Development Part 4

[Assasin]

I don’t understand why Franchise was not discussed on this forum as OJ pointed out.
This is the biggest chance we have to move our football forward in the next 10 years.
For one this could be a game changer, taking football out of the hands of area leaders, dons and politicians. This could give businessmen and administrators with interest to come up front and rescue our limping league.
I would suggest to JFF to do their research on MLS, Australia, Japan leagues to see how they have done it. I would also suggest to Burrell to get a meeting with top business leaders including Butch Stewart, ISSA, Lee Chin, Grace, Digicel, Lime, JP, Clarke Family, Spanish hoteliers, China Habour, JMMB and reach out to others in the Diaspora like VP Records, Golden Crust, Royal Caribbean bakery, Chris Blackwell, tankwell, Supreme Venture etc. Sit them down with a plan and try to convince them to buy in and be team owners or partners. With that kind of ownership come qualified administrators. Some people might say these people have no interest football but Butch and ISSA have teams they currently sponsor, playing in hotel leagues and parish competition. JP when they were St. Mary Banana had a team and maintains the Grays Inn ground.
I can see this kind of ownership, investing in fields, investing in players and wanting to show pride. Anybody who knows anything about hotel cricket will tell you that these hotels pay top cricketers in Jamaica to play for them and provide housing and food so no reason it can’t be transfer to other businesses and football.
This kind of ownership would also encourage visitors to the game. I think the main reason some are not interested is because of hooliganism that is often associated with our top leagues in the pass. I will not even entertain any debate about this as I can still remember a Seba striker getting stabbed by his own fans after missing a few goals and even up to today very poor behavior continues.
This an opportunity and Burrell and crew better not rush it but get it right as this opportunity will not come again. It will also mean a change in how football will be run as these people play a role in the game. Let us get this right so we will have a more robust league.

[Assasin]

Again this is the only way NPL can save itself.

[Jangle]

A whey di.....Part 4???? Is this like R. Kelly's "Trapped In the Closet"? How many pages yuh have inna that book????

[Mosiah]

Nice, Sass! I love the ideas.

[Sir X]

Jangle ,bwooy mi nuh know sometimes,whey yuh mid deh.

[HL]

Well maybe not the only way, but some good simple basic ideas Assasin.

Your approach is unpretentious; and that is good.

[myYout]

Yuh guh a good school??

[Assasin]

X, this is the way to do it.

[Sir X]

One DON !

[Karl]

Perhaps the feeling is in our small market what the JFF is peddling is not about profits but the changing of a particular type Don for another type?

The truth is our market does not lend itself to profitability without annual sale of players. Injection of funds necessary to create a quality club where profit is the driving factor is just not locally available and it is difficult to make a case to outside 'money' to invest.

It is being suggested that the number of clubs be 10 or 12. Convince us that there can be wooed 10 or 12 individuals or 10 or 12 sets of investors or commercial entities? List the reasons why investing in one of these JFF floated entity would be a good investment?

I cannot see the benefit to the investor=individual or investor-group?

Sure it would be great if a 'godfather' committed to throwing money at one of these JFF proposed entities...but that does not 'cut it'. The motive for investing is the expectation of 'fair return' on the investment.

Just think on it:
Sources of funds for one of these proposed entities:
- Broadcast revenue

- Sales of merchandise

- Attendance at matches

- Competition prize money

- "Sale of players"

- "A godfather"

I think the JFF is hoping that the funds to keep each entity afloat will be poured in by "a godfather". I may be wrong but my thought is that would not lead to viability.

Facts:
- Our clubs have so far survived on the backs of largesse. It may be that the entire NPL could be sold to one benefactor and that benefactor owns and controls the development of the League without interference of the JFF or PLCA.

- A review by the JFF bosses show results outcomes over the last 5 decades of failure(s), "Out of their depth".

- The JFF and PLCA has had years of managing the NPL and have failed to turn a profit or even move the league along a path towards future viability. Both entites have a proven record...undisputed record...of being out of their depth. I would think any investor if such a crazy could be found, would demand that both entities "tek weh demself".

- There is no quality product for sale.
- Currently there are poor footballers - 'players' ignorant on 'how the game is to be played';

- No quality TEAMs. ...'pretend TEAMs';

- We have built a 'brand' that spells low quality players, low quality TEAMs...and thus consumers shun our marketplace when seeking players.

The aim is development of quality TEAMs and players. Naturally, as it has been for the JFF and the PLCA all costs to ensure there is a going concern is the owner's problem and all inflows of funds the owner's to use as sees fit. ...ownership and all operations of each club and ownership and total control of the League would now pass to the benefactor [(? ]=investor.

---------
Aside: Would JAD100,000,000 millions pumped into each club foreach of the the initial 5 years be reasonable to get each club entity up to speed? What do you think?

---- btw - The alternative is continue to muddle along and first build quality TEAMs...develop quality players ...build a brand: akin to Brazil's i.e. known market for quality players and then investors would be drawn to the 'flame'.

Hey...the quality product or the excellent business and market plan must be in place before 'real' investors will take a look.

Hey...Franchise to sell what? Sandals or Digicel or whatever entity to sell poor products - players and TEAMs - to be associated with...to send the message that Sandals hotel chain or Digicel communication network and accessories are 'just like' the franchise and their products - poor players & poor TEAMs? A wah di...

If you ask me, I have my doubts on the JFF leaders believing self on this call for franchise development.

Sorry, Sass: Never took the JFF's 'play' on franchises as a serious one.

[Don1]

One DON !

Squire.... you rang??

[Assasin]

Karl next time if you could make it a little brief. Hard to spend so much time reading everything and taking it eeenn.

Firstly, when Lennie Taylor was in St. Vincent I noticed every team had a sponsors name which was a private entity or government entity, eg. Police etc. Currently Digicel also have a team in the St. Lucia top league.

Now talk to me about small market.

Secondly, not every investor in any league will make profit. If profit was the only incentive, nobody would pay 2 billion dollars for the Clippers.

You want to attract a few owners who just want a toy, but profit are there to be made. Not only do a company like St.Mary banana can benefit by promoting its products, it also has a platform for community development, branding etc. Instead of giving charity to a "Tivoli or Arnett" They can invest their own money and stand a chance of getting tangible benefits.

With better owners comes better managers and a better chance of league survival. There is also profit in building a team and then selling it.

Sandals have a huge market can sell to. In the right environment, they have guest in their hotels, entertainment at their hands, and also they are tour operators, so they could invite guest to their games who will go out and spend something in the local economies and Sandals been a part of the ATL group, the potential is even bigger to use their players to market their products.

Karl all this want is a few good investors with proper marketing plan. The Jamaican NPL market is not only limited to Jamaicans living in Jamaica. Let me give you an example. When my team was in the Premier league, they told me they had Umbrellas and key chain that they took to games. I told them I would help them setup a website and try and sell some for them, all we would have to do it try to reach out to proud people from the east and promote it in some social media groups. The prices they were getting for the products, they could get more than 2 times that amount via internet sales, but they follow up. Now a good manager can take advantage of this kind of thing. NPL could also partner with a company like Soccer.com to sell jersey(I don't know the prices and the ins and out but something worth checking) and other partnership that build their brand.

If D&G is the sponsor of a team, how much D&G product you think they could sell at a game for the complete season? and by-passing other people's product? You need to think on these things.

My community team have a raffle every year with a car dealer to raise funds

They have a their own tournament for kids to raise more funds

They offer summer camps and will use some of their players to run camps

The partner with local stores, like Pizza place for a night or two and every Pizza sold they get a cut, they promote it within the club.

There so much more that neither the JFF and PLCA is not doing. You need to bring some of these quality people and people with different outlook onboard to change things. Some of these investors see that there is a market and a product but will stay away if things continue running the way it is been run.

The current ownership structure doesn't lead to a viable league and any growth. Of the 300,000 that is been boast about, how much of that is devalued because of the depreciation of the dollar??? How much further can that go? and when you have teams like Mobay united can't bring sponsors on board, you don't think something is terrible wrong? Mobay united is the only team in our Tourism capital and should be a sponsor magnet.