New date set for JFF election

THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) has set a new date for its presidential election following delays due to a court injunction that postponed its January 14 staging.

According to reports, the elections have been set for Sunday, March 17.

The rescheduled date was decided by the board of the JFF following a meeting at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence last evening.

The new date will see current president Michael Ricketts running against vice president Raymond Anderson for the presidential role in the JFF.

Before the meeting, both candidates were confident of their chances.

According to Ricketts, he is sure he will be retaining his position despite the delays in the election process.

“It (support) has grown because people have become frustrated with some of the things the other side is doing. We are confident. I still want to keep my votes, my delegates and I want to make everybody comfortable and happy so people will vote where their hearts are,” Ricketts told The Gleaner recently.

Anderson is also confident in his chances of being voted JFF president come March 17, and trusts that a fair election will see him ahead of Ricketts in the polls.

“I am more than confident. We are going to win the election on the day because we are doing things right, and if we get the constitutional things correct, and you have the rules and regulations correct, all things will fall into place.”

The JFF elections had been set for January 14 earlier this year but were postponed after the Supreme Court granted a 28-day injunction to Beach Soccer Jamaica (BSJ). BSJ president Pat Garel argued that her administration should be allowed to vote in the elections.

Garel explained she was informed that another administration was formed in October last year with the name Beach Football Association of Jamaica. This entity, co-chaired by JFF vice-president Bruce Gaynor and JFF director Patrick Malcolm, was recognised by the JFF as the representative of beach football in Jamaica which would have voting rights.

The BSJ sought to have the injunction reinstated but the Supreme Court ruled against the administration and the injunction was lifted, allowing the JFF to set a new date for its elections.

Following this ruling, Garel’s lawyers had said they would appeal the decision by the court to lift the injunction.

Garel and the BSJ proved unavailable for comment regarding the JFF’s new election date up to press time.