LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
Captain Horace Burrell (right) and Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter, president of the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA). - file
World football's governing body, FIFA, has given the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) permission to sell the land in Malvern in St Elizabeth as the JFF seeks to relocate the football academy.
The academy, which ground was broken for in October 2003 in Portmore and is a FIFA Goal Project, was moved to St Elizabeth in 2004 following a change of administration at the JFF. When Captain Horace Burrell resumed leadership of the JFF last November from Crenston Boxhill, he deemed the location unsuitable.
Captain Burrell toldStar Sports yesterday that the JFF will be hoping to make a profit from the sale.
"The cost of the land and work done on it is in the region of $35 million," said Burrell. "However, we will get the appraisers to come and give an assessment and then we will accept offers and go for the best price."
Embryonic stage
As for the new location of the academy, Burrell said: "Talks are in the embryonic stage but one thing I can assure you is that the academy will be in Kingston, St Andrew or St Catherine. We have been speaking with Professor Gordon Shirley of the University of the West Indies, Professor Errol Morrison of the University of Technology and Keith Hinds, mayor of Portmore."
By order of FIFA, the revenue earned from the sale of the land in St Elizabeth "must be reinvested in the construction of a FIFA Goal Project to be approved by that body. The JFF is also required to submit to FIFA for its approval, the process for disposal of the site".
The FIFA Goal Project is an initiative by the sport's body to establish football academies in countries across the world. The JFF initially received a grant of US$400,000 to purchase land for the academy, which is a stipulation by FIFA. The JFF can apply for additional grants to complete the academy.
FRIENDLIES
Also coming out of the JFF's Tuesday night board meeting was the announcement of three friendlies against Caribbean teams as the Reggae Boyz prepare for their two-leg World Cup qualifier against The Bahamas on June 15 and 18 at the National Stadium and the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Complex.
Jamaica will play St Vincent and the Grenadines, who beat Jamaica 2-1 the last time both teams met, on June 3 in Kingston. They will be in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, four days later and on June 10 play the Spice Boys of Grenada in St George.
There has also been addition to the technical staff with the appointment of Brazilian Walter Gama as assistant technical director to René Simoes. Gama, who previously worked in Jamaica from 1998-2000, will have specific responsibility for the youth teams and women's programme. The JFF board also terminated the contract of trainer Alexander Montiero to make room in the salary cap for Gama.
Incomplete facilities at the site formerly set aside for the construction of Jamaica's Football Academy in Malvern, St. Elizabeth. - file
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