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New sponsors for Harbour View, Waterhouse
Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer
Left: Clyde Jureidini for Gleaner Sports. - Right: Peter Hibbert, club president for Waterhouse. - file photos
WATERHOUSE and Harbour View football clubs unveiled million-dollar sponsorship ventures during their respective home games in the Cash Plus Premier League on Sunday.
Waterhouse, who moved to third place in the overall standings after blanking league leaders Tivoli Gardens 2-0, announced a three-year $3.6m Kingston Beer sponsorship.
Defending champions Harbour View, ironically relegated to fourth by Waterhouse after drawing 0-0 with Boys' town, showed off a spanking new scoreboard, donated by Total Jamaica Limited, costing in excess of $1m atop its VIP area.
Explaining the location of the scoreboard, club executive Clyde Jureidini said plans are afoot for retail gas chain Total Jamaica to develop the area into a branded media centre.
Scoreboard visibility
Responding to concerns raised about the visibility of the scoreboard for patrons in the VIP area and adjacent stands, Jureidini said Harbour View's design, having seating on all four sides of the ground, was taken into consideration and the most effective vantage point chosen.
"Due to the seating at Harbour View, whichever area chosen would be adjacent to a stand," he explained.
"The area chosen is the smallest seating area in the ground but faces the more populated sections," he points out before adding the new scoreboard was part of a bigger plan for the section.
"The people from Total Jamaica, really have other plans for the area," he said. "The scoreboard was an initial foray. With permission from their parent company in France, they want to develop the entire area as the Total media centre," he pointed out.
Total has 26 retail stations islandwide, including one at the Harbour View roundabout.
Meanwhile, Waterhouse's partnership with Kingston Beer involves cash payments to the club, as well as product giveaways at games and throughout the surrounding community through post-game parties following home matches.
Club president Peter Hibbert said the club tries its best to incorporate the community within its respective sponsorship ventures.
"The club will, of course, get some cash from the sponsorship but there will be product giveaway at home games.
"Secondly, there will be after-parties at different points in the community. For each home game, we will have an after-party.
"What we do with our sponsors is a hands-on situation. Football is a vehicle and we serve the community in a way that if there is trouble, we extend ourselves. Whoever comes on board, we try to get to the meat of matters affecting the community, factions, kids and the elders," he explained.
Alcohol spells trouble
Hibbert, a devout Christian, admitted alcohol consumption during and after football games could spell trouble in an already volatile community, but was confident of cooperation from Waterhouse fans.
"I serve football but, as a church person, my main interest is to win souls for Christ, the so-called dancehall is already a big attraction and I don't think we would be creating anymore situations.
"I am hoping through the company's involvement we can bring some change to the culture," he added.
The matter of bottles at games, Hibbert said, would be addressed by the sponsors probably having the sponsor offer beers in cups.
Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer
Left: Clyde Jureidini for Gleaner Sports. - Right: Peter Hibbert, club president for Waterhouse. - file photos
WATERHOUSE and Harbour View football clubs unveiled million-dollar sponsorship ventures during their respective home games in the Cash Plus Premier League on Sunday.
Waterhouse, who moved to third place in the overall standings after blanking league leaders Tivoli Gardens 2-0, announced a three-year $3.6m Kingston Beer sponsorship.
Defending champions Harbour View, ironically relegated to fourth by Waterhouse after drawing 0-0 with Boys' town, showed off a spanking new scoreboard, donated by Total Jamaica Limited, costing in excess of $1m atop its VIP area.
Explaining the location of the scoreboard, club executive Clyde Jureidini said plans are afoot for retail gas chain Total Jamaica to develop the area into a branded media centre.
Scoreboard visibility
Responding to concerns raised about the visibility of the scoreboard for patrons in the VIP area and adjacent stands, Jureidini said Harbour View's design, having seating on all four sides of the ground, was taken into consideration and the most effective vantage point chosen.
"Due to the seating at Harbour View, whichever area chosen would be adjacent to a stand," he explained.
"The area chosen is the smallest seating area in the ground but faces the more populated sections," he points out before adding the new scoreboard was part of a bigger plan for the section.
"The people from Total Jamaica, really have other plans for the area," he said. "The scoreboard was an initial foray. With permission from their parent company in France, they want to develop the entire area as the Total media centre," he pointed out.
Total has 26 retail stations islandwide, including one at the Harbour View roundabout.
Meanwhile, Waterhouse's partnership with Kingston Beer involves cash payments to the club, as well as product giveaways at games and throughout the surrounding community through post-game parties following home matches.
Club president Peter Hibbert said the club tries its best to incorporate the community within its respective sponsorship ventures.
"The club will, of course, get some cash from the sponsorship but there will be product giveaway at home games.
"Secondly, there will be after-parties at different points in the community. For each home game, we will have an after-party.
"What we do with our sponsors is a hands-on situation. Football is a vehicle and we serve the community in a way that if there is trouble, we extend ourselves. Whoever comes on board, we try to get to the meat of matters affecting the community, factions, kids and the elders," he explained.
Alcohol spells trouble
Hibbert, a devout Christian, admitted alcohol consumption during and after football games could spell trouble in an already volatile community, but was confident of cooperation from Waterhouse fans.
"I serve football but, as a church person, my main interest is to win souls for Christ, the so-called dancehall is already a big attraction and I don't think we would be creating anymore situations.
"I am hoping through the company's involvement we can bring some change to the culture," he added.
The matter of bottles at games, Hibbert said, would be addressed by the sponsors probably having the sponsor offer beers in cups.
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