Burrell... necessary to take steps to correct anomalies.Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
THE financial troubles experienced last season by Duhaney Park Football Club in the Craven A National Premier League will not be repeated in the coming season if the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) have their way.
According to sources close to the JFF, each club will have to prove their financial security before being allowed to participate in the competition.
This was confirmed by president Captain Horace Burrell on Wednesday who said that each club will have to place $2m in cash or bank guarantee in an escrow account. This, he added, will only be accessed by the clubs at the end of the second round in the three-round competition.
"Basically some current clubs have in the past found it difficult to remunerate players and staff during the season. As the governing body and in an effort to see smooth transition from semi-professional to professional football, we think it is vitally necessary to take steps to correct anomalies and hence this is one of the new regulations coming into force," explained the former army man.
After a season which promised much in the strength of pledged support from Delroy Howell of Quickcash, the club quickly descended into chaos as the money was not forthcoming. Howell, who, at a press conference to announce his sponsorship of Duhaney Park said that his Cayman Islands-headquartered company would cover "whatever the JFF required".
Among the requirements then for clubs to take part in the competition were monthly salaries for the players and coaching staff, seating facilities for no less than 1,500 patrons, proper dressing rooms for both teams, turnstiles and bathrooms for fans.
Very few of these requirements were met which forced the club to give up their home games and lose significant potential revenue. A number of players at different points in the season even on strike to protest their non-payment of salaries.
Burrell, who is keen to get the local professional League up and running as soon as possible, expressed the belief that a this measure will give "some of the weaker clubs the opportunity to bring on board persons who can assist with the general administrative and day to day running of a (professional) football club.
"This will ensure that they go to find investors to share in the club. This is a business and some of these measures being implemented we hope will eventually lead to allround improvement in conditions that are now being experienced," he added.
