The five-year plan - Williams outlines course for Premier League viability
Published:Wednesday | November 11, 2020 | 12:17 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Chairman of Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), Christopher Williams, said the new organisation’s plan is to make the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) viable in the next five years.
Williams, the co-founder and CEO of PROVEN Management Limited, noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will require five years to realise the PFJL’s vision for the league.
“Before we can get to the 2019 level, it is going to take us a good two years. The pandemic has set us back, so this year looks very rocky, and next year, we are going to be under pressure, so it’s not until 2022 before we start to get back on track,” Williams told The Gleaner.
“It is not the time to be embarking on this type of activity. Nevertheless, we are not in this for the short term. We have a 12 month- and a 12-year vision, and we will work through this period. But it is going to take a good two years to recover, and then to grow it to the level we want, is another three years. So we are looking at a five-year plan,” he added.
He said that over the next 12 months, they intend to start the journey towards sustainability by putting their four-point plan into motion.
The main priority of the organisation is getting the league started.
“We need Government to approve the resumption of the Premier League. That is our ultimate target,” Williams said.
From there, the aim is to achieve their commercialisation value and broadcast targets as he believes that n increase in the number of televised games and viewership will drive up the league’s commercial value.
“Until we improve the amount of games covered, we are not going to improve the viewership, and if you don’t improve viewership, you won’t improve commercialisation,” Williams said. “But we have a number of proposals for a broadcast partner, and we selected one. We are in final negotiations with that one, and that entity will be our broadcast partner.”
FINANCING IMPROVEMENTS
He said that the third and fourth aspects of the plan involves strengthening their finance and administration framework.
“The third pillar is the financing structure, making sure the books are right and audited. We have also appointed an acting general manager and are establishing a secretariat. So we are putting in place the administration to ensure that this is not an after-5 (p.m.) job or a volunteer thing. This is a company with staffing,” Williams pointed out.
However, he added that the foundation had already been laid by the clubs, which have toiled over the years to help develop the league to where it is and kept it afloat despite the financial burdens and uncertainty.
“This is not a catastrophe job, not at all, and that needs to be emphasised. This is not a rescue mission. The league has been doing very well and has been growing from strength to strength. I am just here to continue that process. We are not a damaged product. We are a very good product,” he insisted.
“The challenge is infrastructure and not just physical stadiums. It is player development, coaching development, broadcasting and commercialisation, and that is not an indictment on the standard of play or management,” Williams said. “It is an economic challenge. Having gotten involved and relating to the respective clubs, I understand ... . They have been really strong carrying this league and doing what it takes week after week, month after month, and year after year to give the players an opportunity. So we have very good people and very competent people involved.”
“But we have a team to ensure that people that are spending a dollar, they get a full dollar’s worth. That is why the independent directors have been appointed. We bring our corporate experience,and that experience we will impart to the PFJL to guide the clubs on how to run a business,” added Williams.
The 2019-2020 Premier League season was cancelled after the coronavirus disease began to spread in Jamaica. Organisers are hoping that the 2020-2021 campaign can get under way before the end of the year.