Guardian Life league key to development

The Editor, Sir:

Re: Adrian Frater's article 'JFF should consider overhaul', Saturday, April 11.

On behalf of the St James Football Association, I hereby challenge what I consider to be the writer's biased and personal views on what is considered football development in the parish.

As in previous articles, the writer is proud to announce that he had been a board member of the parish's football for more than 20 years. However, it is quite inconceivable that he spent those 20-plus years learning about the running of parish competitions. I cannot comment on the state of Hanover's football but will respond on behalf of St James.

skewed reasoning

It appears that based on the fact that our Division Two competition, sponsored by good corporate citizens Guardian Life for more than 10 years, is in the writer's opinion nothing more than an organised corner league, then on that basis alone the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should step in and audit the association. Unbelievable! With no other reasons offered, that seems skewed reasoning for demanding such accountability from the parent body.

Where has this writer been for the last 10 years while this league acted as a feeder to higher aspirations and promotion?

Research of the Guardian Life Division Two competition will show that there are eight teams in the current Division One competition which started life in this lower league. There are a further nine teams in the parish's Senior League which started life in the Guardian Life Division Two.

As it relates to the Western Confed League, two teams that have reached that level also started life in the Guardian Life Division Two, and they include former National Premier League Champions Violet Kickers. On the basis of the writer's short-sightedness and lack of vision, where would those teams now be?

At the start of this present competition Cornwall College and St James High participated and used the league, along with our junior leagues held in the summer, to prepare for the upcoming schoolboy football season. We may recall that St James High are double winners from last year, capturing both the daCosta and Ben Francis cups. The fact that these schools are able to benefit from taking part in this competition is surely enough justification for the case of football development.

Those who are familiar with football around the world are aware of feeder systems, and in England, for example, you can have up to 10 divisions in their equivalent of one parish league.

quality soon

I agree that with no Premier League team currently in the parish you may well have a case of quantity rather than quality. However, if and when players are good enough they will surely find their way to the top.

Don't knock organised community leagues. Theodore Whitmore, for example, was discovered playing in one such in Norwood. There are currently 550 registered players in Guardian Life league, not to mention coaches, managers and the numerous spectators who come out in droves to watch, especially when games are played in their communities.

The writer continues to demonstrate a lack of history and knowledge when he advocates the playing of an Under-19 league. The parish, in keeping with the JFF's calendar, already has Under-13, 15, 17 and 20 youth competitions in the summer, which for many years was sponsored by Lennox Lewis. On this basis, the writer shows ignorance by advocating a competition for this age group level. Why would the parish promote an Under-19 league, especially taking into account that there are no recommended under-19 competitions in Jamaica, or promoted by FIFA in their youth development programmes.

The St James FA not only has a responsibility to development, but also a mandate to spread football in the parish to every nook and cranny. If sponsorship and interest are plentiful, I would advocate as many divisions as possible, not the opposite, as the writer indicates.

In concluding, the call for the sponsors to pull their sponsorship is not only unwise but irresponsible journalism.

I am, etc.,

George Evans

St James FA Vice-President.