2 months ago
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The 2024-25 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) came to a close at the National Stadium on Friday, May 23, and defending champions Cavalier retained the coveted title after beating Mount Pleasant in the final on penalties.
However, there are still some big debates after the grand final. Some fans are unhappy with how quickly the playoffs were concluded and the final being held on Labour Day instead of the traditional Sunday. There were also some displeasure in how the entertainment on the final day was packaged.
Responding to the criticism, CEO of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) Owen Hill explained that they were restricted in their ability to execute as efficiently as they wanted to due to the unavailability of the key venues and the limited time in which they had to execute the playoffs.
“I can understand the sentiments (about the playoffs being rushed), but the realities are we were working in the constraints of time and venues,” Hill told The Gleaner.
He noted that with a number of JPL players included in the Reggae Boyz squad for the Unity Cup, currently on in London, England, they had to complete the final before the team departed to give those players an opportunity to be part of that squad.
Leading players from the top four teams - Warner Brown, Dwayne Atkinson, Benjamin Williams, Shaquan Davis, Richard King, Daniel Green and Kyle Ming - were due to travel to England on Saturday, May 24, and the most viable option was to play the final on Labour Day at the National Stadium.
“So playing the game on a Friday was because Sabina was booked for Saturday, and we couldn’t take the chance and play on the Sunday after a major event the day before. That wasn’t possible.
“And a primary reality was, less than 48 hours after the final, the JPL champions’ skipper (King) was on a flight heading to England to play in the Unity Cup, and and we were advised by the JFF that this is a reality and we had to figure it out,” Hill said.
Last year, the playoffs lasted at least a month, giving the public enough time to savour each match day, leading into the final. But this year, it ended in half that time, and Hill said they have taken note.
“We can understand the sentiments because it came back-to-back-to-back. And you didn’t get a chance to really digest what was happening.
“We had half the time, two weeks, essentially. We understand that people may feel that way (playoffs concluded too quickly), but we are looking how to improve that,” he said.
One of the recommendations being proposed for the the upcoming campaign is that they confirm all dates and venues, even before a ball is kicked, to avoid last-minute adjustments and uncertainties.
“So when the league is expected to start, the projected dates are set in stone, including playoff dates and venues.
“We will have to forward plan with all the relevant bodies to say these are the dates and the venues and pre-book those venues for those dates, so we are able to execute for the fans, sponsors, and players.”
The PFJL is also looking at ways to make the entertainment package a bit more organised and all inclusive.
“We need to create a more inclusive entertainment package for all areas of the stadium. We need to make sure there is enough time and visibility.
“We are taking the notes, and we need to have the conversations from now so we can start doing the necessary planning,” Hill said.
Nevertheless, given the circumstances, he believes that they did s good job. He maintains that their ambitions are very high and they will continue to work to improve the JPL, the number-one-ranked league in the Caribbean.
“Internally, we kept having meetings to ensure we are getting better. There were hiccups in the first couple of playoffs. We had a Sabina Park light situation and the situation with the referees was a bloody nose. But we bounced back pretty quickly, and I think the resilience of the team was shown there.
“So generally, we did well. I would give our season a seven out of ten. We have not reached where we really want to go, but we are miles ahead of where we started. We are about halfway there in the overall direction we want to go. We know the formula now, and it just comes down to just executing.”
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