by Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter

Clyde Jureidini

JAMAICA'S TEAMS will be shelling out just about $8 million to host the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships when the first round of the competition is hosted here over the next few weeks.

Over the past few years, Jamaican teams have found they have been spending more money than they earn from the regional club competition.

However, Clyde Jureidini, managing director at Harbour View believes there is mileage to be had from Jamaican teams playing in the tournament, which is a qualifier for the CONCACAF Club Championships in 2007.

"The benefit is an investment over time. It exposes the club, the management, the players, to performing at the international level of competition," Jureidini said. "We can say that it was the catalyst that got Luton Shelton to Sweden in 2004 because he was seen throughout the tournament and when we played against D.C. United it was on Fox Sports World and seen in Sweden," he said.

Pointing to Harbour View's first time in the tournament in 1987, when Altimont 'Freddy' Butler was snapped up by a Guadeloupe club they played against, Jureidini said this was not a one-time thing. Butler went on to garner experience as far away as France.

"International exposure is vital to the development of local football," explained Jureidini.

Expenses

This is not to say that the expenses surrounding the Championships aren't difficult to bear. The clubs don't have much time to come up with the money, especially since they are told of the schedule at the end of the year.

This of course means sponsors have already budgeted for the year.

Waterhouse, the other team in the competition, will be spending $3.6 million to host Group B on December 8 while Harbour View, whose campaign for CONCACAF qualification begins on December 1, have budgeted for $4.8 million.

"It is very difficult to fund this which is why we need help to publicise it. It is even more difficult when we are told two or three weeks ahead of the competition at the end of the year when everybody's budget is spent or committed or being looked at for the next year but we have to do it," said Jureidini.

The CFU promised it would be endeavouring to get sponsorship for the competition when it met the clubs prior to the development of this season's fixtures.

That has not happened yet but fingers are crossed.

Waterhouse president Peter Hibbert is also of the opinion that the Championships will help expose the first-time entrants.

"Unlike popular belief, Waterhouse don't have all the support. Right now we commit ourselves based on the fact there will be exposure for the players and we hope we can go to the next level and be able to get players on the international transfer market," said Hibbert.