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Ding-dong battle for WFA presidency
By PAUL A REID Observer West writer
SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland
Next Tuesday night’s annual general meeting of the Westmoreland Football Association (WFA) is shaping up to be an interesting event, with a war of words already brewing between presidential candidates Junior Francis — technical director for the Negril Football Club — and the incumbent Everton Tomlinson.
Francis’ team includes former national technical director Wendell Downswell, who will be seeking the first vice-president post; attorney Karl Salmon, second vice-president; and businessman Delroy Bedward, third vice-president.
Also forming a part of Francis’ team is former general secretary James Rose, who will try to retain his position, and Keble Patrick, who will contest the post of treasurer. Keith Duhaney, general manager of negril.com will go for the position of public relations officer.
A confident Tomlinson, for his part, said that his achievements will speak for him in the election. He will carry the same team — with two changes — that won the 2004 elections. Team members include Devon Maxwell, who will contest the position of assistant general secretary and well-known businessman David ‘Tanka’ Taylor, who will run for public relations officer.
The others include Dodrick Myrie who will run for first vice-president; Donald Gordon for second vicepresident and Danree Delancy for third vicepresident. Copeland Bailey will move to hold on to his position as general secretary, while Stacy Wilson will run for treasurer.
Tuesday’s elections reflect Francis’ second consecutive challenge for the presidency, having lost
a close battle two years ago. A mere three votes separated Tomlinson and former Reno executive Fitzroy Cooper at the time, with Francis in third.
There is, meanwhile, a slew of accusations and counteraccusations from both sides of the fence. Tomlinson, who is seeking his third term in office, said his opponents have added a “political slant” to the local polls. Francis’s team, he said, has been campaigning on grounds that a win for them would help to keep the present Jamaica Football Federation administration in office.
But Francis has denied this, insisting that they started campaigning only this week when they presented a nine-page manifesto to the more than 80 delegates of the association.
“That is nonsense. I am not into politics. I love football and that is why I offered to serve,” he maintained.
He added that his priority — if given the nod on Tuesday — will be to bridge the gap between the parish’s only Premier League club and the association. It is a relationship, he said, that has soured over the years.
He also cited the need for diversification in sponsorship, while noting his intent to achieve a more “club-focused Western FA” with increased power.
Tomlinson, meanwhile, has questioned Downswell’s contribution to Westmoreland football, insisting that the former national technical director was all for himself.
For himself, he said he had “certified more than half the coaches in the parish”, while working as a coaching instructor with the JFF’s Tomlinson. He also took the credit for the success of the Westmoreland teams in schoolboys’ football, saying it was a direct result of his initiative five years ago.
Francis has, however, called his assertions rubbish.
“(It is) total garbage,” he said, arguing that it was former Reno players who had given back to the community that helped develop the players at the schools.
Junior Francis
Everton Tomlinson
By PAUL A REID Observer West writer
SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland
Next Tuesday night’s annual general meeting of the Westmoreland Football Association (WFA) is shaping up to be an interesting event, with a war of words already brewing between presidential candidates Junior Francis — technical director for the Negril Football Club — and the incumbent Everton Tomlinson.
Francis’ team includes former national technical director Wendell Downswell, who will be seeking the first vice-president post; attorney Karl Salmon, second vice-president; and businessman Delroy Bedward, third vice-president.
Also forming a part of Francis’ team is former general secretary James Rose, who will try to retain his position, and Keble Patrick, who will contest the post of treasurer. Keith Duhaney, general manager of negril.com will go for the position of public relations officer.
A confident Tomlinson, for his part, said that his achievements will speak for him in the election. He will carry the same team — with two changes — that won the 2004 elections. Team members include Devon Maxwell, who will contest the position of assistant general secretary and well-known businessman David ‘Tanka’ Taylor, who will run for public relations officer.
The others include Dodrick Myrie who will run for first vice-president; Donald Gordon for second vicepresident and Danree Delancy for third vicepresident. Copeland Bailey will move to hold on to his position as general secretary, while Stacy Wilson will run for treasurer.
Tuesday’s elections reflect Francis’ second consecutive challenge for the presidency, having lost
a close battle two years ago. A mere three votes separated Tomlinson and former Reno executive Fitzroy Cooper at the time, with Francis in third.
There is, meanwhile, a slew of accusations and counteraccusations from both sides of the fence. Tomlinson, who is seeking his third term in office, said his opponents have added a “political slant” to the local polls. Francis’s team, he said, has been campaigning on grounds that a win for them would help to keep the present Jamaica Football Federation administration in office.
But Francis has denied this, insisting that they started campaigning only this week when they presented a nine-page manifesto to the more than 80 delegates of the association.
“That is nonsense. I am not into politics. I love football and that is why I offered to serve,” he maintained.
He added that his priority — if given the nod on Tuesday — will be to bridge the gap between the parish’s only Premier League club and the association. It is a relationship, he said, that has soured over the years.
He also cited the need for diversification in sponsorship, while noting his intent to achieve a more “club-focused Western FA” with increased power.
Tomlinson, meanwhile, has questioned Downswell’s contribution to Westmoreland football, insisting that the former national technical director was all for himself.
For himself, he said he had “certified more than half the coaches in the parish”, while working as a coaching instructor with the JFF’s Tomlinson. He also took the credit for the success of the Westmoreland teams in schoolboys’ football, saying it was a direct result of his initiative five years ago.
Francis has, however, called his assertions rubbish.
“(It is) total garbage,” he said, arguing that it was former Reno players who had given back to the community that helped develop the players at the schools.
Junior Francis
Everton Tomlinson