JFF presidential slates square off over Congress admission
Published:Sunday | December 17, 2023 | 12:13 AMJanet Silvera - Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
STANDARD PROCEDURE was followed and there was no ulterior motive behind the request made by a policeman for delegates attending the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) congress at the Montego Bay Community College yesterday, says JFF president Michael Ricketts.
“I went through the same process and the guy (policeman) didn’t know I was the president,” he told The Gleaner in response to accusations made by vice president of the federation, Raymond Anderson that he and his team were delayed entering the congress.
Anderson, along with 11 delegates were travelling in a bus, when they were asked to provide their names before entering the schoolyard. They were held outside the college gates for approximately 15 minutes.
Anderson, who is vying for the presidency against Ricketts, on January 14, 2024, characterised the situation as employing intimidatory tactics, but Ricketts said it was a private property rented for the event, so everybody had to be checked before entering the building.
“The policeman, who had no badge number or name on his uniform, refused to let us inside the gates of the college saying he was given instructions by Bruce Gaynor (vice president) to stop anyone whose name was not on the list,” Anderson told The Gleaner.
Both Anderson and Gaynor, as VPs, have the power to invite guests, Anderson claims. However, Gaynor says he doesn’t make the rules and Anderson was aware people attending should have registered in advance.
Refuting the claims, Gaynor said the JFF VP was never barred from entering the facility.
“He was travelling with a bus load of persons and when they were asked to provide their names for entry, they refused. This is a private congress and only members of the football federation, delegates, observers and invited guests are allowed,” said Gaynor.
He noted that the secretariat sent out numerous memos informing the members that all persons attending should be registered.
“If VP Anderson have a bus load of guests and he wanted them to attend, he should have registered them.”
A video capturing the impasse at the gate circulated on Saturday afternoon, causing the JFF much embarrassment, and eliciting an apology to the Montego Bay community.
In fact, Anderson said had it not been for the timely intervention of a member of the college’s operations team, the delegates in the bus he was travelling with, may have had to consider turning back.
“The man who helped us, called and threaten the executive, telling them if they didn’t rectify the matter within five minutes he would give them back the money they paid to rent the meeting venue,” Anderson shared with The Gleaner.
Anderson, with 37 years of experience in football, expressed astonishment, saying he had never encountered a situation like the one he experienced. The people on the bus included four members of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) board, who were subjected to what he deemed mistreatment due to their endorsement of his candidacy for the presidency.
During the standoff, the policeman called for reinforcement, and three additional officers arrived, visibly carrying M16 rifles.
“It was nothing to cause an alarm. These people just want to give trouble. The police were there to ensure only authorised persons came into the venue. It was a simple operation. I don’t know why these people continue to do these things,” Ricketts argued.