Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:

In a moment of recklessness, David Watt, the president of the lame-duck St James Football Association (StJFA), made two rather obnoxious statements while addressing the association's end of season presentation and awards ceremony in Montego Bay on Monday night.

Watt, normally mild-mannered, if not unassuming, boldly accused sections of the media of "sensationalising" recent happenings within the ranks of the StJFA as a means of selling newspapers. He further compounded the issue by stating that the board had been transparent in the handling of the various issues.

While Watt did not single out anyone, I feel compelled to respond to his comments because I broke several of the contentious stories, to include the unauthorised email that was sent to the JFF by a board member, which not only embarrassed the board but triggered the resignation of Watt's predecessor, George Evans.

Since Watt's statement - which attracted attention from another section of the media - was made without any supporting evidence, I would like to use this medium to ask him to furnish the proof to substantiate his claims.

mischievous

If he fails to do so, I will have no choice but to view his action as not only mischievous but unbecoming of a person who has always enjoyed my respect. In case Watt's memory has gone blank on the various issues, I would suggest he refreshes his memory by re-reading Evan's resignation letter, which stated in part that "recent events have combined to make my position within the board very difficult to remain, as well as to compromise the integrity and office of the St James Football Associ-ation, which now makes my position untenable".

I would also suggest that he re-reads slowly and carefully, the section of the letter that states, "With regret, the manner in which we have handled ourselves has left much to be desired, combined with long established protocol and procedures, and with that, it has made the board a laughing stock."

Watt could then juxtapose Evans' comments with a recent statement on radio by a former president, who also departed via the resignation route, that during his tenure, members of the board, of which Watt was a part, were guilty of leaking information to the media.

deceptive email scandal

I find it rather strange that Watt is now declaring that the board, which went into hiding in the aftermath of the deceptive email scandal and the follow-up scandal involving the inappropriate use of the UDC playing field during Reggae Sumfest 2010, as being transparent. I literally had to camp out at the FA's office to get information as board members suddenly stopped becoming available via telephone.

I wish to remind Watt that had it not been for the vigilance of the media, the public would still be in the dark regarding disgraceful situations, including the case in which a prominent JFF Western Confederation official accessed the accounts of the Western Referees Group without authorisation, an act he later publicly confessed, and sibsequently apologised and then resigned.

I wish to make it absolutely clear to all that while some members of the media might feel perfectly at ease staying away from the contentious issues in the hope of being rewarded for their loyalty instead of their honesty, I have no such desire.

In fact, I am totally committed to treating my chosen profession with the integrity it deserves. For those who might not be able to differentiate between unbiased reporting and sensationalism, I would suggest they seek guidance in that regard, because I want to make it absolutely clear that as long as I continue to interface with the public via the media, "telling it as it is" will forever be my motto, regardless of who might feel offended.

Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com.