Tony BeccaTHERE IS a popular saying that class is class, and those who do not know what is class should have been at the Pegasus Hotel last Sunday morning at the Jamaica Football Federation's awards ceremony to commemorate the visit of FIFA's president Sepp Blatter.
It was a grand affair one that demonstrated once again that this country which has produced so many outstanding sportsmen and sportsmen, which has provided some of the great moments in world sports, also boasts some wonderful administrators and that as it did while hosting events like the British Commonwealth Games, the Sunshine Showdown world heavyweight title fight, the World Junior Games and the world netball championship, can put on a good show.
BEAUTIFUL SETTING
The setting was beautiful, the masters of ceremonies, Bobby Fray and Fae Ellington were great, the speakers - Captain Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, Jack Warner, president of CONCACAF and vice president of FIFA, Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government, Culture and Sport, and Blatter were eloquent, and the presentation of awards for brilliant play, for outstanding achievements, and for faithful and dedicated services rendered were touching.
The categories were outstanding players of the decades from the 1950s to the 1990s, past presidents, past referees, referees in World Cup, and national coaches, and as their names were called, as they proudly walked up to collect their awards from Blatter and Burrell, handclaps echoed around the room for each and every one with standing ovations reserved for the likes of Allan 'Skill' Cole - footballer of the 1970s, Paul 'Tegat' Davis - footballer of the 1980s, Walter 'Blacka' Boyd - footballer of the 1990s, past referee Steve Bucknor, and World Cup referee Peter Prendergast.
It was a wonderful salute to the great players, the administrators, the referees who had excelled, to the national coaches, and guest of honour Blatter paid a glowing tribute to them for their contribution to the growth of football in Jamaica.
In a speech punctuated by outbursts of laughter at his wit and the clapping of hands whenever he spoke of the strides that Jamaica's football has made in recent years, Blatter also reminded the gathering of the part the presidents of the national associations in the Caribbean, and particularly so Burrell, played in his re-election as FIFA president and also thanked the present administration for Jamaica's contribution to world football.
According to Blatter, Jamaica stood behind him in Seoul and encouraged others to stand behind him when he was challenged for the presidency of FIFA, by doing so, Jamaica helped to save football from those who wished to destroy football, because of that he was able to continue his programme of development, and because of that "football is moving ahead so much that within a few years every country in the FIFA family will have a home of its own - a place where they can play football, teach and train young footballers".
Sunday was a busy day for Blatter.
Apart from the awards ceremony, Blatter also attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the National Football Academy and Training Centre, and the matches at the National Stadium between the Jamaica Under 23 and Guatemala and between Jamaica and El Salvador, and as far as he was concerned it was a perfect day and an important one in Jamaica's football.
According to Blatter, the past, the present and the future are all important in the development of football, and by doing all that it did on Sunday, by recognising the past players, administrators, referees and coaches, by playing matches involving the Reggae Boyz and the 'young Reggaes', by breaking ground for the academy, the JFF was on the ball. It was paying tribute to the past, acknowledging the present, and preparing for the future.
Last Sunday when the JFF hosted the president of FIFA and awarded those who served on and off the field, class was on show - no question about that, and hopefully class will be on show today.
Today is the JFF's annual general meeting, the president and the executive body for the next term will be elected, and football fans are hoping that nothing will happen before, during or after the elections to hamper the growth of football in this country.
If the camaraderie today is the same as it was last Sunday, however, there should be no problem, and hopefully it will be.
There was a ringing round of applause last Sunday when Fray, in welcoming all those present, said, in his inimitable style, "Mr. Blatter, you have been challenged on two occasions as president of FIFA, in a few days from now, Captain Burrell will be challenged as president of the JFF, and he has asked me to tell you that among those here this morning is his challenger, Mr. Crenston Boxhill."
BURRELL AND BOXHILL
With smiles on their faces, both Burrell and Boxhill joined in the applause.
There was an even healthier round of applause later on when Burrell asked all the members of the executive to stand and then said, "Mr. President, these are the members of my executive body -- these are the people who have worked hard for football, who have assisted me in the development of Jamaica's football."
Among those standing was Boxhill - and again there was a smile on his face.
In showering praise on Jamaica last Sunday, Blatter said that football is teamwork and that he was pleased to see a united family in Jamaica. Win or lose, Burrell and Boxhill, in the interest of football, should ensure that that will never change.
Class is class, and remembering that winners are sometimes vindictive, that losers are not always gracious, both men will have a wonderful opportunity today and in the future to parade their class.
