Observer EDITORIAL: Let's all hail Harbour View FC

[Karl]

Let's all hail Harbour View FC

Saturday, May 19, 2007


The recent 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean overshadowed much else in local sport.
So it is that the triumph of Harbour View Football Club in the 2006/07 Wray & Nephew National Premier League for only the second time in their 32-year history passed without the public acclaim they most certainly deserve.

It's been a month since they were declared champions but, we trust, not too late for this newspaper to officially join those who will have already hailed the east Kingston club for their success this season.

Such has been the impact of Harbour View FC on Jamaica's football it will undoubtedly come as a surprise to many that this is only their second title at the highest level locally.

For, in fact, Harbour View FC have consistently been the beacon for others as Jamaica sets about the entrenching of a football culture of its own and the development of a professional approach and system - so necessary for the game to move forward.

Those who remember the original Harbour View football field, 'Compound' as it was called - an absolute eyesore of a surface, bare of grass and gravel-infested - more resembling an abandoned mine excavation than an arena for the expression of the 'beautiful game', will readily appreciate the leaps and bounds the 'Stars of the East' have made down the years.

Today, the Harbour View Mini Stadium stands as an abiding tribute to the faith, vision, self-sacrifice and determination of a few leaders who saw what was possible and refused to be deterred.

The building of that community stadium in 1994 - three years before the Reggae Boyz would make history by qualifying for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France - was a high watermark in Jamaican football.

In terms of the necessity and indeed the possibility of developing physical infrastructure, Harbour View showed the way. Others such as Arnett Gardens FC, Waterhouse FC and Tivoli Gardens FC have gratefully followed.

It is fair to suggest that when the legendary Brazilian coach Rene Simoes laughingly said that by qualifying for the World Cup, Jamaica had done the totally illogical - akin to a builder who first puts up a roof without having established a foundation - he was not thinking of Harbour View.

It's no accident that in the aftermath of the 1998 World Cup the first to secure a major overseas professional contract was a Harbour View product, the outstanding Ricardo Gardner, who continues to be an exemplar for Jamaica's football in one of the world's top leagues.

That the club remains the leading exporter of Jamaican football talent and a major feeder for the national programmes for all ages and both genders, underlines its commitment to professionalism and the great respect it commands at home and abroad.

Harbour View's mission statement, PROFESSIONALISM NOW, to be found on its website www.HVFC.net, which envisions the development of Jamaica's football as an industry - "a net foreign currency earner" and a major employer of labour - should be a must-read for all those who aspire to lead and guide the game in this country.

Today, we know we speak for the football fraternity when we say thanks to Harbour View FC and wish them the very best for the future.

[Karl]

Harbour View FC's Mission Statement: PROFESSIONALISM NOW

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:-

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

2. The shareholders to include the JFF and the participating clubs.

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

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

5. The Board of Directors to be appointed by the shareholders

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

7. The number of clubs to be limited.

8. The participating clubs to come from the current Premier League.

9. Minimum physical plant requirements to be established.

10. 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.

[Karl]

Excellent!

...but, for one thing - if I were running the JFF, the JFF would be the owners of the league. The concession to the clubs would be they would enjoy all HVFC asks for with the JFF holding majority of seats on the Board of Directors...key positions on all sub-committees and the ability to act as "steading influence" against "unfair practises".

There is always the danger if the league had too much automony that the board may move into action not in the best interest of the "weak" and Jamaica's football.

Yup!
JFF would be final arbiter on all matters. That does not mean the JFF would 'mess' with good managing of the league and or make an ass or nuisance of self...but, placement of JFF reps on sub-committees would have the JFF being up-to-date on all matters - both of action(s) being carried out and action(s) contemplated - and the power would be there to step in when necessary....even having absolute power abolish/dissolve the Board of Directors, take over and appoint interim caretaker and direct re-establishing of a Board of Directors.

[Baddaz]

JFF would be final arbiter on all matters. That does not mean the JFF would 'mess' with good managing of the league and or make an ass or nuisance of self...but, placement of JFF reps on sub-committees would have the JFF being up-to-date on all matters - both of action(s) being carried out and action(s) contemplated - and the power would be there to step in when necessary....even having absolute power abolish/dissolve the Board of Directors, take over and appoint interim caretaker and direct re-establishing of a Board of Directors.

huh... yuh nuh serious... the jff cannot even run their own affairs much less take on additional responsiblity of 'owning' the league... what evidence has the jff exhibited to give yuh such confidence in them being the 'final arbiter on all matters'...

yuh must be joking...

[Karl]

huh... yuh nuh serious... the jff cannot even run their own affairs much less take on additional responsiblity of 'owning' the league... what evidence has the jff exhibited to give yuh such confidence in them being the 'final arbiter on all matters'...

yuh must be joking...

Well this JFF is one thing...but, you would have noticed that the clubs would act as the JFF's balance...and, we should not build for today only.

This current administration shall go! ...and, administrations will come and go!