JFF to address past players’ welfare
Published:Tuesday | December 17, 2019 | 12:11 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) Football Veterans’ Welfare Association (FVWA) has identified former national midfielder Dennis Ebanks and striker Miguel Blair as two of the first to benefit from its assistance.
Ebanks, the former St Jago High student, played for the national youth teams, Black Lions and Hazard United, now known as Portmore United. However, his senior career was blighted by a knee injury which forced him to retire early. But now the former fan favourite, who is seen regularly the Spanish Town Prison Oval, has fallen on hard times.
Former Santos forward, Blair, of the Blair brothers, which included Corsel and Patrick, all of whom represented the national team, has been living in a deplorable conditions in Rae Town.
“For the last two years, having been enlightened to the difficulties of some of our past national players, and each time I have a discussion with somebody who has been in football for a long time, I have always been reminded of the difficulties our past players face,” JFF president Michael Ricketts said at the launch of the initiative on Friday.
“I know for sure that Ebanks is one of the persons we will be targeting as someone who desperately needs help. Also, one of the Blair brothers is just on the street and needing help, and someone to reach out to him. Michael Tulloch, Neville Oxford, and Bradley Stewart are persons who have tried to get something going. Stewart and ‘Busy’ (Clive Campbell) will make recommendations, and we will try and reach out to these players.
The president’s annual fundraiser games, which is in aid of the FVWA, and scheduled to take place on January 1 at York Oval in St Thomas, was also announced on Friday.
Two games will be played, with a former national squad to face a Masters and Celebrities squad in the opening game at 2 p.m., while the senior Reggae Boyz take on a Premier League All Stars team in the feature game at 4 p.m.
Ricketts said that the welfare committee will manage applications and disbursement of funds, but will be separate from the JFF. Currently Peter Moses, Marva Bernard and Denzil Wilks are the three signatories but it is understood that more persons will be included soon.
“We want to formalise a structural committee that will take on the responsibility of ensuring we reel in some of these players,” Ricketts said. “Some of them have mental challenges, some physical incapabilities, and some live on the streets. These are persons who have entertained and represented us at the highest level, and the JFF must take responsibility to reach these players and try as best as possible to assist them whether with housing, healthcare, or medical expenses.
“We want to make it separate and apart from the JFF and we will add [Michael] Tulloch, and I have Amal Knight (a goalkeeper in the current senior men’s national team) in mind. They will determine how to make application for support and they will determine how they disperse funds or assistance.”
Oxford, a former schoolboy football great, also had other recommendations, such as recognising former players once per year, promoting fundraising events with the blessing of the JFF to render viability, and complimentary tickets for national team games based on caps.