New era for women’s football

A different direction and financial capital are what Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts hopes will bring in a new era for women’s football in Jamaica.

Ricketts was speaking at the launch of the 2022-23 JFF Women’s Premier League, which is set to kick off on December 4 with 10 teams taking part. The league will last for six months. It will be the first time in three years that the league will be played after COVID-19 prevented play and caused the game to go into a hiatus.

The JFF has already pledged $7.5 million ($750,000 per club) to assist in their preparations with a title sponsor being finalised and expected to close in the next few days on funds that he hopes will provide the necessary assistance to the clubs as well as to ensure financial viability.

“We are on the verge of signing a title sponsor. I don’t want to say too much about that, but there will also be a financial injection from the title sponsors. The whole idea is to ensure that the teams benefit from the financial support,” Ricketts said. “The funds are ready. It is for the clubs now to make the necessary arrangement to access these funds.”

In exploring other sponsorship opportunities, Ricketts says that future injections in January are possible as the federation continues along a new path in its rebranding efforts.

“We are having extensive discussions with another local company who has given an indication that it will be ready for us in January. We have had extensive discussions with both entities and we are very excited that things will work out. We are trying to do things differently. We are trying to rebrand the JFF,” Ricketts said.

Only two teams from Kingston and St Andrew, Cavalier and Olympic Gardens, are among the 10 teams participating in the tournament, which includes new outfits Baptist Alliance from St Thomas, Springers United from St James, and Vere United from Clarendon. JFF Women’s Football Committee Chairperson Elaine Walker-Brown said that the entries were from the clubs that met the requirements for registration as they want to move into a new era of professionalism for the women’s game.

“It’s the same approach as the men. They had to be registered as a company, they have to approach it as a business, and they have to be registered on the FIFA Connect. The same procedure will apply for the tier two competition,” Walker-Brown noted. That competition Ricketts says is expected to kick off next February, and he hopes that on the back of the Reggae Girlz successful World Cup qualification that the pipeline of local players to the senior team can be built.

“This will make a difference as it relates to the women’s side of football. And of course, having done very well, the eyes of the world will be on us. Having qualified, that must be some kind of a catalyst for young players to try to emulate what some of our local players have done,” Ricketts said.

Zone A Zone B

Frazsiers Whip Cavalier

Olympic Gardens FC Royal Lakes

Baptist Alliance Vere United

Springer’s United Real MoBay

Rangers Mile Gully