Fresh off the heels of being removed from FIFA’s restricted funding list, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts has revealed ambitious plans to relocate the federation’s headquarters from Kingston and build modern facilities to support the country's growing number of national teams.
The development comes after the JFF spent five years under close scrutiny from FIFA, during which funding was tightly controlled due to concerns over governance and financial management. Now with full access restored, Ricketts says the time has come to lay the foundation for a stronger, more self-sufficient future.
“It gives us some latitude,” said Ricketts in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV. “Certainly, our project funding will now be available. There were a number of restrictions, but it will be a lot easier now. We’ll be able to access funds more readily, and FIFA has expressed confidence in our improved fiscal practices following several audits.”
Ricketts revealed that the JFF has already begun discussions to acquire land for a new headquarters complex that would include administrative offices, training fields, and dormitories to house players during camps and tournaments.
“We’ve already started discussions in relation to finding a property where we can construct some kind of a proper office, proper fields, and of course a proper dormitory,” he said.
He added that a delegation of FIFA officials is scheduled to arrive in Kingston (today), coinciding with the Reggae Boyz’ crucial second-leg clash against St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers. “They’ll attend the match and then meet with us the following day to continue those conversations.”
A long-term goal, Ricketts explained, is to move the JFF offices out of the congested urban environment of Kingston.
“I’d love to have the office somewhere not too far from Kingston, but outside of the hustle and bustle,” he said. “We tried to acquire a property in St. Catherine recently, but that fell through. Still, the vision remains—to relocate to central Jamaica, somewhere accessible but removed from the chaos of the capital.”
On the technical side, the JFF is also prioritizing the development of new training fields. Ricketts said he and JFF Technical Director Rudolph Speid recently visited a potential site for the project.
“We’re very excited about it,” he shared. “Once we secure the proper documentation, we’ll submit everything to FIFA for approval. We’re planning at least one turf field and one natural grass field. That’s part of our short- to medium-term plan.”
With 12 national teams—six men’s and six women’s—under its umbrella, the JFF is struggling to meet the demands of proper training infrastructure.
“When you think about the number of teams we have, we are definitely short on space and facilities,” Ricketts admitted. “This is something we have to fix if we’re serious about developing football in Jamaica.”
While regaining unrestricted funding is a significant milestone for the JFF, Ricketts emphasized that it’s just the beginning of a new chapter for the federation.
“This is a big plus for us,” he said. “But the real work starts now.”