Chief executive officer of The Captain's Bakery, Captain Horace Burrell, signs balls marked with his company's logo for (from left) St. Thomas Football Association (FA) president Alfred Pennant, St. Mary FA president Raymond Anderson and St. Ann FA
president Danny Beckford during a sponsorship press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel
yesterday. Jamaica Football Federation
president Crenston Boxhill (right) looks on. - Rudolph Brown photo
Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
THE CAPTAIN'S Bakery continued its march into local football by announcing sponsorships worth $7.65 million yesterday.
St. Mary, St. Ann and St. Thomas of the Eastern Confederation have become the latest parish associations to benefit from the goodwill shown by former Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) boss and CEO of The Captain's Bakery, Captain Horace Burrell.
Yesterday's announcement followed hot on the heels of one earlier this week in which Burrell announced sponsorship of the Westmoreland Division One and Super League to the tune of $5.1 million for three years.
The Eastern Confederation sponsorships are also for three years and cover the Major Leagues of the three associations.
JFF president Crenston Boxhill, in addressing a gathering at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, praised the efforts of Burrell in the development of football in the country.
"This must be the first time that any one company has sponsored the same competition in three individual FAs," Boxhill said.
Capt. Burrell again reaffirmed his support of Jamaica's football and called on corporate Jamaica to help a government which, he said, had done much for the development of the sport.
"No government can do it alone," Burrell said. "No government can take care of all of the social needs of a people. Corporate citizens, we who are enjoying big profits, must give back something to the society. It is our responsibility," Burrell said.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
"I'm really hoping that other companies who are not now involved will do likewise. There is no doubt that football brings economic benefits to both parties," he said.
The sponsorship includes an $850,000 grant each year. Each team in each of the Major League competitions will be given a $15,000 grant to help with their uniform expenses. While for each competition there will be a first-place prize of $100,000, a second prize of $60,000, a third-place prize of $40,000 and a fourth-place prize of $20,000. Each parish association will also receive 50 match balls.
The sponsorship also includes trophies, incentives, referees fees and administrative costs.
In response to the sponsorship, the president of the St. Thomas FA, Alfred Pennant, said he was elated at the almost unprecedented gesture.
"I am very happy this morning to be receiving a sponsorship such as this. It has been a long time since the parish has received a sponsorship like this," Pennant said.
"Sponsorships like this can only help to make football in the community and by extension the country greater," he said.
The president of the St. Mary Football Association, Raymond Anderson, was also grateful for the sponsorship saying: "We have never received a sponsorship of this kind. We have asked for sponsorships equivalent to this but we have always received less so I and St. Mary must thank Capt. Burrell for what he has done," Anderson said.
St. Ann's FA president, Danny Beckford, pointed out some of the deeper implications of the sponsorship.
"This sponsorship means more than just football and football development. It means the whole aspect of social integration and social upliftment," Beckford explained.
Eastern Confederation president Raymond Grant said after the press conference what the sponsorship meant for his area.
"The economic climate in the Eastern Confederation is not conducive to the proper development of football without sponsorship and Capt. Burrell has come on board to assist in this regard," Grant said.
