By Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterOVER A month after copping the Western Confederation championships and a subsequent promotion to the Wray and Nephew National Premier League, Wadadah are yet to collect a cent for their troubles.
According to Everton Tomlinson, chairman of the Western Confederation, which comprises Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, the confederation is not is a position to present a cheque to Wadadah as sponsor Fred Smith has not honoured his obligations.
"We met on Friday and decided that the Western Confederation is not in a position to stage a presentation at this time as the plain truth is that we are strapped for cash," Tomlinson told
The Gleaner.
Tomlinson, who was at the point of frustration, said his executive body had exhausted all reasonable avenues open to them to have a discussion with sponsor Fred Smith.
"We have had a number of people call him, we have written a number of letters to him and he has not even responded," Tomlinson said.
PROBLEMS
Problems with the sponsorship, which was for $2m over three years or $666,666.66 per season, began to emerge in the first year (2003) when they received only $300,000. The $366,666.66 remains outstanding. As a result of that Tomlinson said the confederation "... had to find creative ways to pay" then winners, Invaders of Trelawny.
"What we have now is a situation where we are still owed for last year and now Wadadah have won and they need the money to go on but we are unable to come up with it.
"It is not just with the payment of Wadadah that we are having problems as we have had do divert our finances and as such we are at a crisis point. A number of the programmes, especially the youth ones, are affected," Tomlinson explained.
What makes the whole thing more difficult for Tomlinson to swallow is that his confederation reluctantly agreed to a reduction from $666,666.66 to $360,000.00 for the 2003/2004 season to facilitate the sponsorship of the Eastern Confederation competition by the same party.
Ironically, the Eastern Confederation received their monies while the Western Confederation are still waiting.
"This is really unfair to us because he got a lot of mileage out of having his name associated with the competition but we have not benefitted in return," a disappointed Tomlinson continued.
A number of calls were made to Smith at both his office and on his mobile phone without success. Messages were also left but he has not responded.
Attempts to speak with Wadadah's Gene Gray proved equally futile.
