Burrell Unopposed to Continue as Jamaica’s Football President
Overwhelming support for pensioner from parish associations
Captain Horace Burrell is on course to remain as president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as he has no opponents for the elections on December 20.
But Orville Powell was trying to oust the powerful 65-year-old, although failed in his mission as he didn’t reach the required nominations.
According to the JFF, Burrell was nominated for the post of president by 11 of the 13 parish associations with ambitious Powell generating just a single only nomination — from the St. Ann Football Association.
The Kingston & St Andrew Football Association, the largest confederation, abstained from nominating a candidate for this position.
Powell needed to be nominated by a minimum of four parish associations to become eligible to challenge Burrell. He owns Montego Bay United, who finished runner-up in last season’s Red Stripe Premier League having scooped the title in the previous campaign.
Burrell, the son of a tobacco grower in Clarendon Parish, became a Captain with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
He was supervised by Colonel Ken Barnes, the father of former English international footballer John Barnes, who suggested that he look after the JDF football team.
Burrell took the JDF team to Trinidad where he first met Jack Warner, who offered him an executive position at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
After his successful spell at the KSAFA, he became the president of the JFF in 1994 and has overseen many changes in the sport throughout the Caribbean region. He is also the vice-president of CONCACAF.
And the only mark against Burrell was serving half of his six-month ban, issued by the FIFA Ethics Committee in October 2011, for his involvement in the CFU corruption.
