PFJL moving to reward regular season winners in JPL
Published:Monday | May 15, 2023 | 12:42 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) Owen Hill says incentivising the teams that top the preliminary round of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) is big on the agenda for next season.
After seeing his team top the JPL standings last weekend, Arnett Gardens coach Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis called for teams to be rewarded for their efforts over the competition’s early rounds.
However, Hill revealed that the PFJL was already moving to reward these teams.
“From PFJL’s perspective we understand the concern. We also are very mindful that incentivising those who are most consistent is important.
“After the season we will be having strategic discussions and the decision will be communicated to the clubs before the start of the next season.
“I am not at liberty to say what it is going to be, but I am sure the discussions will result in some incentives being provided to the team that finished at the top after the regular rounds,” he declared.
He pointed out that they have been having the discussions since last December.
“We want to improve the league. We want to get to that point where all of the teams in the league feel they are being incentivised. That can only result in better football being played,” he added.
Davis’ comments had also sparked the debate on whether the JPL should be a straight league format with the most consistent team being crowned champions at the end or should the playoffs remain.
However, Hill insists that traditionally the playoff system has worked for Jamaica’s football and they will continue with the format for the immediate future.
“The decision was taken to have a league format to ensure there is a consistency of play and then create a playoff scenario where the winner is decided from that.
“And so far that is what we have worked with and it has proved successful and we will continue to do that,” he said.
“With the teams that are involved we hope it (playoffs) is as exciting as last year. Dunbeholden carried out all of Portmore last year. Now we want all of Clarendon to come out and support Humble Lion and the same for St Ann with Mount Pleasant.
“It’s good we have a good balance of communities and parishes represented in the playoff round. It will galvanise the support and the players will do their part by playing good football. So it will be five weeks of high intensity quality football,” Hill said.