RBSC

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:42 PM

FOOTBALL – ENTERTAINMENT
by Steve Golding
The dictionary tells us that to entertain is to “occupy agreeably”, and that something entertaining is “amusing”, “diverting”. So a logical combination of the foregoing could make entertainment an “amusing diversion that occupies agreeably”. Musical and dramatic performances (film and stage) fit the definition. However there are sad songs and serious plays that patrons do listen to and watch so except for ‘amusing’ the above definition still stands in those circumstances, and one still is ‘entertained’, so ‘diversion’ and ‘occupy’ stand out in the definition. No matter what, audiences go out to support their favourite performers.

Could not all the above be applied to sports in general, and football in particular? Spectators go to see their favourite team (and players) to enjoy their performance, which is the case when the team wins, and end up being sad if they lose. In fact one of the major differences between a football game and a stage performance is the uncertainty of the outcome. One usually knows what is going to happen in a play or a movie and what songs are likely to be performed at a concert. With a football game, though victory is hoped for, such is not always the case. Notwithstanding these facts entertainment, whether on stage, screen or on the football field, live or recorded, still manages to bring out the full range of emotions in spectators. One sad extension of this situation, especially in recent times, is the “unfriendly rivalry” between fans of different teams/artistes even after the game/show is over. This unfortunate offshoot of entertainment leads to the question of responsibility on the part of the players/performers. The similarities with footballers and singers, actors etc. are obvious. Hours of training/practice, practice games/rehearsals - are requirements before taking the field/stage. However RESPONSIBILITY – that is worth a closer look.

In creating an “agreeable diversion” for fans it is important that after the diversion people return to their regular routines uplifted and ready to be a productive part of the wider society. Just as a person can be inspired by a sad song or movie, so too football fans, on seeing a keenly contested match lost by their team, can take heart even in defeat. The onus is on the players to give of their very best at all times without undue show of dissent or disgust when decisions go against them. Just as stage performers have to overcome technical difficulties during a show (Celine Dion at the last Grammy awards is a good example), players must see bad calls as technical difficulties and continue to work. Of course just as the technicians work to make shows flow smoothly without these ‘difficulties’ match officials must do the same.

The media in Jamaica is not yet ‘hip to the hype’ that surround sports personalities, especially those who represent their country. “In foreign” stars are stars – the arena doesn’t matter. Shaquille O’Neal, Serena and Venus Williams, David Beckham et al get the same coverage as P. Diddy, Beyonce and Sting. Entertainment is entertainment and entertainers are entertainers. Maybe the level of professionalism attained in different domains affect the level of coverage, but the impact on audiences in the respective cultures is not to be overlooked. Does David Beckham and Michael Owen have greater impact on the English fan than Onandi Lowe and Ricardo Fuller on the Jamaican supporter? We must Bill our stars to Build our stars, this will improve attendance and income.

For thirty years the Harbour View Football Club has provided entertaining football, always striving to make the ‘diversion agreeable’. As we move closer and closer to full professionalism the entertainment will only improve.

<To top | HOME>

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:43 PM

TERTIARY EDUCATION CHOICES ON THE PATH TO “PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL”.
Prepared by Sydney Masters
President, - Harbour View Football Club.

A lot has been said and I am sure a lot will continue to be said, regarding the blueprint for the improvement of the quality of football in Jamaica. It is agreed by all that in the mix of what should be done to achieve this level of quality is “Professionalism”. What is not readily appreciated is that professionalism not only applies to players, it more importantly applies to Administrators both in the Federation and at the Clubs, Coaches, and Managers. It is important that these levels become professional in their duties before they can effectively provide the atmosphere that demands a professional approach by players in things such as attitude, strict adherence to Rules, Regulations, Codes of Conduct, Personal discipline, higher levels of Concentration, Dedication, Determination etc.

At present most of our best players are being lost to Jamaica as a result of the granting of scholarships to most of our gifted young players to further their education in the USA and at the same time help the school achieve excellence in their school soccer competitions this has afforded a lot of these players to achieve Bachelor of Science (BSc) qualifications at the Universities in the United States of America.

Every year the cream of our sporting talents are being siphoned off to these Universities. A lot of these youngsters do achieve excellence in their education, however, a lot of them just fall through the cracks, in any case, those that return are invariably lesser quality players than when they left due to the lower standard of the University competitions in the USA compared to our Premier League.

Recently the better performing players in these Universities are placed in the draft and if selected to play in their professional leagues are lost to Jamaica with no compensation to the clubs, but this development is for another discussion, the point I am making is, if most of our talented youngsters are lost to us through any reason we will not be able to lift the standard of football in Jamaica to acceptable levels. We should be working at finding ways to plug this “Talent Drain” and at the same time encourage the importation of quality talent from overseas to further improve our talent base in the Premier League. The solution is not to deprive these youngsters of a higher education, this is very necessary, what I think the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should be doing is to obtain scholarships for these qualified youths to gain a tertiary education right here in Jamaica, this of course would require large funding. A lot of administrative time could be spent tapping the various funding sources including Government, Private Enterprises, Sport Development Foundation, other Local and International Foundations and the JFF’s own income sources.

In the United States school environment, quality Jamaican players become superstars at a lower intensity level and are therefore carried away in the euphoria. Unfortunately, on their return to Jamaica they find it difficult to cope with the higher competitive level of our Premier League and as they are then 4 years older, find it more difficult to adjust.

Cost of Tertiary Education:

Full Scholarship Tuition Fees, Books, Boarding, Food & Transportation $250,000 pa
Part Scholarship Tuition Fees, Books 180,000.00 pa
Basic Scholarship Tuition Fees 110,000.00 pa
Bursary Part of Tuition Fees. 60,000.00 pa
Full Scholarships could be given to out of town students with high academic qualifications.

Part Scholarships would be for students who could attend school from home

All of the above must be considered in the context of their earning capacity eg., Earn and Study, or their area of need.

<To top | HOME>

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:44 PM

A DIE-HARD SUPPORTERS’ PERSPECTIVE
Norwyn A Gayle. a.k.a Delegate.

Normally when one rambles through history and historical events, one’s initial remark is usually “I remember when” but in my case getting older I find that my elephantine memory is diminishing, so I would prefer to put it “I remember them”.

I remember Paul “Pablo” Robinson the quintessential forward, he does everything that a forward should do excellently, then there is Michael “Fat Eye” Thompson the dribbling maestro in mid-field. His control was so close it appeared as if the football was tied to his bootlace. Donovan “DV” Hayles revolutionized goal keeping; his agility was such that none could question his ability as a small statured goalie in an era when large goalies were in vogue. He kept out of the team possibly another national goalkeeper in Michael “Jubby” Jones. Then there is the slippery Archie Richards whose snake-like movement over and with the ball mesmerized his opponents into doing awkward comical dances. Then there is the hard running Clyde Juriedini who’s pace and ability to reach at the end of a goal scoring opportunity was unequalled, but bushing some chances gave him the nickname “Good Try”. None the less he scored a lot of goals. The wily Trevor “Little Skill” McKenzie with his deft touches earned him this alias which he claim by salading the great Alan “Skill” Cole remarking simultaneously “Big Skill meet Little Skill”. This quote may not be as accurate as it should be but it relates the sentiments. There is Conrad “Balance” Mullings, a feared center haft who drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, gambled, bleached, and womanized. All these things should detracted from him being a fit and healthy footballer but when it comes to “Balance” none could prove this to be true , he was an exception. There is Owen “Ital” Stewart who plays with the heart of a lion and nimbleness of an antelope. When you thing of a macho player “Ital” is the ideal baller.

Don’t think that those mentioned can fill our bucket of excellence and discipline, there is the intimidating “Bower”, the obedient “Blacka Mikes”, the super talented Harry Tenant, the speedy Jack Percy, the hard driving and consistent Peter “Jair” Cargill, the acrobatic Russell Bell, the effervescent Trevor “Jumpy” Harris, the gentlemanly Howard “Juicy” Cain, the bustling Mark “Rugu Rugu” Salmon and the gentle giant Mark “Big Bird” Salmon who exhibited the power of a bull, touch of a butterfly and the moves of a ballet dancer. There is the bubbling “Duck”, the cool Burt “Butto” Robinson, the tenacious Ewan “Shanny” Hayles, the biting Barrington “Cobra” Gaynor, the never say die Linval McKenzie, Noel Brissett, the “Crude” Christopher Spaulding, classy Junior Groves, Dougie Bell, Keith Cunningham, George “Bruiser” Young, and the two footed Carl Grant.

If you the reader could have seen those players in there heyday, emotions you would have felt is exhilaration, a glowing feeling of happiness and a sense of zenith-like pride.

These are some of the players that have helped to build the foundation on which the Harbour View Football Club has been able to maintain high standards and ideals deservedly acknowledging the title “The Stars of the East”.

However, my nostalgic commentary in no way detracts from our contemporary players for when they take the field on a good day they remind me of the excellent players of the past. The great Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner, powerhouse Onandi Lowe, Richard Coke, Lloyd Barker and Owen “Busta” Kirkland, Neil “Waggy” Stewart all who kick started the resurgence of the “nineties”. There is the midfield maestro Jermaine“Jerry” Hue, the mercurial Daniel Shaw, the acrobatic Nicholas “Helmet” McCreath, the agile Leon Gordon, the intimidating Damion “Stew Peas” Stewart, the indomitable Donald “Foulie” Stewart, the speedy Robert “Little Bebe” Scarlett and the brilliant forward Fabian “Codjie” Taylor.

I could go on and on and on as our well has never run dry giving credence to our historic history.

P.S – If your name was not mentioned in the above emotionally filled article it is due to the lack of space and my waning memory. However when I see you I remember you and your great deeds which always leaves me with a glowing high that sometimes shows as goose bumps.

<To top | HOME>

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:45 PM

The Need for More Competent Coaches
Vin Blaine

The development of our young players rest solely in the hands of our coaches, but the question is begging, do we have these coaches around? The newly elected administration of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has included youth development as part of its manifesto. This development process should focus on the deficiencies of our youth coaches and seek to bring them to an acceptable level of competence.

Too often we see coaches in charge of eight to twelve year olds, conducting training sessions better suited for an older age group. The fact that most of these youngsters cannot execute the drills, does not contribute much to their development. Training at the youth level should be age-specific, which would include understanding the physiology and psychology of the different age groups.

Coaches who are actively involved in youth coaching should endeavor to acquire as much information to improve their coaching skills. It is very important that our best coaches be assigned to our youth programmes. It stands to reason that teaching our youngsters proper technique, will eventually produce better players, but this will only happen if we have coaches who understand a more progressive and enlightened way of teaching the skills of the game.

Another area where coaches are falling down, is allowing young players to participate in 11v11 games. This does nothing for these players, as it does not afford them the amount of touches of the ball that is necessary for their development. These coaches would be better advised to engage their players in more 4v4 small-sided games, which would allow them to participate more.

At the youth level, coaches should focus less on winning and more on development. A solution and a way to encourage this, are to have tournaments that do not focus on winning a prize, but more for fun and enjoyment.

I have no doubt that the JFF in their development plan recognizes the need for more competent coaches at the youth level, and there is no better time than now to start the process. In so doing, our local coaches will be brought up to standard with coaches around the world.

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:45 PM

PROFESSIONALISM NOW

Professional football is played in Mexico, the United States, Canada and throughout Central America particularly in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The clubs, players, National Associations, referees, media, government and populations of these nations contribute to and participate in the sport to very high degrees (varying from country to country). In Mexico and Central America football is entrenched in their cultures; a veritable passion.

The National Associations of these countries are of course, affiliated to FIFA through the CONCACAF confederation of which Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean are also members. This means that we must compete against these nations at some stage to qualify for participation in the final stages of the various FIFA World Championships.

The record will show that Jamaica and the Caribbean have been mainly unsuccessful in such qualification efforts (Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica have had limited successes). Conversely Mexico, Costa Rica and the US have been consistent qualifiers at all levels while El Salvador, Honduras and Panama have had limited successes.

The consistency maintained by the leading three nations is directly related to the quality and size of their professional leagues. Other contributory factors include population size, economic prowess, national and sports histories and the contribution and participation of all sectors of their societies.

The professionalism currently exhibited by these countries was developed over time. The quality of their administrations, the sophistication of the physical facilities, the higher level of play, the spectator support, sponsorship support and governmental empowerment all grew from initially lesser levels to their current status. This was no different in Europe and South America. The main point of note here is that professional football was established and has grown to previously unprecedented levels worldwide.

If Jamaica is to become a consistent qualifier in the various world championships full professional football must be established by way of a professional league. The details of its formation will have to be developed and fine-tuned. The initial operation of the league must include the following characteristics, inter alia:-

Incorporation of the league as a limited liability company; limited by shares to be called The Football Federation Premier League Limited.

The shareholders to include the JFF and the participating clubs.

The company to negotiate all commercial agreements between business entities and the league

Rules, by-laws and standards of performance to be formulated for all participants

The Board of Directors to be appointed by the shareholders

All decisions to be taken or ratified by general meeting of the shareholders.

The number of clubs to be limited.

The participating clubs to come from the current Premier League.

Minimum physical plant requirements to be established.

The league must be administrated in accordance with JFF rules, CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA regulations, the Laws of the game and any other international protocol governing football.

In order to facilitate growth and development full internationally accredited coaching courses must be established. Referees training and qualification must also become a consistent process. Administrative training would be necessary. The inclusion of professionally trained medical staff together with the appropriate equipment would also be a feature of the league.

The league administration would be separate from the JFF’s and would preferably be located elsewhere. The administration would be fully staffed and headed by a chief executive who would be a Director of the company.

Each participating club would be required to employ a staff structure, which would be agreed by all parties. A minimum staff complement would be determined and be adhered to.

Details of remuneration at all levels would be developed at general meetings. The protocol for transfer of players, coaches and other relevant personnel would be fully elaborated. Welfare, medical treatment, insurances and other relevant protection policies would be developed and entrenched.

The distribution of proceeds from the commercial agreements would also be developed with the usual bias to the more successful clubs. The company would also benefit from its income.

Our players who are benefiting from professional exposure abroad have displayed the level of preparedness that has been achieved up to now. A push to local professionalism would enhance the prowess of all the participants, as weak and substandard performances will lead to failures, which will not be tolerated and removed automatically.

Professionalism now requires major and committed input from the JFF, the clubs, referees, administrators, potential sponsors/partners, the media, government and the population at large. The work must start now. Those who are serious should come on board and let the formulation commence.

A football industry properly structured will increase employment and become a net foreign currency earner. We are no longer purely recreational; we certainly provide major entertainment.

**Sir X** · November 17, 2007, 10:46 PM

The Future of Football

In recent times we have been enjoying better football, in terms of both the international and local game, than we were ten years ago. It was, after all, only six years ago (in 1998) that Jamaica qualified for the World Cup for the first time. True, we were beaten convincingly in our first two matches, but we defeated Japan 2-1 to join the fairly small group of countries to actually win a match in their first World Cup appearance.

In 1999 our u17 team qualified for the u17 World Cup. Our u20 team qualified for the u20 World Cup in 2001. Then, in 2004, we had a mis-step when our u23 team failed to qualify for the Olympics. We were eliminated in the final CONCACAF round with losses to all three of our opponents – including Trinidad, a team supposedly less capable than ours in respect of our world rankings. The 2-1 loss to Trinidad, however, was at least respectable in terms of the score line – unlike the 5-0 and 4-0 drubbings received previously at the boots of Mexico and Costa Rica. There was talk of a change in coaching staff – in spite of the fact that our admitted string of recent losses included what is possibly one of the most respectable losses in world football – a 1-0 loss to Brazil. Germany fared worse, after all in the World Cup finals.

No doubt that seems a stretch of a comparison to anyone – but it is the type of comparison that we must make. It appears to have been the kind of comparison the general football community and those in the media seemed prepared to make when we failed to qualify for the Olympics. Never mind the fact that we have never qualified for the Olympics before - or the fact that when we qualified for the u17 and u20 World Cups, both were also firsts in Jamaican football history.

But maybe we expected the trend to continue. Maybe we expected the players who went to the u17 World Cup to go on to compete in the u20 World Cup, and then qualify for the Olympics, and to join the senior team players that would go to the next World Cup – and by God, win it! There’s nothing wrong with such hopes, or that line of thinking, or appreciating the fact that this would be the perfect way to do it – if you forget that our youth development system is still far from perfect, and are unaware of the realities of youth football in Jamaica.

One of those realities is that the u17 team that went to their World Cup is not the u20 team that went to their World Cup. There were quite a few new faces in that team, just as there were quite a few new faces in the Olympic team. That should really have come as no surprise to anyone who claims to be interested in Jamaican football. Because if you are genuinely interested in Jamaican football and its future, you should know that we simply do not have the support needed at either the club or the national level to keep all the u17, u20, and u23 players in the game. We do not have the resources needed to ensure that all the players who have made the commitment and sacrifice necessary to succeed at the international game receive excellent medical care, are properly fed and well-trained, and are able to deal with the financial obligations that inevitably arise with the coming of age.

In a recent Observer article it was reported that the Premier League teams were experiencing severe financial difficulties maintaining their u21 squads in the current u21 competition. Some were expressing an interest in withdrawing completely. Others, like Harbour View, Arnett Gardens, and Portmore United believe that although they too are experiencing financial strains, the development of football players in the u17 to u21 age-group is far too important to consider abandoning the u21 competition. Of course, Harbour View also believes so strongly in youth development that they maintain - to the best of their ability - u13, u15, and u20 squads. This not to say that other Premier League clubs who do not have such programmes believe any less in youth development than Harbour View does. It may be fairer to say that the Premier League teams that do not have such programmes are also providing for the younger age groups to the best of their abilities. The truth is that some Premier League teams are more capable of doing so than others, not that some Premier League teams believe in youth development and others do not. The truth is that youth development is as expensive as it is desirable.

This is why sponsor support is so important. It is pointless to speak of Harbour View having a youth programme when most other clubs do not. Who, after all, are these youngsters to play against? Nor is it sufficient to point to the schools as a source of football development. They are already doing their best, and are also operating without adequate resources. The clubs must develop and enhance their youth programmes if the quality of football currently being played by our national teams is to be maintained, but they cannot do so without significant financial resources.

The game of football happens before, after and during a match. Played at its highest level, it is a way of life. To succeed at the highest level of play, it must be a way of life for all concerned. There is a cost to this. There is the cost of water to maintain the fields. There is the cost of feeding and transporting players. There is the cost of providing medical care and educational opportunities for the players. There is the cost (in spite of the voluntary efforts of many at the management level) of operations and administration. It has been estimated that a club like Harbour View, with squads in each age group, could incur costs of US$ 1 million per year. Now, there is only so much you can do with car washes and other fund-raisers, and the clubs do not yet enjoy the level of support in terms of paying spectators (God bless them) that the national team does. Nor do the clubs, because of what I honestly believe is a misperception on the part of the sponsors (God bless them too) regarding what their contributions are able to accomplish, receive sufficient support from sponsors.

I really do believe that the companies who give freely and willingly to the Jamaica Football Federation should continue doing so, and should give far more to the JFF if they can. It is, in actual fact, a group of very hard-working people with decent intentions that have taken on a challenge of historic proportions, and have done quite well so far. Mr. Boxhill has demonstrated throughout his life in the game – and he has spent the better part of his life in the game – that he is genuinely interested in football as a means by which young men and women can come to a better end. But the sponsors and supporters must recognise that sponsorship at the national level is precisely that – at the national level. Only two teams can reach a final, and there is no tournament in which the winnings are lucrative enough to offset the costs incurred in being in that final.

The Essex Valley football club that enjoyed a great deal of media attention a few years ago received significant amounts of financial support from Alumina Partners of Jamaica. It would not have been possible for them, without that support, to have enjoyed their exploits and successes at the Norway Cup or to have existed at all. The clubs need direct support, at levels greater than currently obtain, to properly maintain and develop their players. We have seen our clubs do this in the shape of Ricardo Gardner, Damani Ralph, Donovan Ricketts, Ricardo Fuller, Onandi Lowe … and the list goes on. We no longer have to question our ability, given the resources, to deliver players who can and will perform at the international level. We only have to question why we are not ready to act in more meaningful ways, to give more of our time and – yes – our money, to ensure that we can make the future of our football better than our past. We cannot continue to blame our coaches if Johnny doesn’t play for the Olympic team, when Johnny stopped playing two years after a series of brilliant performances in the u17 and u20 World Cups and a considerable investment of time and money, because he simply couldn’t afford to play the game anymore – and his club could not afford to help him.

In 2004 Jamaica defeated Uruguay convincingly, with a 2-0 win in the National Stadium. At the very least, it speaks well - in spite of our loss in the Olympics - to our chances in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Because you are genuinely interested in Jamaican football and its future, you know this was a great - indeed historical - achievement. You probably also know that eleven of the players who actually took the field in that match came through our very own Jamaican club system – and that some of them (Damian Stewart at Harbour View comes immediately to mind) still play here today. I cannot think what more our coaching staff could do to demonstrate their confidence in the abilities of our local players, or what more we could expect from our players in terms of demonstrating those abilities.

But because you are genuinely interested in Jamaican football and its future, you should know that there was a cloud in that silver lining – a 3-0 loss to China, in China, by another Jamaica squad that same week. But there is no need to raise the alarms. As we should have learned from our experience in the Olympics, losses are undesirable but not necessarily disastrous. But if we do not provide more meaningful support to our clubs and to the youth development programmes they should provide, we must accept that the loss to China may be more indicative of our prospects than the win against Uruguay. As I have said before, God bless our sponsors and supporters. But before you go to sleep tonight, say a prayer for Jamaican football.

Pray that we all can see fit to do more for the youth players who are its future.

RBSC

Announcement

The Birth of a Champion ....HVFC story

The Birth of a Champion ....HVFC story

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment