and Press Conference at midday.

UEFA’s key aims are to share knowledge and best practices to help UEFA’s sister confederations and their member associations develop and strengthen football within their respective territories as well as to respond to the needs of national associations and confederations around the world while increasing solidarity and facilitating football development globally.

The intensive programme will cover a wide range of topics on best practices in the modern league across several topics aimed at further developing the Clubs of the Jamaica Premier League.

"The clubs represent the main cornerstone for the development of football in Jamaica. We have come a long way in club development over the years but there is still a mountain to climb if we are to get to our destination,” said JFF President Michael Ricketts.

“This workshop will help to bridge the knowledge gap and introduce our clubs to best practices and methods in today's game. The JFF welcomes the assistance of both CONCACAF and UEFA and I implore the participants to capture as much knowledge as is possible.”

The capacity-building sessions are only a part of an overall League Development Programme and follow similar sessions conducted online last year for the JFF and with the participation of the then recently-established Professional Football Jamaica Limited, PFJL.

This week, the sessions are being delivered directly and in person with international experts to the clubs of the Jamaica Premier League, including the clubs for the 12th spot.

“Building the capacity of the Jamaica Premier League clubs is a vital step in the UEFA Assist League Development Programme. Strengthening their knowledge in key areas like income generation, governance and financial management will prove invaluable to ensuring the clubs remain sustainable over the long-term,” said Eva Pasquier, UEFA Head of International Relations.

“We are delighted to support this important initiative and help grow Jamaican football.”

Meanwhile, Howard McIntosh, ONE Caribbean Project Senior Manager at CONCACAF believes that strengthening the clubs’ capacity augurs well for regional football.

"Clubs are the heartbeat of football. Developing the clubs in Jamaica and the region is part of our commitment to improving the game in Concacaf. This is even more critical with the professional game,” he said.

“We remain committed to supporting our member associations and the clubs in our region. This workshop is one small demonstration of our continued support. I would encourage all the Clubs to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn about best practices in the professional game."