Edward Seaga, Contributor
A number of transformational changes have been made recently in Jamaica's number-one sport and more changes are to follow. This transformation has been the result of a deteriorating environment for the game in Jamaica, poor results in international competitions and new prospects which are beckoning football to take the steps necessary to advance the sport.
The changes that have occurred and those to come are setting the stage for a better football product, which will lift the spirit of the fans and expand the presence of football even farther throughout the island.
Earlier this year, there were unmistakable signs of deep financial stress among the participating clubs of the National Premier League (NPL). The basic problem was that most of the clubs were experiencing deep financial problems in finishing the season and none was willing to go forward into the next season commencing September 30, without substantial financial support. In other words, the season would have had to be cancelled. This would have been disastrous not only to the local football programme, but to Jamaica's international position in football because the disruption of the local programme would have dislocated the international plans for the regional competitions and even the World Cup objective.
Prompt action
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was advised of this impending crisis. A significant part of the problem was the inadequacy of the amount which the clubs received from sponsorship funds controlled by the JFF. This had to be improved considerably and quickly. Prompt action had to be taken to save the situation.
The clubs were invited to come together and form the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), a registered company. There was an eagerness of the clubs to establish a single organisation to represent them. The PLCA commenced operations in June. I was asked to be the chairman.
The JFF gave approval for the PLCA to find its own sponsorship funds for the Premier League and the Under 21 League. Some JFF members were reluctant to do so because it was felt that the PLCA would be diminishing the role of the JFF by taking over one of its main responsibilities. But it was recognised that the JFF could not improve the situation by retaining the right to seek better sponsorships to provide more funds and, as a consequence, it would be best for another organisation to try if the senior football programme were to be saved.
Excellent gesture
The PLCA over-ambitiously set out to raise the full amount of funds required to run the NPL for a year, $250 million, but it was not expected that this full amount could be achieved. Cash Plus Limited responded very positively approving $50 million per year for each of three years, or $150 million. This was an excellent gesture by Cash Plus as it would provide twice as much as ever before in sponsorship, and nearly seven times more to each club. The league would then be named the Cash Plus Premier League. Digicel also assisted by funding the establishment of the PLCA head office which is a re-furbished floor in the JFF building.
The Cash Plus sponsorship saved the Premier League football programme. Since the beginning of the season, the PLCA has received all payments due from Cash Plus, and on time, so as to pay out $500,000 per month to each club totalling $13.5 million with another $6 million due next week. A further announcement is to be made soon regarding the improved package of prize money which is to be offered by Cash Plus.
These figures may give the impression, falsely, that the PLCA is comfortably financed. Bear in mind, however, that only 200 per cent of the budget has been provided. The clubs still have to fund the rest.
The PLCA next turned its attention to the Under-21 competition. Each Premier League team has an Under- 21 team, which serves as a feeder of recruits to the parent team. In so doing, the Unde-21 programme plays an important role.
The problem which has existed throughout with this competition is that the Under-21 games were played as the early game of a double-header in the Premier League competition and was completely overshadowed in the media. Many people did not even know that the Under 21 competition existed and few showed interest. The first step to improve this dead-end situation was to set up a separate identity for the Under-21 programme. This was done by moving the competition matches to a separate day, Friday evenings. The first of these games was played at the Tivoli Gardens Football Club Edward Seaga Sports Complex two Fridays ago. As an introductory attraction, a double-header was played: Tivoli vs Waterhouse and Harbour View vs Boys Town it was feared that the spectators would be few, the west Kingston crowd did not disappoint. A sizeable turn-out was on hand to see two good games of football at the junior level in a good community setting.
Substantial sponsor
The final step to establish this junior league was to obtain a substantial sponsor with a strong image. We approached Wisynco, the local representative for Coca Cola. There could be no stronger image than Coca Cola as it is identified with some of the greatest sporting events globally including the Olympics. Wisynco was able to get Coca Cola to participate jointly with its own product, WATA, and an energy drink, Power Ade, as the sponsors of the Under-21 League, providing drinks for the entire Premier and Under-21 teams, as well as cash. The sponsorship was named the Coca Cola Under-21 National League. The funding for three years in product and cash was $73 million. Prior to this, the Under-21 programme never received any sponsorship at all. Now it will be recipients of an annual sponsorship equal to what the National Premier League got last year. Each team will get $1 million spread out over the season of seven months. The prize money for this competition, which never existed before, will be announced shortly.
The programme of Cash Plus Premier League and Coca Cola Under-21 National League are now in operation, an the funding is still short and the future still fragile, where there was darkness now there is light.
This is true also about the national programme led by the JFF. With a new dynamic leadership of the Capt. Horace Burrell-led JFF, which has just been elected, the programme has got off to an impressive start: two friendly internationals up-front and early where there was a drought before.
To put a stamp on the new dynamism, the first of these two games was played on Sunday with a resounding win against El Salvador. The overseas players made a significant difference, playing together in one team. The game in the first-half was brisk with good combinations and snappy one-touch short passes. But the second half tells us that there is still much ground to cover in getting the Reggae Boyz to provide two good halves of football, not one. Work is needed too to cut out the long passes from defence to front-line, over-shooting the midfield and rendering the mid-fielders useless. There was one other shortcoming. In the last 30 minutes the Jamaican players tried repeatedly, desperately and unsuccessfully to penetrate the 18-yard box, which was packed with the El Salvador players defending their goal. When this happens, the only appropriate tactic is to shoot from outside the box. This will draw out the defence and open the box for penetration. The outside shot can also score as Bibi Gardener did at the end.
Most popular game
Football is the most popular game in the world without a doubt. It is played by more people and watched by more spectators than any sport in the world. Football World Cup draws more listeners and viewers than the Olympics, the Superbowl (American football), the World Series (baseball), or Cricket World Cup.
In Jamaica, some 50 competitions fall under the regulations of the JFF, governed by FIFA (world football governing body). Many other competitions are organised informally. But the JFF-sponsored competitions alone have 10,000 players plus support staff (administrators, coaches, grounds men, suppliers of gear, media participants, etc.) totalling another 6000. To top it off, spectators and followers of the game are estimated at over 200, 000 islandwide covering all sections of the population.
Deadly enemies
Football is one of the greatest healers of social division among people. It brought the politically hostile inner-city communities of Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens, which were deadly enemies for 20 years, to peace and friendship overnight. So powerful are the emotions of football that neighbouring countries have been known to attack each other with aircraft over the disputed results of a football game (El Salvador/ Honduras). More recently Iraq won the Asian Cup with a team that had to be assembled for practice and play outside of Iraq because of the internal war. All warring fractions were united in joy and jubilation by the victory.
The new JFF administration can look forward to a brighter future having started with all the right moves. The PLCA can look forward to organising itself to become its own fully operated independent league next year, marking the coming of age of Club football in Jamaica. And Jamaica can look forward to days of glory again, if the new start is any indication of where football is going.
These are the goals of football.
Edward Seaga is a former Prime Minister. He is now a Distinguished Fellow at the UWI. Email: odf@uwimona.edu.jm
