Jamaica can’t afford 16-club Premier League

THE EDITOR, Madam

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is adamant on increasing the number of participating teams in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) up from 12 clubs to 16 clubs by 2023. This move by the current administration again shows that they are unfit to take Jamaica’s football forward as they are unaware (or unattached) of the economic and infrastructural deficiencies of Jamaica’s football.

Every year we hear the cries of the premier league clubs about not having the adequate funding to satisfactorily participate in the league and how they have to forage in attempting to make ends meet. The JFF’s 16-team proposition will have 16 clubs crying instead of the customary 12.

Infrastructure-wise, the league in recent years have stepped up their game, thanks in large part to the professionally led Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL). Better playing surfaces at the UWI JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence (what a mouthful) and Sabina Park were extensively used and resulted in a better spectacle. How will our limited infrastructure fare with 16 teams?

The argument that an increased number of clubs will produce a greater number of “ballas” is flawed. How will we develop footballers on dust-filled, pitchy-patchy playing surfaces like that at the Prison Oval? Molynes United’s game against Humble Lion on June 12, 2022 was an eyesore.

There are a number of countries in the region that share a 12-club league, namely Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Yet there are some countries that have a 10-club league – Nicaragua, Honduras, Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic. The current state of Jamaica’s football will best serve a 10-club league. Jamaica’s player pool is too small and so too is the quality. We do not have the number of quality players to augment a 12-club league let alone a 16-club league. A 10-club league better fits our player pool and the quality we have. Additionally, with a 10-club league the finances and infrastructure usage are much more manageable.

KEVAWN BERDOE