KSAFA aiming for ‘professional’ Championship, Major League

THE KINGSTON and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) has unveiled plans to aid Championship and Major League clubs in attaining their CONCACAF club licences as part of a pilot programme to create a professional standard for the competitions.

KSAFA president Mark Bennett said the idea is to ensure clubs in the parish are operating at the same standards as required in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

“We have always believed that we’re in the business of sports,” the president said.

“We’ve always felt that even though we’re operating at the parish level, we are to mirror what happens at the national level. There is a requirement for clubs to be licensed and we feel that as true pioneers, it is important for our clubs to be on that same track.”

Bennett said the programme will also ensure there is a smoother transition to the JPL should KSAFA clubs achieve promotion to the national level.

He believes exposing parish clubs to professional requirements at the Championship and Major League level ensures clubs are ready for the standards needed to survive in the JPL.

“It’s for when they transition into the top level, they will be ready to hit the ground running as opposed to be scrambling around and trying to meet the different criteria,” said Bennett.

“Certainly if clubs are exposed to these requirements, they will start to prepare themselves and they understand that in various sports, this is the way to go.”

His sentiments were echoed by KSAFA general secretary Marvin Tate.

Tate said clubs who gain promotion to the JPL are often relegated within a season because they are unfamiliar with the organisation needed to compete in the competition.

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

He said the programme will help teams across all areas of management, including on the field of play and in their administrative structure.

“We’ve realised that over the years, clubs have struggled to maintain their position in the Premier League when they get there and the main reason for that is the lack of organisation from the parish competitions. They are not able to attract good players, good administrators and good coaching staff.”

He added, “We’ve realised it will be good for our teams to start that level of organisation from the parish level so that when they get to Tier II and the Premier League, things will not look as foreign to them.”

Tate said the target for KSAFA is for two clubs each year to be aided in attaining their CONCACAF club licences, with the goal being that within a decade, all teams in the Championship will be operating at a professional standard.

The programme will include sourcing corporate sponsorships for the clubs on a yearly basis to help fund their transition into the professional ranks.

“It is not a far-fetched ambition,” he said.

“The pilot project is about having corporate Jamaica aligning themselves with some of these clubs. So it will be two clubs per year and we’re going to try and see if we can get sponsorships for these clubs and set the framework for their development.”