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#11140 - 04/11/02 01:47 AM
Question about Jamaican league
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BOSSABRAVA
Junior Member
Registered: 04/11/02
Posts: 1
Loc: japan
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Hello,there.
I've heard that there is professional football League(NPL) in Jamaica.
I wanna know more about this.
1 When did it start pro-league?
I recognize there were only amateur league in 1998 in Jamaica.
2 Is 2nd League in Jamaica also professional or semi-professional or amateur?
3 how many spectators are there in a game of NPL?
I would be grateful if someone tell something about that.
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#11141 - 04/11/02 04:55 AM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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Hamilton Israel
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Registered: 03/04/01
Posts: 2002
Loc: Miami, FL.
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Bosso, first of all you need to State where your are from (race doesn't matter, unless you want to state it); why you have interest in Jamaica football and if you've ever being to Jamaica.......
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#11142 - 04/11/02 10:24 AM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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Double B_dup1
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Registered: 02/16/01
Posts: 3793
Loc: Toronto Canada
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HI,
I think he is a Japanese student who is still in 'awe' over Whitmore's 2 world cup goals ( and Bibi's mesmerizing moves) in 1998 against Japan, that he is now thinking about coming to Jamaica to play professional football.
Nuh watch nuh face yah BOSSABRAVA, if you come a Jamaica we will teach you some a dem silky sublime skills wey Tappa, Bibi and JJ have.
[This message has been edited by Double B (edited 04-11-2002).]
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#11143 - 04/11/02 12:13 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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reddevil
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Registered: 02/21/01
Posts: 4170
Loc: Guatemala, El Salvador, Hondu...
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Didn't Japan give us a 4-0 last time we played them? That was in the King Hassan Cup in Morocco. I think they're quite ok without our help.
_________________________
R.I.P. Skip Caray
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#11144 - 04/11/02 12:35 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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Princess
Moderator
Registered: 08/27/01
Posts: 7121
Loc: St. Cloud, FL
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Come one guys just answer the question.
Welcome Bossa! I am probably the least knowledgeable to answer your questions, but let me give you a hint as to how this forum operates, if you post incorrect information there will be a ton of responses to tell you that you wrong! So somewhere you will get your answeres. So here goes...
I don't thing our Premier League (NPL) is quite a professional league, but it is currently our top league. That is, we are not on par with the MLS or EPL. Not lacking players, etc., but structure (salaries, etc.) There is movement of the players between the NPL and the "A" League. However, teams are relegated. I can't give specific #'s as to spectator turnout, but having attended only one NPL game (not the top teams) witnessing approximately 2,000+.
_________________________
Osceolans for KK/McCain/Palin 2008/Hill 2012/Palin 2020
Guns don't kill people, people kill people
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#11146 - 04/13/02 09:14 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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scallawah1
Junior Member
Registered: 09/21/05
Posts: 10
Loc: MO
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Bossa,
The league is not professional in terms of the structure, but depending on what don or businesman run a specific team players are paid pretty good in the Jamaican scheme of things. Most of these teams are bankrolled either by wealthy businessmen who loom at this as a way to give back to the community, or to keep the masses quiet. You might be interested to know that quite a few of these businessmen of of Asian descent. Other teams are finaced by a combination of fundraisers and drug kingpins. Probably two to three of the more organised clubs actually go about their business in way that more accurately depict a professional football club. These clubs have a good youth system in which they look for good talent at a somewhat early age and try to help them improve, hoping that they will be good enough to catch the eye of European clubs. In turn the club gets a relatively sizable transfer fee to help build their program. There has been a move in the last year to get the 'Premier League' clubs to implement better facilities for the fans and media, as well as improve their youth program. Some clubs have made move more improvement than others.
I have always wondered how long NPL teams can continue to survive without being dependent on handouts from the above-mentioned sources. There is no marketing strategy on th part of teams. If I wanted to get an Arnet Gardens jersey(the current champions), I cannot go to a sporting goods store in Kingston and buy one. There is a situation where these teams are massive sponges soaking up cash year after year without making any money. This is just not sustainable, and it is only a matter of time before it crashes. I beleive there is enough love and support in Jamaica that fully professional league can be successful both from the standpoint of quality football, and financial self sufficiency.
Just needed to get that off my chest.
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#11147 - 04/13/02 10:56 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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Princess
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Registered: 08/27/01
Posts: 7121
Loc: St. Cloud, FL
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Scalla-
Thanks for the info. I had been curious myself. All I keep hearing is which drugman a farin' own which team. I figured it had to be someone with plenty diposable (both meanings) income, as there is no visible returns on their 'investment'. But I realized too that they are not looking at the ownership as an investment.
I was fortunate/unfortunate to meet a former NPL team owner here in the US. He kept lamenting his million dollar loss (JA/USD?)
From speaking to him I realized early in the conversation that he hadn't a clue about management or marketing. Guess he was just outfitting the team and paying players.
And again I ask, where do we go from here?
_________________________
Osceolans for KK/McCain/Palin 2008/Hill 2012/Palin 2020
Guns don't kill people, people kill people
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#11148 - 04/13/02 11:09 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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scallawah1
Junior Member
Registered: 09/21/05
Posts: 10
Loc: MO
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The NPL is "sponsored" by the Cigarette company of Jamaica. In return they get their name added to the league (Craven A National Premier League), that is fine. But why is it that they get the entire front of each team's jersey to advertise their 'product'. One would think that this situation severely limits the clubs' ability to attract say a grace kennedy of red stripe to foster a partnership based on ?"shirt advertising". As soon as we move from a situation where football is seen as a legitimate business, then we will be in the doghouse. The talent will always be in Jamaica, but as we have seen with the demise of the West Indies Cricket team, talent can only take you so far.
We will probably not rival the EPL or even the Mexican Invierno in terms of one of the top twenty leagues in the world. But we should at least have something that works. Why can't we have something that just works?
And I will not entertain any suggestion that it is entirely the fault of the JFF. The JFF is there to act mainly to set the policies and rules that govern the sport. It should act as a facilitator. It is up to each club to ensure that it is financially sound. One of the only faults that I can see is that they have sat by with apathy while the football has declined at the club level. It did not capitalize on the momentum of France 98. In fact france 98 may have hurt us more than anything, because it blinded our eyes to the ills of the system. I remember one German journalist commenting that it was a miracle that we qualified for the world cup with the facilities and club system that we have.
[This message has been edited by scallawah1 (edited 04-13-2002).]
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#11149 - 04/14/02 12:55 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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SoupBone
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Registered: 01/13/02
Posts: 167
Loc: Kingston
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The NPL is only semi-professional but it will soon have no sponsor as the Cigarette Company will pull out next year.
You know it's very easy to say that we need sponsors and we need to get logo's on shirts and shirts in the stores to generate income and so on and so on.
But what you need to remember that the market is very very small. When you put that against the costs involved and add the realities of operating a business in today's Jamaica and the current benefits that would be derived from such a venture; you'll see why it's not done more often.
In today's climate only the most successful 'businessmen' will be able to bank roll a NPL team hence the current situation.
So as I’ve said before the NPL's current problem is not sponsorship nor is it the 'businessmen' behind the scenes nor is it the skill or talent level.
No. It's the attendance.
If we get the attendance up then gate receipts will go up. The market gets bigger. Then sponsors get involved. Then legitimate money will start coming in. Then the facilities will improve. Then the players will get paid. Then the players will be able to train full-time. Then the standard of play will improve. Then the NPL as a whole will improve. Then attendance will go up, and so on and so on.
The promotional aspect of the project aimed at getting attendance up has started with, expanded media coverage of the league, including advertising, live telecasts and extensive reporting on all games played.
Small, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Guidance
[This message has been edited by SoupBone (edited 04-14-2002).]
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#11150 - 04/14/02 03:13 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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scallawah1
Junior Member
Registered: 09/21/05
Posts: 10
Loc: MO
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Respect Soupbone,
It is good to have another perspective on the matter. I still thinkm that we can find a way to market the league and get more out of it than we are now. Gate receipts will never totally cover the cost of these clubs. If you look at most succesful teams, gate receipts count for about 40% of the cost of running them. While increasing attendance (and making sure everybody pays) will undoubtedly help, other more non-traditional sources of INCOME should be explored.
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#11151 - 04/14/02 04:28 PM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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Topnotch
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Registered: 03/18/01
Posts: 904
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I don't think Jamaica will ever have a very lucrative professional league all around (comparative to North America or Europe) but I think we can develop one that will be adequate for the sustained development of football in the country.
Most of our Central American rivals have better leagues than us despite having comparative (sometimes worst) economies and similar population size. Of course their public go to games in larger numbers than in Jamaica. In planning the development of a league you have to be realistic. In most countries where there are excelent leagues there are cities fielding two or three teams with populations bigger than Jamaica's.
If it were left up to me I would go for a franchise system with let say about 8 teams in the initial stages. Let say 3 from metro Kingston, 2 from St. James, 1 from Clarendon, 1 from St. Catherine and 1 from Westmoreland (in order words, along the tradition football areas). It woundn't be exactly the way the Americans have it but suited for our needs. Now the lack of relegation takes away from franchise system but when everything is considered it would be better.
In this way marketing of the league and players (for transfer) will be under a central body. Individual teams will of course also be responsible for marketing themselves. It's always easier to develop facilities in this coordinate way than each team doing on their own. Not to mention things like insurance (for players) and security for spectators.
Even more than that the franchise central command would be responsible for the development of an academy for development of young players in the country.
This wouldn't mark the end of league play. You could still have a competition for all clubs franchise or not (similar to FA Cup) along with the title played for by the franchise teams.
Out side of this I think the hope that you are going to see 10 or 12 really professional teams in Jamaica anytime soon may be an illusive dream. Arnett and Tivoli (with their strong political connections), maybe, View and another but who else? Any way that's just my opinion.
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#11152 - 04/15/02 01:26 AM
Re: Question about Jamaican league
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alipee
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Registered: 03/28/01
Posts: 54
Loc: toronto,on,canada
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This discussion opens an interesting avenue. How much activity has there been by agents of Jamaican players in the 'lesser' leagues in terms of placing some of our younger players? While we may argue that our best and brightest should be exposed at the highest levels, I continue to argue that we should develop a pipeline of playing situations which will develop the players overall game. This set of opportunities should be created with an eye on the players suitability to a national program. Say for example we wish to base the national team style of attack on speed with an emphasis on high individual skill, maybe we should be trying to place more players into teams in France, Greece, Turkey, Portugal and Spain rather than England or Scotland.
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Moderator: Jagga, truetrini, jt, Princess
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