Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
Emile Spence, senior marketing and distribution manager of the Jamaica National Building Society, signs the contract for the Manning Cup and Dacosta Cups, while Clement Radcliffe (centre), president of the Inter-Schools Sports Association, and Andrew Reid, general manager of Pepsi Cola Jamaica Limited, look on. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE INTER-SCHOOLS Sports Association (ISSA) Pepsi/Jamaica National schoolboy football launch was struck with controversy yesterday.
The launch was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston to announce the new sponsorship arrangements and formats for the 2005 season of the flagship Manning and daCosta Cup competitions.
However, the event was side-tracked when the media took ISSA president Clement Radcliffe to task about the association's perennial practice of not announcing the size of the sponsorship arrangements.
Radcliffe, in defence of the practice, first pointed to the happiness of the principals at schools.
"If the principals, who are invited to review our financial statements are happy then you (the media) should take it that everything is ok," Radcliffe said.
However, the media's call for greater transparency was endorsed by Excelsior principal Beverly Wilson who advocated that the media's request was not unreasonable.
SHOCKED
Wilson's statements came in light of the fact that in 2003, when she became principal of Excelsior, she was shocked at the sum of $40,000 that her school received for winning the title and wanted to know beforehand what the schools would be aiming for with regards to the various prizes.
"When we won the competition $40,000 was what we got and I was in shock," she said.
However, Radcliffe again defended the position that ISSA takes annually by stating that the sponsors, who were present in the form of senior marketing and distribution manager of the Jamaica National Building Society, Emile Spence, and Andrew Reid, general manager of Pepsi Cola Jamaica Ltd., did not want the figure made public.
SPONSORS RELUCTANT
"In our extensive negotiations, for reasons that I won't speak to here, our major sponsors are very reluctant for the details to be highlighted," Radcliffe said.
Before the questions about financial transparency, the start of both competitions was announced for September 10, with a triple-header at Jarrett Park involving defending Manning Cup champions Excelsior taking on Jamaica College and defending daCosta Cup champions Glenmuir facing Garvey Maceo while Cornwall meet Herbert Morrison.
The competition has gone through a few cosmetic changes including the restoring of the Most Valuable Player award.
There will be a Golden Boot award for the top goalscorer from each competition and an educational grant has been made available. A cash grant for the runners-up was also included where there wasn't one before.
The subject of prizes for runners-up was also another point of contention during the conference as it was announced that the prize for the winners would be reduced to make way for the new award.
Last year, the daCosta and Manning Cup winners earned $250,000 each while this year they are slated to receive $175,000 on account of $75,000 being allocated to the second-placed teams.
