By LeVaughn Flynn , Staff Reporter
Carlton Barclay (left), treasurer of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), accepts a cheque valued at $2.3 million from Emile Spence (right), marketing and distribution executive of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), while George Evans, JFF's first vice president looks on. The occasion was a press briefing held yesterday at the JFF offices in New Kingston to announce the 2004 sponsorship of the JNBS Federation Cup Knockout competition. - Contributed
THE JAMAICA National Building Society (JNBS) yesterday pumped $2.3 million into the 2004 JNBS Jamaica Football Federation Knockout competition which begins next Thursday.
The announcement was made yesterday by marketing and distribution executive of JNBS Emile Spence during a press conference at the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) office in New Kingston. In keeping with their sponsorship, which increased by $200,000 from last year, Spence said that JNBS "will continue to give the same strong support the JFF has enjoyed over the years" but he raised some concerns about the recent upsurge of indiscipline in the sport.
"We have been very disturbed at the many instances of serious indiscipline which have been marring so many of our major competitions," Spence said.
POOR SPORTSMANSHIP
"We all know that football is an emotive sport (but) we have to say a resounding 'no' to indiscipline, to poor sportsmanship and to prima donna behaviour," he advised, climaxing his delivery with "let discipline be the watchword".
First vice president of the JFF, George Evans, on behalf of president Crenston Boxhill, briefly but eloquently welcomed everyone in attendance and officially launched the 2004 Federation Cup which the 12 National Premier League (NPL) teams and the 14 parish champions will contest.
Evans also lauded JNBS for being the first company to successfully sponsor a premier all-island sporting event.
FIRST PRIZE
Five-time Cup holders and defending champs Harbour View will have to stave off 25 other teams for the first prize of $325,000. Second prize is $225,000 and the semi-finalists will receive $50,000. The Cup will be played in six rounds. Rounds one through three will be played on a home-and-away basis and the team with the best aggregate score advances while teams will have one shot at advancing through rounds four to six.
Downs Youth Club of Manchester host Ocho Rios Football Club of St. Ann while Mount Salem from St. James host St. Georges of Portland in the opening games next Thursday with the return leg to be held on February 5.
The NPL teams with the least points as of December 30 (Invaders, Seba, Arnett and Star Cosmos) will join the parish champions in the second round which will be played on February 11 and 25. The remaining eight NPL teams take to the field in the third round on March 7 and 10.
Rounds four, five and six are scheduled to start on March 21, 28 and April 11 respectively.
