Three-month wait did not mean problems – Donaldson
Reggae Girlz coach says contract negotiations were smooth
Published:Thursday | October 13, 2022 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
DESPITE HAVING to wait three months for contracts with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to be finalised, Reggae Girlz coach Lorne Donaldson said there were no headaches over the process.
Donaldson was appointed as Vin Blaine’s replacement after the latter resigned in June following a fallout with players.
However, after securing the Girlz’s second successive FIFA World Cup qualification in Mexico in July, the federation assured that it would finalise the coaches’ contracts in short order.
Although it took three months for the federation and the Donaldson-led coaching staff to put pen to paper, he insists there were no hang-ups between the parties over the course of the discussions.
“We all went about our business professionally. I don’t think anybody sat there and was worried about it.
“The president was upfront that it was going to be done. Obviously, it took a little bit longer than we actually thought it would, but no one sat there and got any headaches over it.
“We just tried to deal with key issues and move forward. I am happy for the coaches and the players. Now that this is done we can now move on with football and concentrate a little bit more on dealing with the football side of things, so we can get the team ready for the World Cup,” Donaldson told The Gleaner.
The contracts will run from September 2022 to September 30, 2023, taking into consideration the FIFA Women’s World Cup next July and the Olympic qualifiers next September.
He also thinks this stability will be encouraging for the members of his staff, as well as the players, although he admitted that the negotiations were at times a minor distraction for the team.
“I am just one person and it has to be a staff that get this done. I cannot do this by myself and if you work with good people and you can retain them, you try to do that and keep them because it is a staff effort.
“This was not a discussion we had with the players but I think the players all along have bought into what was going on.
“They knew what was going on and I don’t think they were actually worried about it,” he surmised.
“They were focused and it didn’t stop us from being focused. Although sometimes because of all the questions that come with it, it became an unnecessary distraction that we did not want. So it is good we got over with it. So we do not have to think about it anymore.”
In a release, the JFF said it was proud to have concluded negotiations with the technical staff of the Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT) in respect of contracts for one year having been signed by all the staff.
It stated that the federation thanked all the staff members who were cooperative and understood the process, while adding that they intend to strengthen relations with players, technical and all support staff across all teams.
“In short order, the JFF will be looking to address support staff, as the federation values all stakeholders. Other areas will be attended to also, including support systems and equipment that will enhance overall performance.
“These agreements, coupled with the preparation of the SWNT to participate in the aforementioned tournaments, including participating in and staging international friendlies such as those already with South Korea and coming up with Paraguay, are undoubtedly the largest investments the federation has ever undertaken in women’s football,” read the release.
Donaldson said he is now awaiting the World Cup draw before his team decides on opponents for friendlies in upcoming FIFA windows.
“We cannot do a lot of games right now until after the World Cup draw this month. Then we can see who we want to play in the next window after the draw.
“We will know who is in our group and who is available and find teams that are very similar to play in the next FIFA window, so a lot of teams are reluctant to schedule right now.
“Also, we do not know if a team is going to be in our group. But we will want to find teams that are similar to how those teams that we will face play,” he said.