A NEW era has dawned for the Jersey Football Association with the election of a host of fresh faces to their top table.
Former Muratti player Ricky Weir is the new president after pulling in more than three times as many votes as former vice-president Norman Parslow at last night’s annual general meeting.
And his favoured candidates, Iain Mackenzie and St Paul’s official Charlie Browne are the new vice-presidents, along with Dave Brookland, who was elected unopposed to the post of treasurer.
The four all campaigned under ‘A New Vision for Jersey Football’ banner.
Weir said that there would be no ‘knee-jerk, headline-grabbing reactions’ after his election, but said his team, with FA backing, want to get Jersey more involved with UEFA and had a long-term goal of becoming an independent footballing nation and playing in the qualifying rounds of major tournaments, as San Marino and the Faroes do.
He added that he had a lot of respect for Norman Parslow and applauded his work in Jersey football, before saying he was looking forward to working with Nicky Martini, the recently employed chief executive office and county secretary.
Current Island team manager Peter Vincenti, who made a late challenge to Browne and Mackenzie for a vice-president post, lost out and was visibly disappointed.
But he was humble and composed in defeat, shaking hands as he walked out of the Don Theatre at Fort Regent, although he refused to speak to the media and would not comment on whether he had any intentions to reassess his position as Island senior and U21 manager.
That may be difficult after Mackenzie, speaking after the election results were announced, described Chris Benest’s proposal for Vincenti, as a a ‘thinly-veiled attack on me’.
Mackenzie said: ‘He was making out that we have made money out of the Jersey games we have arranged.
But if he had bothered to do his research he would know that we have not.
We have raised sponsorship, but that has gone into the costs of bringing teams to Jersey and if anything we have put money in.’ Mackenzie says it will be up to Vincenti to decide if he wants to stay on as Island manager.
‘I do not have a problem with Peter Vincenti,’ he said.
‘His record speaks for itself and as far as I am concerned he is Island manager.
But it would appear that, after hearing the proposal, he has a problem with me.
I think you should ask him if he plans to stand down.’ During his proposal of Vincenti, Benest said that the Island manager believed that all Jersey’s fixtures should be arranged by the JFA and not a ‘third party’.
He said that if that was the case, any sponsorship money raised would go back into local football and not into people’s pockets.
Mackenzie, a director of Sporting Eventualities, the company who run the Jersey U21 International Tournament and which has arranged for both Scottish and Northern Irish junior international sides to play Island teams, believes this was an attack on his credentials.
‘I was thinking about turning up wearing a tee-shirt saying “”Third Party”" after the comments that have been aimed at me.
I hope we have seen the end of what I see as hostile politics in Jersey football.’ Weir said he was saddened by Vincenti’s proposal.
He said: ‘All the proposals were made by people endorsing the virtues of the person they were proposing.
But it was sad to see that attack on Iain.
‘It is too early to comment on the future of Peter Vincenti.
You will have to ask him whether he plans to stay on as Island manager.
After taking the decision to stand in this election, that is something he will have to decide.’ Browne, the top vote-winner in the vice-president election, could not hide his delight when speaking about his victory.
He said: ‘It is hard to describe how I feel.
I am very humbled.
but still proud for myself and my family.
I have been standing in front of the people here tonight, but I am 100 per cent behind them.
I am excited about the future of Jersey football.’
Article posted on 21st July, 2006 - 12.00am
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