 It's finally over, after a contentious build-up spanning at least seven months, delegates finally had the chance to elect the next president of the Jamaica Football Federation. And when the votes were counted at Sunday's Congress in the grill, it was the incumbent. Michael Ricketts, who comfortably came out on top, 39-17 over Raymond Anderson, airs Ricketts speaking in the immediate moments after the announcement. What's indicated is the word, and with all the unfair, unfounded comments, I am here. I'm victorious. My team has worked very hard, and amidst all that we have gone through, we are victorious. And I want to give thanks to the Almighty, first and foremost. And to those who supported me, not just by voting for me, but by giving me encouraging words, positive comments, and the rest is history. So Ricketts also spoke to the issue of transparency during the election process. Yeah, we're going to get some audio on that, I hope, pretty soon. But let's move on now to the newly elected vice president, Elaine Walker-Brown, who says she is confident that they will have a successful tenure. And I really want to thank the delegates that believe in us. And it won't be business as usual. We have to rebuild, we have to rebrand football because it has been damaged, and I'm looking forward to helping with that. And I know a lot of Jamaicans are going to help us to rebuild and rebrand. There's work to be done, and we're going to get it done. We're going to prove to them because Mr. Ricketts has shown it over the years, and it's the success stories. So it's out there. It's just based upon what has transpired in the courts, on the road, in the media, the negativity, and keeping away corporate Jamaica from football. That's what we have to fix. Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of Raymond Addison's real solid action team, Carol Beckford extended congratulations to Michael Ricketts. They're members of who supported the RSA team or still presidents of their federation, and they're also on executives of their parishion clubs. So it really is that football development will continue. But I'd like to use the opportunity to say congratulations to Mr. Ricketts and his team for the hard fight. And we just want to see what's best for football. So if we're going to continue to be the watchdogs, we will. But I guess it's time to take a little break, commiserate, and then get back to the table. Carol Beckford, they are the real solid action team. Now a lot had happened before Sunday's election. And let's take you quickly now through the timeline of events that we have looked at for several months. We'll get that. Well, that's the administrative team. President Michael Ricketts. He has as his vice president Raymond Grant, Barry Watson, Gregor Daley, and Elaine Walker-Brown, who you just heard from. Bruce Gaynor and Rudolf Speed are ordinary members of this JFF administrative executive. And as we said, the timeline of events, June 2023, Michael Ricketts told nationwide sports that there is no official challenger, and it would be a travesty if his vice president, Raymond Anderson, was to throw his hat in the ring. And that comment obviously came when new surface that Raymond Anderson would in fact challenge him on the 14th of July, just under a month after that first Michael Ricketts comment on nationwide, Raymond Anderson officially announced his candidacy. And in October 2023, the election constitutionally due before December 31, 2023 was pushed back due to pillar three voting issues, affiliates not duly registered. November 6, 2023, President Michael Ricketts said only three of the seven pillar three entities met the requirements to participate in the election, citing a misrepresentation or misinterpretation of the Federation's new constitution. And then 10 days after that, the JFF election data announced for the 14th of January. But then on the 4th of December, the real solid action team led by Raymond Anderson accused the JFF of trying to fraudulently win the election. On the 4th of December, the RSA team also accused the JFF of withholding information from existing affiliates to form other bodies. In the new year, the 10th of January, Beach Soccer Association filed an injunction against the JFF. And then two days after that, the Supreme Court granted an injunction delaying the elections for at least 28 days. On the 9th of February, Supreme Court denied an application for the continuation of the said injunction. And then six days after that, the JFF served a notice of appeal filed on behalf of Patricia Garrell as President of Beach Soccer, Jamaica. On the 9th of February, 24, JFF announced March 17 as a new election date. And then the 13th of March, the Court of Appeal rejected Beach Soccer Association appeal against the JFF elections proceeding, meaning the election could go ahead on the 17th of March. So a pretty contentious process here, which we have covered on the show here in the months leading up. And a time for rebuilding. We heard Elaine Walker-Brown suggest that football has been damaged. And it's an opportunity now for them to rebuild and present the glorious game of football in a way that's palatable to the Jamaican public. Yeah. I'll start by saying that I was not really surprised by the results because coming into this election when we interviewed Raymond Anderson, and of course we discussed the election leading up to yesterday, one of the things we said is that it would have been difficult because one, Michael Ricketts and then two, the vice president on Raymond Anderson, to me it seems like one and the same because of course he's coming from the same administration that he's now going up against. So I will start by saying the election results did not come to me as a shock at all. Now moving forward, now that Michael Ricketts has been elected for another tomb, I am hoping that he can use this time that he has and of course ensures that some of the things that happened last tomb does not happen again because simple things as communication with the players, of course payment of their salaries on time, so many different issues would have read its ugly head. So I'm hoping that this time around he gets another opportunity to rectify those things and ensure that some of the GFF issues are not aired in the media like things that could be fixed before. You know a simple thing as a communication issue. That doesn't need to become an entire headline as a matter of fact. I wish that they can communicate among themselves and it does not reach to that point. Yeah, very much agree. So and Elaine Walker-Brown spoke to it in terms of the importance of rebuilding the confidence and especially that corporate Jamaica has in the Jamaica Football Federation because that has taken a tremendous hit over the last four years or so and there are a few issues I think that the Jamaica Football Federation needs to tackle right away in our zone update piece. We had the Rege Girls being spoken about by the President Michael Ricketts and he admitted well the players have been paid and it's no time for us to move forward. I think that is important but it's one thing for Michael Ricketts to say that yesterday in the immediate aftermath but I think within the next 30 days we need to get a very clear indication of where we're going with women's football with the national program and where we are with those World Cup stars who have not played since the Olympic qualifiers in September. I think that is extremely important because it is an issue that has festered for quite a while Lance and Mariah and I think it has to be at the top of the agenda for Michael Ricketts and his new administration. How do we know it's essentially meant the issues that we had with the girls and move on in a way that is beneficial to the country's football. Great to hear Ricketts speak about the fact that there are friendly international matches and that the players who will make themselves available will be selected. I hope I got him correctly and that is what he said but I do still believe Lance and Mariah that on this issue because so much has happened I also want to hear the President come out and said I have spoken to the girls at least I have spoken to the leadership of the girls we have an understanding and this is how we are going to go forward. I'm not sure if I fully buy into just hearing well if they're available we're going to select them that given everything that has happened there is something about that that does not sit right with me and maybe I am misunderstanding or not gathering completely what Mr. Ricketts might have said in the moment but I just think a lot has happened with these girls Lance and Mariah and I just think on this specific issue the rhetoric I would have preferred if it was slightly different. Yeah and communication I hope Ricardo because that's a communication issue the fact that it's a little bit more than a communication issue it's a respect issue as well because that's been part of the issue that the girls have had and given that we are turning over this new leaf or maybe we've bought a new book well actually it's not a new book we're just turning over a new leaf hopefully a different edition a different edition yes know that we have this new addition I think you need to almost start from scratch and go girls I know we've had some problems let's talk let's figure it out and at the end of that conversation Michael Ricketts should be able to say to the media I the president of the Jamaica Football Federation not my general secretary not my vice president I Michael Ricketts GFF president for a second and a half term has spoken to the girls and we have come to this understanding and this is how we will proceed and you can fully well expect the World Cup stars to play the next time the regga girls are in action once they are available that's a little different to me than just saying well if they're available they'll be selected yeah I think I get your point Ricardo and I agree with you 100% that I don't think it came over in his narrative post-election yesterday that it was as explicitly put as you would you would want it to be put so we'll have to watch the space and see what happens from here on in I note with a keen interest your term Ricardo that you said the football has been damaged for the last four years or so that's not the narrative that we got from Elaine Walker Brown and also the president I think their their their focus is the build up to the election with the court cases and so on when they're referencing damage to the football I think that is what they're talking about because as you know there is a disconnect between their feeling about their performance as an administration and the general public because the general public in football in Jamaica feels that the administration has failed football Ricketts thinks that he succeeded and he was a good president or has been a good president so I think there's a disconnect there and I'm happy Ricardo that you said over the past four years because football has been damaged over the past four years not just not just in the past few months where there was this scandalous build up and lead up to to the election and this is an opportunity for the JFF now given a fresh mandate to improve its performance because I see arrogance in Mr Ricketts and his team because they seem to be telling us repeatedly that he has been a great president and his his his successful performance over the years speaks for itself so so so that is why he's winning and I'm very sorry but that's not how people feel about the administration and just quickly statement was he feels vindicated he felt as if he felt as if I think he used that term because of how contentious it was once and and and and the accusations of the transparency and the issues about sectors being disenfranchised and so on so I think it was a rocky build up to the election for him and it is natural that he will say that he feels vindicated given the fact that not only that he won but that he won comfortably yeah because yes it was a massive margin of victory 39 votes to 17 quite comfortable one would have to say but I want to make the point quickly as well Lance as it relates to the confidence of corporate Jamaica in the Jamaica Football Federation because that's what I was speaking to specific specifically in terms of the damage because recall before the Adidas contract that the GFF got this is a Jamaica Football Federation that struggled to get support from corporate Jamaica and probably still is struggling not probably it still is struggling to get support from corporate Jamaica so that the level of confidence that was there and I don't know how great it was before to be honest because on the captain Horace Burrell's leadership he was sponsoring like pretty much all the parish associations so Mr Ricketts does not have a bakery to sponsor the parish associations and therefore he doesn't have that to turn to but it is important that they find a way to rebrand the Jamaica Football Federation in a way that corporate Jamaica can start supporting let's not forget the pfgl that runs the Jamaica Premier League when Chris Williams took over the type of sponsorship that he was able to pull in the type of support that the Jamaica Football Federation as an organization was not able to do previous to that and so the GFF itself without attachment brands needs to be able to do that and that has not been happening and that's what I'm talking about when I speak to the confidence from corporate Jamaica in the GFF that doesn't exist and you are right that did not start during the contentious last six or seven months that existed before yeah the other point I want to make is that I believe that football as a product not only in Jamaica I think is struggling with the confidence of the man in the street because of a lot of the corruption that has been unveiled in football in the past decade a lot of people feel that football is not being run in a righteous way and they refuse to put their money there yeah so I don't want to suggest that the ricketts administration is by itself in fighting this battle but it is a battle yes and I also think that while he won I think he based on the platform of the election process or the elective process he had an advantage in ensuring that the delegates that he controlled would support him I think the GFF administration needs to recognize that the football public is dissatisfied with its performance so don't come gloating that you won comfortably by 39 to 17 and you are thanking your delegates for showing confidence in you because the delegates are one thing but the delegates represent point zero zero zero point seven of a percent from the football football fraternity yes so the support that he has gotten to win the election does not represent truly how football fans in Jamaica feel about the GFF's performance as administrators and I think they need to be guided by this and they need to improve their performance because you know there was a lot of accusation about their incompetence we heard that said many times arguably or understandably by their their opponents mostly but the common man in the street use those terms as well incompetence and there was enough evidence to suggest that saying that they were incompetent wasn't untrue so I just believe that the GFF needs to lift its game they've got the mandate to continue and I think we have to look forward positively because I don't think this group is completely incapable of doing a reasonably good job but they have to do significantly better than what we've seen in the past four or five years because what we've seen in the past four or five years is not good enough and it needs to start right to a team with the example that we pointed to with the regular girls it needs to start with improving the communication we need to hear what's happening with these girls we need to even hear from the girls as to if they have received all the payments we we just need to have this communication is directed by and moving forward you know not have the players come to the forefront being dissatisfied with things that are being done by management yeah I just think at this stage you just have to fix the issues that need fixing from the last tenure and move ahead in that way and do so quickly a lot of the issues that we had with travel arrangements and per diem I don't even understand why players are old per diem because as far as I know per diem is something that you get on arrival so why am I not getting per diem nine and ten months later you know so just issues like those fix them put in place the systems that will mitigate against those things happening certain with the sort of regularity that they happened in in the last four years and Michael Ricketts has an advantage because he has the last four years to look back on see exactly where they went wrong and I'm sure for the last six or seven months we've seen the manifesto and everything would have been thinking about the measures that can be put in place to ensure there is improvement for the last four years mr. Michael Ricketts here's the opportunity get it done