‘We need to talk’ - JFF president to meet with gen sec over threat of Bailey sanction

Western Bureau:

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts says he will not discuss the competence of General Secretary Dalton Wint in the public domain. But Ricketts said he will “sit down and have a discussion with him” after his comments last week, made about sanctions for national senior men’s team player Leon Bailey.

Wint said in a story in The Gleaner on Tuesday that the JFF will be taking strong actions against Bailey after his recent criticism of the JFF and head coach Theodore Whitmore’s selection policies.

Bailey said on Instagram Live two weeks ago that the current squad of Jamaican players is capable of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the only thing that can deny them that opportunity is the JFF.

“I couldn’t discuss the competency of the general secretary publicly,” Ricketts said. “I really want to sit down with him and have a discussion before. I am not even sure of what he said because I didn’t listen to the interview. So I would have to listen to what he said first. I don’t think it would be right to go into the public space to comment on that right now.

“Some people have been saying some things that he said, about the player facing strong sanctions. Even so, if it is already referred to the disciplinary committee, then the gen sec would have no control over sanctions, or what will happen.

“The disciplinary committee could well say they’ll give a letter of reprimand, or we’re going to ask that you not do it again, or they could say we are banning you for life. He (Wint) would have no control, so he really never had to say that.”