JFF should not cede to Craig Butler
Dear Editor,
In 1938, then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement, ceding the Sudetenland to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler. The policy, known as appeasement, was taken to avert war in Europe; nonetheless, war came to Europe and the world less than a year later.
Needless to say, the current imbroglio existing between Craig Butler and Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in no way, shape or form equates to a world war, but the lessons and consequences from the Munich Agreement are timeless and applicable.
Butler, no doubt, should be credited with guiding the professional development of the talented Leon Bailey, and others as well. Bailey’s fantastic rise in the German Bundesliga notwithstanding, the actions of his ‘adopted’ guardian, Butler, are serving mainly as unneeded distractions.
No individual, regardless of his or her role in the development of young, sporting talent, should feel so empowered as to seek to strong-arm their way into any role within a national governing body, much less an executive position. The JFF should seek out ways and means of engaging Butler while taking care to ensure that they cede not an inch to his demands.
Butler’s role may very well be similar to the role which he now plays — unearthing and moulding young football talent. In doing this, he may end up contributing more to Jamaica’s football than any position in the JFF could allow.
Both parties would be best advised to study the apt lessons of history.
Noel Matherson
noelmatherson@gmail.com