EIGHT members of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) were made redundant, while another opted for voluntary termination as the cash-strapped body grapples with a $100-million debt.

Three senior persons, including communications manager Nodley Wright, was laid off from a group of technical staff and auxiliary staff. Some were either full time, part-timers or on retainer contract.

The JFF is now down to a staff complement of just 16 persons — down from 44 two years ago.

JFF general secretary Horace Reid, who hasn’t been paid since December, yesterday told the Observer that they have worked hard to get the numbers down and the senior staff is at the higher half of the scale.

Said Reid: “The bottom line is we don’t have the funds to maintain the current operation, so we have scaled down and we have to keep looking to downsize and also retool what is left.

“We inherited approximately $115m (from the Crenston Boxhill administration) and we are at roughly $100m now. But we have to be mindful that we do have a complement of staff that will be able to continue the work of the JFF,” he pointed out.

Exactly one year ago, in March 2009, members of the administrative and technical staff agreed to take a pay cut, ranging from five to 20 per cent, in a series of cost-cutting measures by the JFF.

Among those hit by a 20 per cent reduction in salaries were then head coach John Barnes and Reid.

But how long can the JFF survive? Reid remained optimistic.

“We have been meeting with a number of corporate entities. We met with the Minister of Sports two weeks ago; we’re hopeful that not before long some kind of assistance will come our way,” said Reid.

He added: “We’re doing all that is humanly possible to keep it going. The reality is that football is important to the country from a number of standpoints.

“It’s important for the social infrastructure of the country; it is the one sport that is played through the length and breath of the country; it is played in every community. Football is a staple and the country cannot do without it,” Reid declared.

One of the main challenges for the Federation is that they have nine national teams to take care of in various competitions.

Last November, the JFF decided to temporarily scrap the senior women’s programme, which means they will miss out on the CONCACAF Gold Cup and essentially, a chance at qualifying for the 2011 Women’s World Cup.

“That is what makes it so much more difficult, when you call a camp for one of the teams, you are not talking about 10 or 12 players, you’re talking about 25, minimum.

“You have to have these camps ongoing as part of the preparation. The cost of travelling and accommodation is enormous,” Reid explained.