The Jamaican press yesterday celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Jamaica and the FFA, throwing their weight behind the Australian campaign to hold the FIFA tournament.

The FFA's John Boultbee signed the deal with local government and football officials in Jamaica over the weekend, watched by the FFA's special World Cup bid consultant Peter Hargitay.

According to the local Jamaica Observer: "The FFA will provide support to the ministry and the JFF for CONCACAF and other JFF-related projects in Jamaica from funds made available by the Australian government for sports development programmes in the Caribbean.

"The Australian government has indicated it will be spending some sixty-million Australian dollars for such programmes throughout the Caribbean.

"The MOU details the technical and socio-political co-operation in sports between Jamaica and Australia, and in particular between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the JFF and their respective Australian counterparts."

The deal was signed to coincide with a visit to Jamaica by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, hot on the heels of his meeting with Australian PM Julia Gillard.

Jamaican Sports Minister Olivia Grange welcomed the pact and added: "I am very pleased with this MOU between my ministry and the JFF on one side and Football Federation Australia.

"Its provisions mean significant assistance to enhance Government's sports development programmes and it provides support for the JFF's programme for football development in Jamaica."

Horace Reid, General secretary of the JFF, said the MOU "will assist greatly in facilitating and accelerating the development of our football infrastructure".

It's understood the government has been asked by the FFA to use money from the Federal Government's Overseas Aid programme to support the Australian World Cup bid.

Rival sporting codes have already railed against the initial $45 million spent by the Government to help fund the World Cup bid while A-League club owners have complained about the lack of investment by the FFA into the local competition at the expense of the World Cup bid.

An FFA spokesman today confirmed the deal and added: "The commitment by the Government is for Australia to spend $60 million over four years in the Caribbean on cooperation in a number of areas of special mutual interest.

"Sport was specifically acknowledged as one of these areas."