THERE can be no question that FIFA’s six-month ban (three months suspended for two years) of president of the Jamaica Football Federation Captain Horace Burrell has the potential to seriously hamstrung Jamaica’s football.

Captain Burrell’s visionary leadership in the build-up to Jamaica’s qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup made him a national icon and at the administrative level he has been for many years the face of the nation’s football on the global stage.

The Captain’s suspension comes as the Jamaica senior team prepares once again to challenge for a place at the World Cup Finals — this time in Brazil come 2014. His renowned capacity to market football would have been heavily relied on by the JFF to help raise the many millions that will be needed to carry the qualification programme.

Inevitably, his image will now be tarnished, somewhat, even after the suspension period ends. Indeed, Captain Burrell, a leading businessman who takes great pride in his reputation, may even be tempted to walk away from the management of Jamaica’s football.

In such circumstances, it is imperative that the football fraternity pulls together to show a united and well-organised front. In that respect we have total confidence in the JFF’s First Vice-President Mr Dale Spencer, who Captain Burrell tells us will immediately assume responsibilities as Acting President.

This newspaper has always found Mr Spencer to be a thoughtful and dignified leader and we fully expect that his guidance — for whatever length of time — will be exemplary.

As readers will have recognised, the suspension of the Captain and other punitive actions taken against several officials of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) are the latest consequences of the fall from grace of the former allpowerful Mr Jack Warner.

Until his dramatic resignation in mid-year, because of allegations of corruption, the controversial Mr Warner was president of CONCACAF and the numerically powerful CFU, as well as a vicepresident of FIFA. Captain Burrell and others at administrative level in the CFU were Mr Warner’s closest allies.

Given the nature of politics, it is easy to surmise that Captain Burrell, who is now ineligible to contest the CFU presidential election scheduled for next month here in Jamaica, is paying the price for his proximity to the fallen king.

However, we dare not forget that all of this fallout is the result of very serious allegations that some federations within the 25-member CFU received substantial “bribes” from former FIFA presidential candidate Mr Mohamed bin Hammam.

We note that in his statement yesterday, Captain Burrell in explaining his decision not to appeal the ban makes the point that: “Even if some of the sanctions are very severe, I understand that FIFA needs to put an end to individual wrongdoing and bad practice if the evidence proves that individuals have engaged in reprehensible conduct.”

Hopefully, from all of this will emerge cleaner, more accountable and trustworthy leadership in football.