Horace Burrell

Horace G. Burrell JP OM (8 February 1950 – 6 June 2017), also known as Captain Burrell, was the president of the Jamaica Football Federation, and a Vice-President of CONCACAF. He was also the founder of the Jamaican restaurant chain The Captain's Bakery and Grill and Captain's Aviation Services which he founded in 1995 and 2008 respectively. He died on 6 June 2017 after ailing for some time.[1]

Captain Horace Burrell
Burrell at a Press Conference in 2012
President of Jamaica Football Federation
In office 2007 – 6 June 2017
Preceded by	Crenston Boxhill
Succeeded by	Michael Rickets
Personal details
Born	Horace Garfield Burrell (1950-02-08)8 February 1950 May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica
Died	6 June 2017(2017-06-06) (aged 67) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Nationality	Jamaican
Spouse(s)	Lourea Simpson (Divorced)
Relations	Orville Richard Burrell (cousin), Portia Simpson-Miller (cousin)
Children	Tiphani Burrell Romario Burrell Jaeden Burrell Tahj Burrell (deceased)
Residence	Kingston, Jamaica
Alma mater	Clarendon College St Elizabeth Technical High School
Occupation	Businessman, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist.

Early life

The son of a tobacco grower in Clarendon Parish, as a young man he taught agricultural science at St. Elizabeth Technical High School. He then joined the Jamaica Defence Force, rising to the rank of captain. He undertook basic officer training with the Canadian Armed Forces at Chilliwack, British Columbia and later New Brunswick. He would later be supervised by Colonel Ken Barnes, the father of English international footballer John Barnes. Burrell described Barnes as "a great military leader". It was Barnes who charged Burrell with looking after the JDF football team after Burrell shown Barnes a local newspaper headline "Boy's Town drill soldiers". Burrell took the JDF team to Trinidad where he first met Jack Warner, who was impressed with Burrell and kept in touch, offering him an executive position at the Caribbean Football Union.

Following a spell at the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), he put forward his name to become President of the Jamaica Football Federation in 1994.

1998 World Cup campaign

After being elected to office in 1994, Burrell was instrumental in leading the Reggae Boyz to the 1998 World Cup in France, making Jamaica the first English-speaking Caribbean country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

He received Jamaica’s fourth highest national honour, the Commander of the Order of Distinction (CD) in 1998. He also received the highest award, Order of Merit, from the world football governing body, FIFA, in 2000 for his outstanding leadership skills in piloting the Jamaica Football team to the World Cup.[2][3][4][5] A number of countries were said to have adopted the Jamaican model of development in their quest for World Cup Final qualification due to their success.[2]

FIFA ban

On 14 October 2011, the FIFA Ethics Committee, banned Horace Burrell for a period of six months because he was involved in the Caribbean Football Union corruption scandal. The Ethics Committee suspend three months of the ban, subject to a probationary period of two years.[6][7]

Personal life

Burrell had four children, one of whom, Tahj, predeceased him.[8][9]

He served as President of the Jamaica Football Federation between 1994 and 2003, and from 2007 until his death.[3] In addition to his presidency of JFF, he was the Senior Vice President of CONCACAF and a former Vice President of the CFU and served as a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and as a Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association.[3]

Burrell was the founder of the restaurant chain The Captain's Bakery and Grill, in 1995, as well as Captain's Aviation Services in 2008.[10][3]

Death

Burrell died on June 6, 2017.[10][11] Burrell had been battling cancer since 2016.[1] Prior to his death, Burrell was undergoing treatment at the Johns Hopkins Cancer Treatment Center in Baltimore, Maryland.[3] He is survived by his children: Dr. Tiphani Burrell-Piggott, Romario Burrell and Jaeden Burrell. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, said the nation must pause and reflect on the life and great works of Captain Burrell while extending sincere condolences to his family and friends, the football fraternity and the entire Captain’s Bakery family.[11][12]

References

1. "Captain Horace Burrell dies at 67". The Jamaica Observer. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
2. "Jamaica Gleaner Online". old.jamaica-gleaner.com.
3. "10 things about the late JFF president Captain Horace Burrell". jamaica-gleaner.com.
4. "Horace Burrell biography".
5. Teach Dem (6 June 2017). "Captain Horace Burrell is DEAD @ Age 67. The JFF President died in Baltimore Maryland of Cancer" – via YouTube.
6. FIFA.com (14 October 2011). "FIFA Ethics Committee takes decisions on ethics proceedings against CFU officials".
7. "FIFA suspends Jamaica's Burrell for six months".
8. "Son of Jamaican Soccer Chief Killed". www.apnewsarchive.com.
9. "DEATH PENALTY: Jamaicans Debate Re-introduction - Inter Press Service". www.ipsnews.net.
10. "JFF president Captain Horace Burrell is dead". jamaica-gleaner.com. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
11. "PM Holness Mourns the Death of Capt. Horace Burrell - Jamaica Information Service". 6 June 2017.
12. "Bon Voyage, Captain". 5 June 2018.