Football in Jamaica
Encyclopedia
Association football is one of the most popular sports in Jamaica
. It was introduced to the country by the British
and quickly took hold. Other important sports in Jamaica include cricket
, track and field
, and for women, netball
.
which had established earlier popular roots in the island. This may have been partly due to the climate, which suited cricket better.
. It was formed in 1910. It organises the men's
and women's
national teams and the Jamaican National Premier League
. The current president of the JFF is Captain Horace Burrell, the General Secretary is Horace Reid and the treasurer is Garfield Sinclair.
The JFF joined FIFA
and CONCACAF
in 1962.
One of the major successes of the JFF came when men's team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
. They did not progress beyond the first round, but managed to win their final group match against Japan, winning 2-1. They have also won the Caribbean Cup
on three occasions.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. It was introduced to the country by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and quickly took hold. Other important sports in Jamaica include cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and for women, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
.
History
The most reliable records available indicate that soccer was introduced in Jamaica towards the end of the 19th century and 1893 is listed as the year Jamaica formed its first soccer club. It immediately found itself in competition with cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
which had established earlier popular roots in the island. This may have been partly due to the climate, which suited cricket better.
Jamaica Football Federation
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is the governing body of football in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. It was formed in 1910. It organises the men's
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
and women's
Jamaica women's national football team
Jamaica women's national football team is nicknamed the 'Reggae Girlz'. They are one of the top women's national football teams in the Caribbean region along with Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.-World Cup record:-CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup record:...
national teams and the Jamaican National Premier League
Jamaican National Premier League
The National Premier League, also known as the Jamaican National Premier League and, for sponsorship purposes, the Red Stripe Premier League, is the first division football league in the nation of Jamaica. Twelve teams currently compete in the league.The competition is divided in three stages in...
. The current president of the JFF is Captain Horace Burrell, the General Secretary is Horace Reid and the treasurer is Garfield Sinclair.
The JFF joined FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
in 1962.
One of the major successes of the JFF came when men's team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They did not progress beyond the first round, but managed to win their final group match against Japan, winning 2-1. They have also won the Caribbean Cup
Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup, formerly known as the Copa Caribe, is the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition was contested in 1989 in Barbados. The Caribbean Cup also serves as a qualification tournament among...
on three occasions.