'TAPPA' IN CHARGE Barnes takes over as head coach Nov 1BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sports Editor Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Local football hero, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, has been given the gigantic task of leading the Reggae Boyz in their next two CONCACAF Group B Semi-final World Cup qualifying games against Mexico and Honduras in Kingston next month. WHITMORE. in charge of next two World Cup qualifiers Local football boss, Captain Horace Burrell, made the announcement following a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Board of Directors meeting at the secretariat in New Kingston yesterday. Also, Burrell confirmed speculations that Jamaica-born and former England international, John Barnes, will take over as head coach on November 1, on a one-year contract. Burrell fired Brazilian technical director, Rene Simoes, last Thursday after the Boyz crashed to Honduras 0-2 in San Pedro Sula the night before - a result that flung the qualifying campaign to the 2010 South Africa World Cup in a spin. Citing that defeat and a disappointing team selection policy by Simoes where "top players" were consistently left out of the team, Burrell dropped the axe at 1:00 am Thursday morning, just hours after the game ended. The move left the Boyz without a head coach with three looming must-win qualifiers against Mexico (October 11), Honduras (October 15) and Canada (November 19). BARNES... starts one-year contract November 1 "The Board of Directors approved the appointment first of all of interim coach Theodore Whitmore who will be in charge of the first two World Cup qualifying games against Mexico and Honduras at 'The Office'," said the JFF head. "In addition, on November 1, former England international John Barnes will take up the appointment of head coach for the national senior team, and will be in charge for the Gold Cup qualifiers as well as the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers as Jamaica will reach the second round - which will commence next February," said a confident Burrell. Burrell has promised to give, not only Barnes, but Whitmore all the resources to spearhead the desperate recovery mission. "We want Mr Whitmore to be comfortable and we want to give him the tools to work with to give us the best chance to qualify. I am very confident that we will see performances next to none, and the Jamaica football team will surprise a lot of people," Burrell beamed in the face of daunting odds. "The JFF feels very confident that with the new adjustments and new initiatives, we will make it to South Africa 2010. It will be a different ball game in 'The Office'," he added. Burrell said the Board's decision to appoint Whitmore in an interim position was not a difficult one as Simoes' former assistant has been exhibiting exemplary qualities. "Tappa has demonstrated professionalism that has surprised all of us. His attitude, general behaviour and deportment have been very good. I believe that Tappa has matured and it won't be long, if he continues this way, before he will be able to step up to the plate in the realms of coaching," said Burrell, who is on his second stint at the head of the nation's football. Whitmore has been asked to recommend an assistant, while the other technical support staff will be retained. Barnes - whose experience in coaching at any recognised level was with many-time Scottish champions Celtic - was unanimously approved by the JFF Board and brings to birth land what has been described as "a lot of experience playing at the highest level". "He's in fact an icon to many black players and has had a short stint in coaching, but we believe that this individual has enough in him, and with a good support staff, we can see Jamaica through to this round of the qualifiers and beyond," Burrell told journalists. Details of Barnes' salary package over the one-year period was not readily available yesterday, but the JFF top man said: "I can tell you it won't be bigger than what the outgoing staff was getting". Barnes was among five persons shortlisted by the Crenston Boxhill-led JFF administration to take over from Wendell Downswell before choosing Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic in late 2006. With only a point from three away matches in the qualifying campaign - 1-1 against Canada, 0-3 and 0-2 defeats to Mexico and Honduras, respectively - Jamaica need maximum nine points from their three home fixtures if they hope to have a mathematical chance of advancing to the final Group of Six, and Burrell is determined to have his "best 11" on the pitch on each occasion. "I can tell you that going into the next three games, we will not have a mighty lot of local-based players... we have to go for the experienced players, after all we are talking about playing Mexico, Honduras and Canada and all these teams have professional players and we have got to match them in every respect," said the CONCACAF Executive Committee member. "I want to urge Jamaica to turn out in their numbers to see their main stars Marlon King, Claude Davis, Damion Stewart and all the others," he said. As for the age-group teams which were being supervised by Alfredo Montesso, Burrell said local coaches will take the reins until further notice. "What I am happy about is that we have some of the brightest youngsters in the programme who have been placed in charge of the teams. This is also a great opportunity for local coaches to step up to the plate, and I think this is wonderful because sometimes out of adversity comes opportunity," he said. Meanwhile, Burrell wished to thank Simoes for all he has done for Jamaica, after all he was the man who spearheaded Jamaica's unprecedented appearance at the World Cup Finals in France 1998. "I think the name Rene Simoes will always be on the minds of Jamaicans. He has shown us the way, I think he has played a tremendous role in our football development, which we are grateful for. We have to now see this in the context that he has passed the baton. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours," he noted.
Not happy about the John Barnes appointment. I think the JFF couldve waited alot longer and chosen someone with international pedigree. JB flopped at Celtic and hasnt coached since then.
Mi think him good fi reform the youth system and etc. but pon coaching dem fi just mek Tappa gwaan and do him ting.
short term yes, but long term im not too sure bout that. Tappa needs some experience at this level. Barnes is in the same boat thats why im shaking my head at this appt. I do agree that he is better served as youth team coach though.
But is why unnu love come muck up wi good good thread.....? If you really don't like The Reggae Boyz, a nuh notin, but is it so hard to just keep this thread a somewhat positive one? Jah know star...some a unnu move different
So how many gold medals did your country get in the Olympics? I mean the Jalympics? Where is the hardware you guys won for you to be calling Jamaica losers? Usain bolt has more Hardware than your whole country.
What dude, I protect your rights and defend you for life. Are you upset because of the last comment. Just calling it how it is.
Mi know how dem ah mek some mon turn Moderator we love cuss out people pon the site. All de bowy Antonio 81 turn inna Moderator to rass.Deh way dem set up inna yah place yah remind ah the way dem run deh U.S. gov.
Youre right. I just noticed this guy is now a mod. It just goes to show that watever criteria big soccer uses for selecting moderators is flawed ass hell. dem bwoy deh wi bow fi vanity cho!!
JFF unveils new VIP suites at National Stadium Wednesday, October 08, 2008 Captain Horace Burrell (centre), president of the JFF, greets Hayden Singh, managing director of Courts Jamaica Limited, during the unveiling of the VIP suites at the National Stadium yesterday. Sharing in the occasion (from left) are Reggae Boyz captain Ricardo Gardner, Lorenzo 'Chippy' Pearson, director of Pings Fabrics, and Reggae Boyz striker Ricardo Fuller. (Photo: Naphtali Junior) The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), in collaboration with Courts Jamaica Limited and associate partners, Pings Fabrics and Sherwin Williams, yesterday unveiled 10 VIP suites at the National Stadium. Refurbished at a total cost of $8 million, the VIP boxes, located at the top floor of the Grand Stand, are fully air conditioned and come with leather sofas, refrigerators, 32" flat screen plasma television sets and granite bar counter tops. The JFF, through a deal with Independence Park Limited (IPL), managers of the National Stadium Complex, has the right to the boxes for all football games organised by the local governing body of the sport. For those games, the JFF will enjoy 100 per cent of the profit from the suites, and are entitled to a profit-sharing arrangement, yet to be determined with the IPL for other events staged at the venue. The maintenance and security of the suites are the responsibility of IPL. The rental of each suite per game is US$1,000, fully catered for up to 20 persons, inclusive of five VIP seats immediately in front of the suite. And yesterday, Captain Horace Burrell, head of the JFF, told the Observer that a few of the suites are left to be sold, but he was expecting all to be sold before match day. Captain Burrell was elated at the completion of the suites. "I never knew that I would see the day when we would have our own sky boxes for our VIPs," he told the gathering at yesterday's press briefing at the Hospitality Room at the National Stadium. Courts' managing director, Hayden Singh, along with Lorenzo 'Chippy' Pearson, director of Pings Fabrics and Kenneth Richardson, customer service manager at Sherwin Williams, lauded the virtues of teamwork in creating the suites and urged users to enjoy the comfort provided. Entertainment in song was provided by Sarina Constantine, while JFF executive Howard McIntosh provided the gathering, including members of the Reggae Boyz group, with a version of the 2010 World Cup campaign theme song, We Come Again 2010, written by Mike Bennett, Mekeehan Soloman, Roslyn William and Gary Moulton, and voiced by Beenie Man, Taurus Riley, Craig (Voicemail), UT Rass, G Blunt, Roslyn William and Natel.
Mi read pon de observer seh Fuller and de stewart brother's a fight inna scrimmage game. Mi hope dem show deh fight deh against Mexico.
Yo star weh bout think de formation weh Tappa use 4-4-1-1? It look it fit when yuh have Shelton and Fuller up front and Jamal ah come down the flank.