Lincoln ”Happy’ ‘ Sutherland will be one of four football stalwarts to be inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame in Panama on Thursday, a day before the sub-continental body holds its annual congress in the Central American capital.

Others to be inducted are Ariel Alvarado (Panama), Jesus Martinez (Mexico) and Joseph Ursulet (Martinique), representing each of CONCACAF’s three geographic regions. The latest inductees will join 29 previously installed.

In reacting to Sutherland’s latest honour, JFF president Captain Horace Burrell, dubbed the veteran of Jamaica’s football as a “dedicated and hardworking servant of the sport”.

“I am very pleased that ‘Happy’ has received this honour of which he is truly deserving… he has given a lifetime to its development in Jamaica and the region. Consequently, it was an honour and my pleasure to recommend ‘Happy’ for the most prestigious football award,” said Burrell.

The ceremony is to take place place at Palacio Bolivar in Panama City.

Meanwhile, CONCACAF president Caymanian Jeffrey Webb underlined the importance of recognising those who have contributed greatly to the development of the sport over the years.

“It is imperative that we celebrate the achievements of those who give of themselves selflessly and tirelessly to provide opportunity for millions to participate in and enjoy our great sport,” he said.

“I congratulate and thank Ariel, Jesus, Lincoln and Joseph for everything they have done, and continue to do, in football,” Webb was quoted saying in a CONCACAF release.

Sutherland, who is the third Jamaican to be inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame, started serving football in 1963, when at the age of 25, he was elected president of the St Catherine Football Association, a post he held for 42 years.

He also served as JFF president from 1979 to 1981, and as vice-president on multiple occasions.

Sutherland was awarded the national honour of Order of Distinction for his contribution to sports and national development in 1999. He was also a founding director of the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, the only college of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean that trains coaches in all areas of sport.

Sutherland was integral in the formation of the Caribbean Football Union and is an honorary life member of the JFF board.

In 2011, he received the JFF Presidents’ Award, which was presented to him by FIFA president Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter.

Sutherland is a current member of the CONCACAF Disciplinary Committee, chairman of JFF Protocol Committee, and has been an active FIFA and CONCACAF Match Commissioner since the early 1990s.

The CONCACAF Hall of Fame honours those who have played significant roles in developing and advancing the sport in the confederation.