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Make football the winner
The Captain’s Bakery Western Confederation Super League finally got underway last
Saturday, despite doubts in some quarters — including my own — that it would.
A meeting between the Western Referees Group (WRG) and the executive of the Western Confederation was held in Montego Bay last Wednesday to iron out a number of issues between the two groups.
Both parties reported afterwards that they had come to an understanding and that the league would get underway. However, there were still members of the referee fraternity vowing that they would not work in the Super League.
They received apologies from the chairman and deputy chairman of the Western Confed, Everton Tomlinson and Sheridan Samuels respectively. They had also got the sought pay increase to bring their emolument in line with the National Premier League scale. But there was one sticking point — the Western Confed Competitions Committee would take over the appointment of referees for the games.
This came about as their budget would not adequately absorb this new rate. It meant that where in the past a team of three from one parish would be assigned to a game in another parish, only the referee would travel and the assistant referees for the game would come from the home parish where the game is being played.
This, they reasoned, would cut down on the travelling expenses that would be paid out and prevent the Confed from committing funds they did not have. That arrangement makes sense to me, but I am not a referee who might be depending on the fees earned from travelling to take part in games, so it is easy for me to say.
The impasse between the WRG and the executive of the Confederation escalated at the end of last season when the decision was taken to invite referees from outside the Confed to officiate in the semifinals and finals. The local whistle blowers thought that since they had started it they should finish it.
As it stands, the relationships between both parties have soured badly and will take a lot to repair — if that is possible. The fact is, whether they like each other or not, both parties will have to put personal issues aside and work with each other. The Confederation cannot play games without qualified referees and it would cost more to go elsewhere to find referees if they do not want to use the ones from the WRG.
The referees also need the Super League, which is the highest level of football — outside of the NPL — that is played in western Jamaica. Not every referee here has the opportunity to work in the NPL and so the Super League is a great chance for them to hone their skills.
I might not be fully appraised of the situation and to be honest I am not sure I really care. I do, however, wish to see both parties set aside their differences and work for the good of the game.
Football is bigger than any of us, whether we are journalists, referees, administrators or players. We all came and saw the game and we will leave it to the next generation. Our job, therefore, is to ensure that we would have helped in some small way to make it a better game when we would have passed it on to them.
The Captain’s Bakery Western Confederation Super League finally got underway last
Saturday, despite doubts in some quarters — including my own — that it would.
A meeting between the Western Referees Group (WRG) and the executive of the Western Confederation was held in Montego Bay last Wednesday to iron out a number of issues between the two groups.
Both parties reported afterwards that they had come to an understanding and that the league would get underway. However, there were still members of the referee fraternity vowing that they would not work in the Super League.
They received apologies from the chairman and deputy chairman of the Western Confed, Everton Tomlinson and Sheridan Samuels respectively. They had also got the sought pay increase to bring their emolument in line with the National Premier League scale. But there was one sticking point — the Western Confed Competitions Committee would take over the appointment of referees for the games.
This came about as their budget would not adequately absorb this new rate. It meant that where in the past a team of three from one parish would be assigned to a game in another parish, only the referee would travel and the assistant referees for the game would come from the home parish where the game is being played.
This, they reasoned, would cut down on the travelling expenses that would be paid out and prevent the Confed from committing funds they did not have. That arrangement makes sense to me, but I am not a referee who might be depending on the fees earned from travelling to take part in games, so it is easy for me to say.
The impasse between the WRG and the executive of the Confederation escalated at the end of last season when the decision was taken to invite referees from outside the Confed to officiate in the semifinals and finals. The local whistle blowers thought that since they had started it they should finish it.
As it stands, the relationships between both parties have soured badly and will take a lot to repair — if that is possible. The fact is, whether they like each other or not, both parties will have to put personal issues aside and work with each other. The Confederation cannot play games without qualified referees and it would cost more to go elsewhere to find referees if they do not want to use the ones from the WRG.
The referees also need the Super League, which is the highest level of football — outside of the NPL — that is played in western Jamaica. Not every referee here has the opportunity to work in the NPL and so the Super League is a great chance for them to hone their skills.
I might not be fully appraised of the situation and to be honest I am not sure I really care. I do, however, wish to see both parties set aside their differences and work for the good of the game.
Football is bigger than any of us, whether we are journalists, referees, administrators or players. We all came and saw the game and we will leave it to the next generation. Our job, therefore, is to ensure that we would have helped in some small way to make it a better game when we would have passed it on to them.