Wint wants resolution to JFF, Marley row

July 11, 2019
Wint
Wint
Marley
Marley
1
2

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) general secretary, Dalton Wint, has acknowledged a souring of the relationship between the body and the Bob Marley Foundation (BMF), but says he does not know the cause.

This is after Cedella Marley, who has led the funding of the national senior women's team through the BMF, criticised the JFF in an Instagram post yesterday, for what she describes as "shenanigans" regarding the Reggae Girlz's preparation for the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, later this month. This is the second time in a month that Marley has taken to social media regarding the JFF, after not being allowed access to the team's dressing room after their FIFA Women's World Cup game against Brazil because of accreditation restrictions.

"So far I have been unbothered by the shenanigans of this federation but I will say this much: After being made aware that the (JFF) could not afford to host a camp to help (the Reggae Girlz) prepare for the PanAm Games, I was able to raise the funds with the condition that we pay all bills directly to vendors instead of giving cash to the federation," Marley said on Instagram. "They sent an email declining, citing a (previously unheard of) policy that "All monies must be paid directly to the Jamaica Football Federation." Based on recent history with this administration, including the fact that NONE of the players and staff from the senior team have been paid the monies contractually due to them, I cannot in good conscience agree to give the federation any money directly.

"But the (Reggae Girlz) must train so they can represent our country in Peru, so if anybody in Jamaica has a field and a ball ... we have a national team ready to WORK! #StrikeHard #CHO #FootballisFreedom"

Unsuccessful

Wint says the JFF has tried on numerous occasions to meet with Marley to discuss whatever issue she has, but was unsuccessful. But he said the body would be making further attempts.

"The truth of the matter is if you love something, there's no way you would publicly chastise it," he said. "You'd call it in a room and make sure that what it is doing wrong is corrected. You don't publicly chastise something you love. If you have a relationship and it goes sour, it is your responsibility as the person who has a lot more to lose to try and mend fences.

"As a matter of fact, we tried to reach out to her, so we could engage FIFA to get accreditation for her," Wint said, regarding the incident at the World Cup.

But Wint has defended the JFF's right to request that all funding from sponsors for its teams be made directly through it. He says the body has to be careful about how it allows certain parties to be involved in the running of the football because it can cast aspersions, especially from the world governing body, FIFA.

"This is why we decided that all monies should be passed, rightfully so, through the JFF because we have to account for everything we do," he explained. "We're not accountable to sponsors, we're accountable to FIFA. It's unfortunate that this situation has been blown out because we had conceded, against our better judgement, that we would allow this to happen for the benefit of the Girlz and the benefit of the football."

Wint says FIFA is only beholden to the JFF, therefore it frowns on outside interference in its football affairs.

"If anything happens during these camps, whose responsibility is it? It is the JFF's, so we have to be careful."

The Reggae Girlz's Pan Am Games campaign gets started against Mexico at Estadio Universidad San Marcos on Sunday, July 28.

Other Sports Stories