EDITORIAL - Press reset, Captain Burrell

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), it seems, has a problem of communicating with itself. And that, the JFF"s president, Captain Horace Burrell, will agree is a very bad thing, especially when you intend changes that can lead to nasty fights in the absence of genuine consensus.

In the circumstance, Capt Burrell would probably find it worth his while if he placed on pause his proposal for a major overhaul of Jamaica's football, including dumping the current format of the Premier League, and engage in a broad conversation with the game's stakeholders, in particular the communities in which most football clubs have their roots.

The issue stems from last week's report by the JFF of a meeting of its board earlier this month at which, it was claimed, there was "consensus" on a raft of issues, including the future of the Premier League. From the 2015-16 season, it was reported, the Premier League would be run on the basis of franchise teams which, presumably, would be auctioned off to bidders. There would be 10 of these.

The intent, the JFF said, was to ensure high-quality football across Jamaica - an aim with which no one would disagree. Except for the problem of dissonance and interpretation of the message. For while Capt Burrell declared "consensus" at the level of his board - which presumably also means buy-in by the regional confederations - the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) have raised disquiet.

This newspaper shares some of their concerns.

While we do not question the competence of Garfield Sinclair, the ex-investment banker and CEO of the telecoms company LIME Jamaica, who has been tasked with implementing the franchise arrangement, we are concerned with the indecency of haste with which the job is to be done, and, therefore, the likely limit of the depth and quality of the conversations that should be undertaken with stakeholders. KSAFA, which accounts for nearly a third of Jamaica's population and the bulk of its commerce, is the JFF's largest constituent. It currently has six teams in the league. That, under the new franchise arrangement, would be halved, without it being clear what would become of several venerable clubs that have been in the league since it started 40 years ago. The same applies to clubs elsewhere in Jamaica, many of which, like those in KSAFA, have greater currency because of the emotional investment communities make in them, which is less likely under the franchise system.

DIMINISH SPONSORSHIP POWER

Of course, the dismantling of the Premier League in its current form would diminish the power over sponsorship money and management of the competition that the clubs, through the PLCA, have grabbed in recent years, returning it to the JFF. A smaller JFF board will, the federation said, accord with international practice. But it will concentrate authority in fewer hands, thereby demanding greater accountability from an organisation that can't claim to be the most transparent.

We share the JFF's wish that football not only remain Jamaica's most popular sport, but that is played at the highest quality. But to work towards that end, the JFF must appreciate that it manages the sport in trust for the Jamaican fans, who ought to be consulted about far-reaching decisions. That conversation should start now!

Editor's note: Rudolph Speid, president of KSAFA, is manager of group finance and procurement at The Gleaner Company.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.