By Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterTHE POSITION of president of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) could soon be up for grabs as current president Carlton Barclay is set to give up the post.
Barclay, who has held the position for over three years, cited a busy schedule for his decision to step down.
"I will be giving up the position officially. Elections are due in October but I will not be around. I cannot stay and not work. It would not make sense," explained the man who took over the position of Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) treasurer in November.
At the federation's congress held in Trelawny last November, he was elected to the position previously held by Peter Reid. That position, he said, takes up a lot of his time.
"The reality is that I am concentrating on the JFF. That demands 150 per cent effort right now," Barclay said.
"I do not have the kind of time to devote to the JFF and to the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA). There is also my job at Jamaica National. It would be humanly impossible and I would be unfair to one or more parties," he said.
SUCCESSFUL STINT
Barclay believes that his stint as president has been a successful one. He took over and indebted organisation in 2000 and transformed it. Where previously corporate sponsors stayed away, they were willing to go on board with Barclay at the helm.
"I think I have done well. I took over an organisation in the red and within a year turned it into a profitable organisation. At present it is still in the black," said Barclay.
For many people I football circles Barclay, who is the financial controller of the Jamaica National Group, did for KSAFA what Horace Burrell did for the JFF. He made the position of president glamorous and something to aspire to.
So glamorous has the position been that Barclay has not yet declared his hand but people are lining up to succeed him. That is a far cry from the position in 2000 when he took over.
Among those said to be interested are a current member of his executive, a former president of the Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) and an advertising and sales executive at a prominent media house.
