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CAVALIER’S OUTSTANDING display in their first-leg Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 tie against Inter Miami earned them a lot of admirers, so much so that the defending Jamaica Premier League (JPL) and Caribbean Cup champions have attracted over $20 million in sponsorship for their second-leg tie on Thursday.
Sport Development Foundation (SDF) has contributed $10 million, Red Stripe, the official beer sponsor, gave $5 million in donations; Wisynco, the official rehydration sponsor, has given $3.5 million to the cause, while the Jamaica Tourist Board will be responsible for all expenses for players and backroom staff for three days at the Marriott Courtyard before and after the match.
“It is a real expensive venture for security and everything. It is really like a head of state visit. So you can just imagine the amount of expenses that we will have. So the sponsorship came in time because we don’t know how we would have done without it,” Speid told The Gleaner.
He said it has certainly eased the burden after incurring losses in all the previous games leading to this point.
“It is difficult because we got a lot of Bleachers tickets still not sold. So we have incurred a lot of expenses. That is why it is good for us. It has eased the burden tremendously,” he continued.
He added that: “In qualifying to come here, most of the time we had less than 200 spectators. So we incurred loss after loss but the SDF has supported us during those dark times.
“So this one is most important and it is so important you got this type of support and we are so grateful.
“Because when you need support, you have to prove to them that they were some benefits because nobody is going to give away anything.
“I think the (first-leg) performance would have helped and we have to try and not let down the people because a lot of people believe in us now,” he added.
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