The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: PLCA gets professional advice on restructuring league

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

A three-member team of high-ranking football officials is in the island to make presentations to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) on possible organisational models that reflect modern approaches to structuring football leagues.

Unity

The fundamental aim of the team is to facilitate football associations and clubs to work effectively together in the best interest of football. The team will assist the PLCA and the JFF in working together to improve the organisational structure of the new National Premier League (NPL) season slated to begin in August.

The team, which arrived in the island yesterday, comprises David Sheepshanks, chairman of the Ipswich Town Football Club, David Davies, executive director of the Football Association in England, and Michael Blood, a corporate lawyer with specialist knowledge in sport and media relations.

David Sheepshanks in expressing his team's willingness to provide their expertise to the JFF and the PLCA stated that every model developed has to represent the local conditions of the country they are working with. It was important, he said, that the views of those involved are carefully taken into consideration before a model is finalised.

"We have worked in other Caribbean countries and have seen the enthusiasm for football in this part of the world. We are happy to have been invited to come to Jamaica and we hope that we can help to create the structure for professional football that you all aspire to," Sheepshanks said.

Carvel Stewart, vice-Chairman of the PLCA, stated that the delegation will be meeting with officials from the JFF and the PLCA today to review the team's presentations. A press conference will be held tomorrow at the JFF where an official report will be made on the outcome of the meetings.

Time factor

"We can't say how long this re-structuring process is going to take, but we hope it won't take too long. We also hope that this visit will take us to a higher level that will bring a major lift to what we are trying to do," Stewart said.

With their combined experience and expertise, visiting officials have provided advice to countries around the world on the development of football leagues.

The team is scheduled to leave the island tomorrow afternoon.