2 months ago
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Jamaica Premier League (JPL) stakeholders expect the league and its commercialisation body, Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), will continue to thrive, despite the recent resignation of PFJL chairman Christopher Williams.
Williams’ resgnation has stirred some cause for concern among local football stakeholders, who believe the progress the organisation has made under Williams’ watch will be undone without his profound influence.
In five years as PFJL head, Williams led the rebranding of the league, elevated its public image and market value, secured over $1 billion in commercial sponsorships, built a sustainable broadcast model, increased fan engagement both locally and across the diaspora, and restored financial credibility and operational discipline to the league.
Some observers believe his departure puts the organisation in a fragile state and are of the opinion that the relationships and structures that were built will slowly disintegrate.
However, Owen Hill, CEO of PFJL, Harbour View FC’s general manager Clyde Jureidini and Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s sporting director Paul Christie are all confident that the organisation and the league remain in good hands.
Williams is due to officially step down on August 31. But the PFJL board said Williams would still act in an advisory role and continue to support the organisation by raising capital, assist sponsorship development and special projects aligned with the growth of professional football in Jamaica
Hill pointed out that the PFJL’s job primarily is to ensure the commercial viability of all JPL clubs, and noted the importance of sustaining the partnerships they have forged to ensure the viability of the clubs.
However, he said the fact that Williams will continue to play a role in the organisation’s functions and will continue to exert his influence on projects is significant.
“The chairman has indicated he is stepping down from the chairmanship, but will still be involved in the operational execution and sponsors relationships,” Hill said. “He has made it clear that he is bent on building out, and it’s very significant because all of this was designed by the chairman.
“It’s a difficult transition trying to get all the clubs to the level we want to. But the Premier League is in good hands. Football in Jamaica is in good hands,” he declared.
It is expected that a new PFJL chairman will be installed before the start of the next JPL season.
Jureidini said he does not anticipate any fall-off, given everything that has been established over the last five years.
“It is not a resignation. He clearly will continue to work with the organisation. He has been integral to what has been going on. But I do not expect things to worsen,” he said.
“From what he has said, he will work on less deals, but larger deals. So he has more time to concentrate on more large-scale projects.
“But the model is there. He has done what he has done for the last five years. So the pace is set and everybody would want the pace to improve and increase. So let us see how it goes in the short term,” Jurideini reasoned.
Christie said it’s no secret the gift of Williams to the rebirth of JPL, and that the outgoing chairman’s continued involvement indicates that he still invested in the league’s well-being.
“He brought the league to where it is now, and he has committed his unwavering commitment and support. So he will still be on our committees. He will make himself available. So it has appeared that he has resigned and he’s gone, but he is still here. So we are comforted by the fact that he is still here and helping us to plan and execute, as we see fit,” he said.
However, Christie believes the transition to a new chairman could also be positive.
“We have been doing the work and we understand what is happening. So it’s more like an expansion of the group, to bring other like minds in the space. So we are expanding to improve as a group and to widen the scope,” he stated.
English (US) ·