JFF warns KSAFA after promotion boycott

General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Dalton Wint says the board of directors of the federation will be meeting in the coming weeks to decide how to deal with the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) following their decision to boycott the JFF's updated method of promotion for the Red Stripe Premier League.

KSAFA's clubs unanimously decided not to take part in the new format, following a lengthy meeting late on Wednesday.

The new structure groups teams from the corporate area with clubs from St Catherine and St Thomas in a play-off for a spot for a chance to compete in the nation's top flight. As a confederation, KSAFA previously promoted the top team from its Super League competition to the play-off series, but will now have to face competition from teams in the other two parishes.

Wint believes KSAFA, which is mandated by the JFF to govern football in the corporate area, could be sanctioned for not respective the directives of its parent association.

"We are to have a board meeting in two weeks time and high on the agenda of that meeting is the repercussions for them (KSAFA teams) not participating in the competition," Wint told The Gleaner yesterday.

The competition, which is slated to begin on December 8, is structured to have four teams each from KSAFA, St Catherine and St Thomas play in a round robin format to determine who progress to the JFF Play-Off series. However, with the withdrawal of the KSAFA teams, some re-structuring is now required.

"The competition committee will meet to discuss what will be the new format now, but I believe what will happen is that this group will play with eight teams this year," Wint explained.

In 2014, there was an agreement between the JFF and the four confederations to change the method by which teams are promoted to the nation's premier football competition.

As it stands now, winners of each of the four confederations qualify for the JFF Play-Off series. However, the new method would zone parishes into four groups and the winners would earn a spot in the play-off series, from where the top two teams would then be promoted to the RSPL.

However, the Wayne Shaw-led KSAFA administration has strongly opposed this new method arguing that it is a strategic move to reduce their dominance in local football.

Without revealing too much, Shaw, noted that one of the reasons for the withdrawal was because the clubs believe that it would be too expensive to travel to St Thomas and St Catherine to play matches.

He promised to explain the association's full position in a press release soon.