Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Smirnoff Ice brand manager Safia Cooper signs a sponsorship contract while JFF president Crenston Boxhill and Red Stripe marketing manager Carlo Redwood look on at the JFF headquarters yesterday. Red Stripe, through Smirnoff Ice, announced plans for a $2 million sponsorship deal with Eastern and South Central Conference Super League teams. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE EASTERN and south-central confederations of the Jamaica Football Federation Super League have received a kick start to their 2005 seasons following the announcement of a $2 million sponsorship package by international beverage giant Red Stripe through its brand, Smirnoff Ice.
The confederations will receive $1 million each which will assist 22 clubs in the parishes of St. Ann, St Catherine, Clarendon, Portland, St Thomas, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and St Mary in their bid to qualify for the National Premier League (NPL) via the two available playoff spots at the end of the season. Smirnoff Ice brand manager Safia Cooper reiterated her company's continued interest in the expansion of local football.
"Smirnoff Ice now joins our cadre of exceptional quality brands in investing in the development of football in Jamaica," Cooper said.
"This level of investment in local football across a brand portfolio is indicative of our company's confidence in the growth and development of the game," she said.
The chairman of the South Central Confederation, Michael Ricketts, while grateful for the sponsorship package, saw the deal as a grand opportunity to further court the company's interest in developing the league.
"No company in this country can rival Red Stripe when its comes to marketing and development," Ricketts said.
" I wasn't that excited about $2 million worth of sponsorship ... What excited me was the potential for what could happen four or five years down the road, once we can make our sponsors happy - a few years down the road we could see a big increase," he said.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Crenston Boxhill, saw Smirnoff's involvement in the league as a part of the bigger picture.
"The Super League is the second most important league in our domestic football programme. It plays a feeder role for the NPL," Boxhill said.
"This fits perfectly into the federation's expressed and focused policy on developing infrastructure that will nurture the transition of all players from the junior to national team level," he said.
The eastern confederations are expected to begin play this Sunday while the start date for the South Central Confederations is yet to be announced.
