Tony BeccaTHE SECURITY at the National Stadium for the Jamaica versus Honduras World Cup match last week Wednesday was a wonderful improvement on previous occasions.
Unlike the confusion of the Jamaica/Trinidad and Tobago match, there were less complaints this time around and the fans were generally satisfied with a system that made it easier for them to enter the stadium and one that offered better protection.
The Jamaica Football Federation, the Jamaica Defence Force, the police and all who were responsible deserve commendations.
Everything in this world comes with a price, however. The improvement was at a cost - twice that of the previous game, according to JFF president Horace Burrell, some one has to pay for it, and like everything else, it appears it is the consumer who will be called upon to pay.
According to Burrell, patrons attending the Jamaica/US game may be called upon to pay $1,000 for the bleachers and $2,000 for the grandstand - up from $700 and $1,500 for the Jamaica/Honduras.
The cost of the improved security is not the only reason why the JFF is thinking about such a hefty increase, however. Another reason is the need for more money.
According to Burrell, the JFF needs money to prepare its many teams and to fund its operations it is selling less tickets than before, and among other increases, the stadium is now costing more to use.
There are fans, however, who are not impressed. To them increases of $300 and $500 is outrageous. "My God," said one irate fan, "imagine - $1,000 to sit in the bleachers".
The reality of the situation, however, is that Jamaicans love to boast about their football prowess, they love to win, it costs a lot of money to prepare a World Cup team, an Under-20 team and an Under-17 team that can compete against the rest of the world and win, it costs a lot of money to put together an administration good enough to support them, and it has to come from somewhere.
Although a level of support is expected for a game that impacts so much on the society, it cannot and it should not come from the Government. Along with sponsorship and other revenue-earning deals, the money must come from gate receipts and those who love the sport and those who love to win have to appreciate that.
The success of any sport depends on the support of the people. It is that support that determines what are major sports and what are not, which ones have enough money to be winners and which ones do not.
Football is a major sport in this country, the JFF has tasted success and it wants more, that is why it needs more money, and that is why it may be calling on football fans to pay more - much more.
Those who can, will pay, those who cannot, will not. It is as simple as that.
The JFF must have considered the consequences if those who cannot far outnumber those who can.
