‘It makes no sense’

RENOWN VETERAN coach Bradley Stewart says, if the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) proves that his FIFA instructors diploma does not meet the required standard to coach in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), he would be more than willing to sit the local course.

However, the former national assistant coach insists his FIFA instructors diploma and his English FA international coaching certification more than qualify him to coach in the JPL. But he says, if they can prove otherwise, he would accept the stipulation.

Based on JFF regulations, coaches coaching in the JPL are required to have at least a B licence and undergoing their A licence course, in order to qualify to sit on the bench.

Stewart, who is not in possession of any of the Concacaf qualifications, will not be allowed to issue instructions from the Spanish Town Police bench when the league kicks off today.

However, Stewart said the federation needs to check with FIFA to see how his qualifications rank in comparison to Concacaf’s certifications.

“It is kind of strange that a new (JFF) administration does not pay respect to my involvement in football for over 30-40 years. I taught at the coaching school. I taught the degree programme at G.C. Foster, and I have a certification that I think they have not checked with FIFA, as to how it compares with whatever level of certification they use to qualify people to coach Premier League.

“What I have is a FIFA instructor’s diploma, which I think is higher than the B licence. I don’t know if they made the necessary checks with FIFA to find out how this certification compares with the B licence that they say people have to have to coach Premier League.

“But I would have coached in the Premier League for donkey years and would have coached the national team five different times,” said Stewart.

He noted he was also one of the principals who helped to draft the original syllabus for Jamaica’s level one and level two courses in their formative years, and that he and other coaches were granted exemption from the course.

Although, in 2018, the syllabus was revamped and certification changed from level one and level two to the Concacaf D, C, B, A and Pro licence certifications.

“I never knew they had changed anything. People like Dr Dean Weatherly, Leebert Halligan, Jackie Walters, all those older coaches who were part of the national programme, were exempted from all local qualifications because of the experience they would have had. So, to renege on that which we were told is strange,” he continued.

Remained active

Although he has not coached in the JPL for eight seasons when he guided Rivoli in the 2015-16 season, Stewart said he has remained active, assisting universities and clubs in the United States

“They say I have not been coaching for a long time but I have been coaching in the USA with Coever (world-renowned football training programme for youth players, as well as coach education programmes) and universities. And I suspect that the universities and clubs that I have coached would be aware of the certification required in Jamaica.

“The US is a bigger football market and, if they accept me, it makes no sense to me that Jamaica is saying I am not qualified to coach Premier League,” he said.

Chairmain of the JFF technical committee, Rudolph Speid, pointed out that, in cases like this, in other jurisdictions, where veteran coaches do not have the required certification, they would have to be coaching the League for them to be granted an exemption.

“In other places, some people who are grandfathers in coaching, who didn’t have their badges but were in their league coaching already, it would be unfair to put out such a person. But, in Bradley’s case, he wasn’t coaching in the Premier League,” he stated.

Speid said the federation also requested his qualifications, in order to make an assessment, but that they are yet to receive them.

“They say he has papers from other jurisdictions. We asked for him to send them to the JFF for us to assess them to see what qualification it would be equivalent to, and he has not done that as far as I know.

“If Bradley had carried his papers and we believe he has the equivalent to an A or B licence, he would be on the A licence course. But he never carried in anything.”

Stewart disclosed that, though he had not been in direct communication with the JFF, his club requested his qualifications, which he presented to them.

He said he understands the importance Concacaf has placed on coaching education and qualifications, but reiterated that he will only consider undergoing the course if FIFA say his certification is not of the JFF’s required standard.

“I haven’t been in direct contact with JFF. My only contact is with Police, who asked me to submit my certifications to them. I submitted by FIFA instructor’s diploma, my English International certificate, my Coever instructor certification, and my Solidarity, which is the Olympic Solidairy movement certificate, as certifications.

“I have an English international coaching certificate and I am called a master coach and I have coached Premier League for about 40 years.

“I have no problem with Concacaf having a mandate for coaching development. But, when FIFA issues a certification, Concacaf can’t, I think, supersede, because FIFA is the highest of the authorities and FIFA has the ultimate decision-making process.

“So they have to say my coaching instructor’s diploma is higher or not higher. If I get that kind of word from FIFA, I will be more than happy to leave it alone,” he said.

“I would be willing to do the course, but only if FIFA say that the certification that I have doesn’t match up to what Concacaf say is the requirement. But I think it is unfair to ask me for a B licence when I have a FIFA instructor’s diploma.”

Speid said the JFF must protect the interest of the country as it relates to its readiness to coach at the international level.

“It has nothing to do with any individual. It is where the world is going, and we have to be on par with international coaching standards.

“Concacaf says, by 2030, to coach a senior national team or a professional club team in Concacaf competitions, you must have Pro Licence. And to coach any youth team, you must have an A licence.

“The JFF’s responsibility is that, when we reach 2030, we have the required coaches to coach our teams. And that is why these regulations are in effect. To prepare for that,” he said.

“A Pro licence takes about 18 months and, between the Pro and A licence, you have to sit out one year. And the A licence will take 18 months as well.

“So moving from a B licence to Pro is about four years. And we are in 2025-26. So, if we decide to go back and give blighs, when we reach 2030, we will not be ready, and we cannot afford to do that,” he said.

Speid said, on Spanish Town Police FC’s registration form, they have identified Alex Thomas as the head coach, and Thomas, who is currently doing his A licence, is qualified to give instructions from the technical area.

Although Stewart can sit on the bench, he cannot shout instructions, or will be subjected to a $50,000 fine each time he does so. If this happens repeatedly, the coach will be suspended for a few matches.

However, Stewart said he has no intention to sit on the bench if he cannot give instructions to his players on the field, but contends that the coaching staff have a good working synergy and expects no issues with his ansence from the sidelines.

“Why would I be on the bench if I can’t instruct the team that I am coaching. They can’t stop me from coaching the team but they can stop me from issuing instructions. If they can’t stop my coaching, why would they want to stop me from giving instructions?

“But I have no intention of flaunting any rules they have. I would not put the team at risk by shouting instructions from the bench.

“They can’t stop a spectator from shouting instructions, and, if I am not on the bench, then I am a spectator.

“I can have a telephone connection with the people on the bench and tell them what I want. There is always communication that goes on between the coaching staff and management staff. We are not averse to exchanging information between us. So we will come up with something that will be consistent. So it’s really not a big problem.”

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com