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McIntosh, Seaga shoot down DPL expansion
Ryon Jones, STAR Writer
Edward Seaga, president of the Premier League Clubs Association. - file
Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Technical and Development Committee, Howard McIntosh, and Premier League Clubs Association boss, Edward Seaga, both believe financial and other constraints will prevent an increase in the Digicel Premier League teams from the current 12.
McIntosh confirmed that a proposal has been put on the table but according to him the resources were just not available to support such a move.
financial resources
"Personally I firmly do not believe that the country has enough technical and financial resources to support the level of football being played currently, we can't afford it," McIntosh said.
He added: "The proposal for the expansion of the league has been put on the table but the Premier League Clubs Association and the Professional Football Association of Jamaica have to respond to it. It is something that has to be discussed and fully ventilated and I think this will happen soon."
The Digicel Premier League currently consists of 12 teams, which compete for the title over four rounds. At the end of the season the two bottom-placed teams are relegated and replaced by the two teams, which emerge from the confederation play-offs.
If the number of teams were to be increased from 12 to 14, allowing for the four confederation winners to automatically progress to the premier league, it would ensure that there would be some level of top flight football being played in most parts of the country each year.
"People talk among themselves and maybe somebody has an idea but it hasn't come to me. Not that we wouldn't look at it, we look at all ideas that come to us but I doubt very much that we could expand it (the league)," said Seaga.
"We would have to be able to expand our own resources sufficiently so that the pending resources that are going to the clubs does not diminish. So we couldn't just pick new teams and don't have additional resources," he added.
Seaga went on to point out that the recession has taken a toll on the running of the current season with a decrease in sponsorship. "The recession has affected the flow of funds and that has been our main obstacle, other than that we are proceeding smoothly," said Seaga. "We have been able to find the funding to date but it is becoming increasingly difficult because the recession has reduced the number of companies that would give sponsorship; so that really is the only problem we are facing," he added.
Ryon Jones, STAR Writer Edward Seaga, president of the Premier League Clubs Association. - file
Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Technical and Development Committee, Howard McIntosh, and Premier League Clubs Association boss, Edward Seaga, both believe financial and other constraints will prevent an increase in the Digicel Premier League teams from the current 12.
McIntosh confirmed that a proposal has been put on the table but according to him the resources were just not available to support such a move.
financial resources
"Personally I firmly do not believe that the country has enough technical and financial resources to support the level of football being played currently, we can't afford it," McIntosh said.
He added: "The proposal for the expansion of the league has been put on the table but the Premier League Clubs Association and the Professional Football Association of Jamaica have to respond to it. It is something that has to be discussed and fully ventilated and I think this will happen soon."
The Digicel Premier League currently consists of 12 teams, which compete for the title over four rounds. At the end of the season the two bottom-placed teams are relegated and replaced by the two teams, which emerge from the confederation play-offs.
If the number of teams were to be increased from 12 to 14, allowing for the four confederation winners to automatically progress to the premier league, it would ensure that there would be some level of top flight football being played in most parts of the country each year.
"People talk among themselves and maybe somebody has an idea but it hasn't come to me. Not that we wouldn't look at it, we look at all ideas that come to us but I doubt very much that we could expand it (the league)," said Seaga.
"We would have to be able to expand our own resources sufficiently so that the pending resources that are going to the clubs does not diminish. So we couldn't just pick new teams and don't have additional resources," he added.
Seaga went on to point out that the recession has taken a toll on the running of the current season with a decrease in sponsorship. "The recession has affected the flow of funds and that has been our main obstacle, other than that we are proceeding smoothly," said Seaga. "We have been able to find the funding to date but it is becoming increasingly difficult because the recession has reduced the number of companies that would give sponsorship; so that really is the only problem we are facing," he added.
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