Stewart: Senior refs are assigned to JWPL
JFF’s Referees Department head responds to Royal Lakes coach Kadish Fishley
Published:Tuesday | December 20, 2022 | 1:18 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
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Head of the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) Referees Department, Victor Stewart, has responded strongly to a claim by Kadish Fishley, coach of Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) team Royal Lakes that the standard of officiating in the...
Head of the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) Referees Department, Victor Stewart, has responded strongly to a claim by Kadish Fishley, coach of Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) team Royal Lakes that the standard of officiating in the league is too low. Following her team’s victory over Real Mobay last Saturday, Fishly called for experienced female FIFA referees Odette Hamilton and other female FIFA officials to officiate in matches in the league.
Fishley said their 2-1 win over Real Mobay was marred by poor refereeing, and she believes that Hamilton and other FIFA officials such as Princess Brown and Stephanie Yee-Sing can lift the officiating standards of the league.
“We always talk about improving the quality of our league, but we also need to talk about improving the quality of the referees.
“The referee we had (Saturday) was very poor. In different instances there were calls that we should have gotten. One of my players was being dragged by her hair and there wasn’t even a call,” Fishly told The Gleaner.
However, Stewart insists that the JWPL is not being treated with any less importance than any other competition.
“The JWPL is treated like the Jamaica Premier League (JPL). I know the game at Royal Lakes was refereed by Doyen Tummins, a senior referee who has officiated at the JPL. He is no rookie.
“When you have the JPL being played, the women’s league, daCosta Cup, Manning Cup, Major Leagues, and all the other schoolboy competitions we try to service the competitions according to the need.
“We always give it the best shot as we treat the JWPL with great purpose. We respect the women’s league, and we will try to service it to the best of our ability,” he stated.
He also disagrees that the referees being appointed for the women’s league are below par while noting that all officials will make errors.
“I am not disputing the fact. We see it at the World Cup level. There’s always human error and the human factor. But I am not going to put it down to substandard.
“We have referees performing in the league that are way above the league in terms of their capability, but of course, they are going to make mistakes.”
He added that Hamilton and other top local female officials will be assigned to matches once they are available.
“You have the JPL, then tier two and the senior woman’s league. These are senior competitions, so in most cases, senior referees are appointed.
“The female officials are personally responsible for the women’s league - Odette Hamilton, Narissa Goldson, Jassett Kerr, Stephanie Yee-Sing, Princess Brown. These are our senior ladies.
“They are obligated to service the league. Their first course of action is the women’s league because they are women.
“However, the challenge is when we have a JWPL and the JPL on a weekend. We have to assign some of these ladies to the men’s Premier League. But once they are not involved in the men’s league, the women will be there (JWPL). That is their league,” he concluded.