Reggae Boyz team manager Roy Simpson has been appointed acting general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) following the departure of the embattled Dennis Chung.

Chung, who served for three years, resigned to take up the position of chief technical director of the Financial Investigations Division (FID), amidst massive protests from the Opposition People’s National Party. Chung has been assigned police protection following threats.

The general secretary position is a crucial one in the JFF that is not elected and is the second most powerful to the president, Michael Ricketts.

Omar McFarlane will fill the acting Team manager position left vacant by Simpson.

“Mr Simpson is an integral part of the Federation, and I am confident that he will bring stability and leadership during what promises to be a demanding summer and the remainder of 2025,” said Ricketts.

Simpson, a former St Jago goalkeeper in the Manning Cup between 1987-89, has been at the JFF as team manager for 17 years since 2008. He would have gained invaluable experience under the tutelage of former General Secretary Horace Reid, widely regarded as the best to hold that office.

Simpson started out as team manager of the Junior teams and qualified the National Under-17 team to the 2011 World Cup in Mexico. That was the last male team to the World Cup.

Simpson, who also played Sunlight Cup cricket and volleyball, was then elevated to the Senior Reggae Boyz team manager position, where he helped guide the team to second-placed finishes in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015 and 2017.

Simpson is also a part of the Reggae Boyz team that won the Caribbean Cup titles in 2010 and 2014.