By Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Boxhill
A CHANGED format with all clubs playing each other once in the third round ranks among major alterations implemented for this season's Wray and Nephew National Premier League, which kicks off on Sunday.
Previously, the 12 teams were divided into two groups based on their placings at the end of the first two preliminary rounds. This format was used in the past two seasons but was shelved because, according to Burchell Gibson, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) general secretary, it has been perceived to place clubs at the bottom of the rung at a disadvantage.
"In discussions with the clubs, they argued that because teams at the bottom would normally be in the group with the teams that placed at the top ... they would be at a disadvantage. So in order to have fair play we made the decision," Gibson told a press conference at the competition's launch yesterday.
Apart from that, the structure of the competition remains virtually unchanged with the top two placed teams in each of the first two preliminary rounds slated to contest an End of Round Final.
A modification here is that whereas the winner would have received three points and the loser one to add to their tally for that round, the points will be forwarded to the next round. Given that scenario, the bonus points won't affect a team's standing in the round in question.
Sponsors Wray and Nephew, through their communications and promotions manager Andrew Price, announced some new incentives.
They will award Wray and Nephew Scholarships to a player and a coach to pursue a diploma course in coaching at G.C. Foster College. The scholarship will cover the cost of the tuition.
Also, a 'Referee of the Year' and 'Assistant Referee of the Year' will each receive cash awards of $25,000. Both will be selected by the JFF's Competitions' Committee.
INCENTIVES
"These incentives are to help move the league forward," explained Price.
On the subject of referees, players in the Under-21 league will be mandated to sit the referee's course. The yellow card penalty for that age group is also sharper, two cards as opposed to three for the premier league.
Gibson explained that the junior competition's schedule has been reduced due to a lack of sponsorship and this accounts for the anomaly, which will instead align the Under-21 finals with the second Premier League End-of-Round final.
Major prize money, including $1 million for the champion and the preliminary round champion, remain the same in a total sponsorship package worth $20,410,000.
Crenston Boxhill, the JFF president who collected the sponsorship cheque along with treasurer Carlton Barclay, also announced a donation of $100,000 to "help offset the costs of medical care" for veteran coach George 'George T' Thompson, who is being treated at the Medical Associates private hospital.
"He's been great for the sport and gave his best when there weren't any rewards," Boxhill said.
