Powell, Tomlinson eye McLean's job - Interesting JFFWC voting congress looms

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Linnel McLean's bid to serve another term as chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation Western Confederation (JFFWC) may not be a smooth-sailing affair as two former chairmen have indicated that they will be challenging him for the post.

Earlier this week, businessman Orville Powell, the chairman of the Montego Bay United Football Club (MBUFC), and Everton Tomlinson, the president of the Westmoreland Football Association (WFA), confirmed to The Gleaner that come next month, they would be seeking the chairmanship at the confederation's voting congress.

"I was asked by a very important stakeholder to think about leading the 'confed' again," said Powell, whose previous tenure was cut short by his resignation in 2009. "After careful consideration, I have decided to vie for the position."

In the case of Tomlinson, who resigned in January 2008 with the threat of a vote of no confidence hanging over his head, he is of the view that nothing of significance has happened in the three years since he vacated the post, and as a consequence, he believes the time is ripe for his return.

"The confed needs a man with my kind of vision for football," said Tomlinson. "If you look at my programmes at the WFA, they are producing results ... . That is why we have three of the eight teams in the quarter-finals of the 2011 daCosta Cup."

Willing to continue serving

However, while Powell and Tomlinson are both eyeing his job, the affable McLean, who has been president of the Trelawny FA for over a decade, is not about to walk away from the JFFWC as, according to him, once the affiliates want him, he will continue to serve.

"The affiliates have not indicated that they have a problem with my leadership, so there is no reason for me to step aside," said McLean. "In the short time in charge, the confed has been stabilised and we have qualified two teams for the NPL."

In addition to overseeing Reno FC and MBUFC's (formerly Seba United) return to the NPL, McLean is being widely credited with restoring credibility, accountability, and respectability to the JFFWC, which was a hot bed of controversy when he took over the leadership.

While both Tomlinson and McLean are seemingly assured of the backing of the home parish, indications are that the situation could be different for Powell in St James as the St James Football Association (StJFA) appears more concerned about restructuring the confed.

"We are focusing on getting the confed restructured because in its current form, it will continue to be ineffective," said StJFA president, Texchus Nembhard. "I have written a proposal to the JFF technical committee requesting a change in the way the confed operates."

However, with the campaign for leadership expected to heat up ahead of the scheduled December 7 voting congress, it is unlikely that the StJFA proposal will pick up sufficient traction to affect the future direction of the JFFWC.