Questions ‘Mount’ - PFJ Chairman Chris Williams denies possible conflict of interest regarding Premier League sponsorship
Published:Saturday | December 19, 2020 | 12:15 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Professional Football Jamaica (PFJ) Chairman Chris Williams says that landing Mount Pleasant Academy as a sponsor for the upcoming Premier League season does not present a possible conflict of interest with Mount Pleasant Football Club, of the same league.
The academy, which was launched in 2018, is among the partners that have been secured for the new season whose start date is still to be determined. Its goal is to provide a pathway for young players to pursue their footballing aspirations, while participating in academics at the institution.
Williams says that while the issue of a possible conflict arose in deciding to bring the academy on board, he says that it and the football club are different bodies which will not present any concerns.
“Mount Pleasant Academy is separate from Mount Pleasant Football Club,” Williams told The Gleaner. “So, it’s not the same entity that is a sponsor, and more importantly, Peter Gould excused himself from voting on accepting that sponsorship offer and the rest of the [PFJ] board agreed that it would be fine.”
WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING
Williams says that while the academy will be a partner in the league, it will not be involved in how the competition operates and he says that board members who have affiliation with proposed sponsors will not be involved in the decision-making process, or the running of the competition.
“None of the sponsors have any influence on the running of the league, the fixtures, game day results, and so on. The execution of the league is separate from the sponsors,” he said.
However, sports marketing expert Carole Beckford says that the club will now need to clearly define its organisational structure, outlining who addresses football operations separate from those involving marketing and sponsorship.
“If the rules are clear and confined to marketing and investment in the football versus the performance of the team, it is incumbent on Mount Pleasant [to] separate who represents them and at what level,” Beckford says. “The support of the football by itself is one element, but participating is another.”
Beckford says that the sponsor will now require Mount Pleasant to determine how they will define their support for local football on the field and in the boardroom.