Ricketts breaks silence about developments in JFF election campaign

By Sports Desk December 19, 2023
JFF president Michael Ricketts (left) and vice-president Raymond Anderson. JFF president Michael Ricketts (left) and vice-president Raymond Anderson. file
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts has broken his silence about recent developments and allegations laid against his administration by vice-president and challenger Raymond Anderson and his Real Solid Action (RSA) team.
 
With the January 14 elections now less than a month away, Ricketts, who has been at the helm since 2017, expressed concern about the mudslinging involved in the elections campaign, chief among them, the allegations of fraud against his administration where the handling of stakeholders in Pillar three is concerned, and more recently, an uproar during the JFF Congress in Montego Bay.
 
"I have up until now refrained from offering any public comments regarding the election, as we are guided by a constitution, and I have always emphasised the need for both sides to maintain respect for each other, as we all need to live together after the election. There have been several comments made in the public, which are disturbing, to say the least," Ricketts said in a release on Tuesday.
 
The comments to which Ricketts refer involves the situation in which Anderson and some delegates were Anderson, along with 11 delegates, who were travelling in a bus, were asked to provide their names before entering the schoolyard. They were held outside the college gates for approximately 15 minutes.

Anderson characterised the situation as employing intimidatory tactics, but Ricketts rubbished the allegations.

"At a recent extraordinary congress, the matter escalated with some delgates arriving at the gate and refusing to provide their names to the security, which was done by everyone else, a standard practice within the FIFA organisations. As president, I not only waited on their team for almost an hour after the meeting was scheduled to start, but allowed them to enter even with their refusal to provide their names," the president explained.
 
"Also, at a recent board meeting, a member from each side was involved in a regular verbal exchange. This was surprisingly reported to the police by the other side as a threat.
The latest episode was an attempt to publicly embarrass my candidate, with a public effort to arrest without even a warning. If it is the incident that I know of, it does not warrant this type of action," he added.
 
Finally, in expressing his disappointment, Ricketts is hopeful that good sense will prevail for the remainder of the respective campaigns.
 
"I am extremely disappointed that some elements have allowed the election process to play out in this manner, which is aimed at embarrassing persons. Once again, I ask all involved to let good sense prevail in the interest of football," the release ended.

Anderson’s RSA slate includes Keith Wellington, Jacqueline Cummings-Martin, Donald Beckford and Orville Powell, as vice-presidents, while Carole Beckford and Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron would serve as ordinary directors.

Meanwhile, Ricketts’s slate has Gregory Daley, Elaine Walker-Brown, Raymond Grant and Baron Watson as vice-presidents, with Rudolph Speid and Bruce Gaynor as ordinary directors.

Related items

  • Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City: Haaland back on the goal trail as defending champions march on Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City: Haaland back on the goal trail as defending champions march on

    Erling Haaland returned from injury to keep Manchester City’s title charge on track as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a 2-0 victory over relegation-battling Nottingham Forest.

    Josko Gvardiol’s near-post header was all that separated the two sides at half-time as he fired City in front from a Kevin De Bruyne corner.

    Forest were left to rue big opportunities missed in the opening 45 minutes, with Chris Wood and Murillo both having gilt-edged chances to find an equaliser at the City Ground.

    But Guardiola, overseeing his 300th Premier League game as City boss, called upon Haaland in the second half, and the Norway international duly delivered to double City’s lead and nudge the reigning champions back to within a point of leaders Arsenal, who beat Tottenham earlier on Sunday.

    It was almost a dream opening minute for Forest as Ola Aina’s floated cross to the back post was met by an unmarked Neco Williams, but he failed to connect properly with a close-range shot.

    Forest were made to pay when City opened the scoring in the 32nd minute. De Bruyne’s excellent delivery found Gvardiol, who powered a header home at the front post.

    Wood should have restored parity shortly after, as he found himself in acres of space when Gonzalo Montiel cut it back on the volley, but the ball got caught up in the striker’s feet with the goal at his mercy.

    Forest went agonisingly close again on the stroke of half-time, with Ederson – who was subsequently taken off at the break – fortunate not to concede after he failed to deal with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s corner, but Murillo could not apply the finish a few yards out.

    Wood saw another huge chance pass by early in the second half, but his close-range effort was blocked after some excellent work from Anthony Elanga down the left.

    De Bruyne showed his creative spark once again as he slotted a throughball behind the Forest defence in the 63rd minute, but Julian Alvarez’s effort from the edge of the area flew into the stands behind the goal.

    Matz Sels was called into action moments later, palming behind De Bruyne’s thunderous long-range strike, which was heading for the top-left corner.

    But City’s second finally arrived when, in the 71st minute, De Bruyne teed up Haaland, who calmly got the better of his marker, shifted it onto his right foot and slotted into the bottom-left corner to end Forest’s hopes of a comeback.

    While City remain hot on Arsenal’s heels, Forest stay just one point above the relegation zone, having lost three of their last four matches.

    Guardiola – 300 not out

    Sunday marked Guardiola’s 300th Premier League game in charge of Man City, seeing him become the 19th manager to reach this total, and just the fifth to do so for a single club.

    Of the 300 games under the Spanish manager’s tutelage, City have won 221, scoring 741 goals in the process, while only conceding 247 times.

    City now have a four-point lead over Liverpool, whose title hopes are fading quickly, and an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League crown is certainly on the cards for Guardiola.

    Forest’s recurring issues show no sign of abating

    Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have now conceded 29 first-half goals in 35 league games this season, with only Sheffield United (38) and Burnley (30) having conceded more.

    The Tricky Trees – who are one of three teams fighting for 17th place after Everton hauled themselves to safety over the past week – have also conceded 23 goals from set-pieces this term in the competition, at least five more than any other team.

    Despite being behind at the break, Forest’s xG of 1.27 was the most by any side in the first half of a game against City this season, in all competitions, with a wastefulness in front of goal another glaring problem that Nuno must fix.

  • Paris Saint-Germain Women 1-2 Lyon Women (agg 3-5): Eight-time Champions League winners through to 11th final Paris Saint-Germain Women 1-2 Lyon Women (agg 3-5): Eight-time Champions League winners through to 11th final

    Lyon are through to their 11th Women's Champions League final after sealing a 5-3 aggregate victory over compatriots Paris Saint-Germain.

    The record eight-time winners scored three times in the final 10 minutes of last week's first leg to take a narrow 3-2 lead into the return fixture at Parc des Princes.

    However, they were quicker out of the blocks in the second leg, with just three minutes on the clock when Selma Bacha drilled home from range for her first Champions League strike in five-and-a-half years.

    Tabitha Chawinga responded before the break to reduce PSG's aggregate deficit to a single goal, but Melchie Dumornay put the tie beyond doubt nine minutes from time, as Sonia Bompastor's side set up a final showdown with Barcelona on May 25.

    Data debrief

    Lyon continued their dominance over PSG in Champions League semi-final encounters, having now progressed from each of their last four such ties.

    The eight-time champions lost their first two semi-finals they contested in this competition, but have now won each of the last 10, and will seek a record-extending ninth title in Bilbao next month.

  • Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris

    Simone Inzaghi has set and maintained high standards at Inter, so says his Nerazzurri assistant Massimiliano Farris.

    Inter clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating fierce rivals Milan in Monday's derby.

    That meant that Sunday's home meeting with Torino was something of a celebration for Inter and their fans, and the team delivered with a 2-0 victory.

    Hakan Calhanoglu scored both of Inter's goals, and Farris, who spoke to the media instead of his boss, piled the praise on Inzaghi.

    In quotes reported by Football Italia, Farris told DAZN: "We've tried to build a positive environment. We lost important players [last summer], but we welcomed important players who made themselves loved.

    "Going to the pitch and working this season was a pleasure. We had a lot of fun and it's the players' merit.

    "We are Inter, we have great value, and we couldn't afford to lose games like we used to. He's our leader, he kept a high bar in difficult moments.

    "Today, we are repaid for everything, and we can enjoy more of what happened in the previous two years. In football, defeats [hurt] more than victories, but now we must enjoy this moment."

    With victory over Milan, Inzaghi became the second-fastest coach to reach 600 points in Serie A, after Carlo Ancelotti.

    Farris added: "Simone already said it in the previous interviews. We’ve been fighting for every target across the last three years. We have won cups, we reached a Champions League final.

    "We are aware that in the first season, we missed something that we could have taken home [the title].

    "Perhaps it was the price to pay, as staff members, when you get to a club like this, but I think this season's achievements give value to all other trophies.

    "Today's atmosphere was incredible, so good. Ninety minutes and more of celebrations and it was fair to start those who have brought the team here. This doesn't mean the others didn't contribute. On the contrary, everyone was helpful, I should name them all. I wouldn't even call them reserves."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.