The ongoing impasse between the hierarchy of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and Head Coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore over the latter’s contract leaves a bitter taste, to say the least.

Firstly, it would seem to me that the matter has been left to the mercy of public opinion, with regular comments in the media from one side which could potentially expose the coach to public ridicule.

As a matter of course, I would think that issues of this nature should be internalised and dealt with in an atmosphere of confidentiality, mutual respect and common, professional decency.

I am not sure, from what I have seen and heard, that these fundamental precepts have been embraced during the stand-off.

To his credit, Whitmore — a hero of Jamaica’s football — has remained silent on the issue as far as the public discourse is concerned.

He, in my view, has been calm, cool and collected even as the public lapped up what is being fed.

By nature, Whitmore is not a talkative individual, and his reticence in the current scenario, I believe, will serve him well.

By not going public to challenge what has been said or to give his version on the matter, demonstrates a great deal of maturity, restraint and respect for protocol on the coach’s part.

His example is worthy of emulation.

Whitmore has been functioning in the job, with distinction I may add, without contract and final decision on what his salary would be since last October.

The JFF, as I understand it, had offered the coach a deal, but the icon of Jamaica’s football was clearly not happy with what was put on the table and he refused to sign.

I understand that the sum put to Whitmore to be about $370,000 (just over US$3,000) per month. No wonder the coach figuratively threw back the contract in the collective faces of the Michael Ricketts-led federation.

When one looks at the reported sums paid to the Serb Velibor “Bora” Milutinovic (US$50,000 per month) and the German Winfried “Winnie” Schaefer (US$45,000) during their stints, it brings into stark focus the indignity of the purported offer.

So incensed by the puny sum, Whitmore’s Road to France teammate, the England-born Fitzroy Simpson, came out swinging against the JFF and in defence of his contemporary.

At the time of writing, a long- overdue meeting between Ricketts and Whitmore is yet to take place.

I thought a great opportunity for both parties to have sat and talked was missed when both gentlemen travelled together to Turkey, where they stayed in the same hotel for a week.

By what is turning out to be a questionable handling of the affair, we have to be careful we don’t lose a valuable asset in Whitmore in the process.

Without doubt, he has made quantum leaps in his overall development as a coach and specifically in his tactical and technical acumen.

In him, as far as I am concerned, lies what’s good about Jamaica’s football, and he unequivocally forms a part of the active plank of its future. He has, in a stunning display, already represented a crucial part of the history of it with his exploits at France ’98.

We, as a people, have a habit of not valuing our own and have lost to other countries what represents the best of us. I hope for the sake of everyone, we are not making this mistake again.

Whitmore, a true patriot of Jamaica’s football, would never in fair conscience ask for anything close to what other foreign coaches have been paid.

Having examined the whole thing, I believe that Whitmore deserves greater respect and consideration, as no local coach has had his track record at the international level.

Since first becoming national coach in 2008, he has handled himself with quiet assurance and class. He has given hope to the local industry by his consistent support of home-bred talent.

Had there not been political interference in 2013 when we got to the Hexagonal stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualification, we may have qualified for Brazil.

As I recall, he was not for the idea of the sudden influx of European talent that disrupted team chemistry and harmony. Even so he never resorted to bitterness, even with constant hounding from the media.

Having observed him up close as player and now coach, Whitmore has always put country first and it’s a reasonable expectation that he be treated with much greater respect from the JFF.

We know that the federation is not awashed with cash and is concerned about rationalising its finances, but there are some things that must be addressed with a degree of urgency, preference and courtesy.

Whitmore is one of them.