PFAJ to assist RSPL venues

The Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ) said it will be making efforts to continue to improve on all the playing surfaces and venues of the clubs in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) to enhance the tournament's quality.

PFAJ chairman Don Anderson said that his organisation is working closely with the regional body, CONCACAF on a mandate for professionalism by 2019.

"It is a situation where all the individual clubs are working to see how they can improve their playing surfaces. It is a mandate coming out of CONCACAF anyway. CONCACAF wants to see a significant improvement in the level of professionalism in the league not only in Jamaica, across the league that they manage," Anderson told The Gleaner yesterday.

"We are prepared to work with our clubs to see how best we can assist. Obviously, we don't have enough funds to do that but we are considering other options," he also said. 

"It is not only about the playing surfaces but also the venues. We are working best with CONCACAF to learn what we can do to help the clubs to improve. That is basically the role of the PFAJ," he shared.

"Not only that, but we are looking at a number of initiatives that will be revealed as soon as they are near fruition," Anderson further said.

The PFAJ also announced the decision taken to commence the 2018-2019 RSPL on Sunday, September 16.

Originally scheduled to begin in late August, the start was delayed because a number of other national and regional football events will be taking place between then and the second week in September. These are the CONCACAF Nations League, involving the national team, the Women’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the Scotiabank CONCACAF League, involving Portmore United and Arnett Gardens.

The teams in the 2018-19 RSPL are Portmore United, Harbour View, Cavalier, Arnett Gardens, UWI, Montego Bay United,
Waterhouse, Tivoli Gardens, Humble Lion, Mount Pleasant, Dunbeholden and Reno.