“I went to the National Stadium… I went to support a Jamaican team and a Jamaican coach playing in this game, what i saw shocked mi… I’ve been to so many games all over the world and i never seen the home team cheer for the opponent that much, dressed in the opponent’s gear,” Craig Butler detailed as he sat in the back of a van at the airport in Kingston on Friday.
As per the Phoenix Academy boss who is also the joint owner of Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League club Vere United, he was at the airport waiting on Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards. During this time a fire broke out at the airport, causing him and friends to wait outside on the road for the Reggae Boy who plays for Chelsea F.C. in England.
Butler shared his opinion in a three-minute long video and a lengthy caption, he did not stop there as he also made another statement in the comment section of his Instagram post.
In his lengthy caption, the outspoken football enthusiast highlighted that, “FIRST WE MUST BELEOVE IN OUR PLAYERS SUPPORT THEM@AND MAKE THEM KNOW AS A NATION COME HELL OR HIGH WATER WE ARE GOING TO CHEER FOR THEM.”
He also outlined that Cavaliers Football Club and their head coach Rudolph Speid are his rivals, nevertheless, they are Jamaicans hence he was in support of them, he also noted that he has a signed Messi jersey at home and praised Messi for his greatness, however, regardless of that, he noted, our support of the local team should go behind “fan worship… we should have all been there to support Cavaliers.”
“We would never be able to go to a Inter Miami game and see the people of America in Jamaican gears cheering against Inter Miami… Start to believe in ourselves as a nation as a footballing nation, i’ve been trying for 20 years for you guys to get it, we can be much greater than we are,” declared Butler before expressing that he still believes that Leon Bailey has the potential to be the best footballer in the world int he near future.
Butler’s statements notably, got a lot of likes and reactions when compared to his other recent posts. Most people who commented on the post seemingly disagreed with his statement while some others agreed.
One individual who disagreed with Butler wrote, “The people went to see the Greatest footballer ever. Probably the only opportunity most of these people will get to see their favorite footballer at a price that low. Even though it seemed as if they were cheering for opposing teams, it was all about Messi. Cavaliers played a very entertaining match and they got the crowd going crazy at times but the stadium was sold out because of one man and it’s just reality. Most a these people can’t even afford fi go Ochi from Kingston much less fi afford flight fi go overseas fi watch their favorite footballer Kmt.”
Another person wrote, “I wish we Jamaicans support Leon like this.”
Watch as Butler talks on the matter below:
The overwhelming support that the Argentine footaller got was solidified by a Cavalier player celebrating the fact that he got Messi’s jersey after the match, highlighting that the jersey smells “good” while in a hotel room and trying on the gear.
See the player’s reaction in the slide below:
