Businessman Mark Hart (left), the CEO of the Hart Group of Companies, is all smiles after handing over a cheque for $1 million to St. James FA president Orville Powell (centre) and League Coordinator Lilli-Mae Crawford at yesterday's launch of the 2007-08 St. James Hart & Sons Senior League. - Contributed
Western Bureau:
The St. James Football Association (St.JFA) attracted its largest-ever sponsorship purse yesterday, when the Hart Group of Companies announced a record $1million-dollar package - $350,000 more than last year for the 2007-08 St. James Hart & Sons Senior Football League, which will kick-off next Monday.
"We will be taking a business approach to the sponsorship this year," said businessman Mark Hart, the top executive of the Hart Group, which has been sponsoring St. James football since 1926. "We have some new products under our Caribbean Producers Jamaican Limited (CPJ), which we hope to promote in tandem with the football."
This year's competition, which will be contested by 12 teams, will see a return to the semi-final and finals format, which was abandoned several years ago for the straight league format, which was introduced into the National Premier League competition.
According to the breakdown of cash prizes, the winning team will pocket $150,000, second place $90, 000, third $50,000 and fourth $30,000. In addition, an unspecified amount will go towards individual incentives for outstanding performers throughout the season.
"Our plan is to bring back St. James' football to the glory days so that our sponsors will get a high quality product for their sponsorship dollar," said St.JFA president, Orville Powell. "We are very thankful for the increased support we have gotten from the sponsors and we call upon all the persons who are affiliated to our football to throw their support behind the sponsors' product."
As a means of giving increased visibility to the sponsors and their product, Powell said all the jerseys of the participating teams would have the logo of the sponsor's products on them. In addition, various promotions will be done at the games and all venues will feature branding of the sponsor's products.
"The more the business grows is the more we will be able to pump back into your football," said Hart. "We started out in 1926 as a goodwill gesture to St. James football and we are indeed happy that we are now able to include a business component, which will allow our business and the football to grow together."
In a bid to give the football a strong community flavour, games will be played at several venues across the parish. Among the more popular venues are Jarrett Park, the UDC playing field, Wyndham Rose Hall playing field, Albion Community Centre, Irwin, Tucker and the Bogue Community field.
-Adrian Frater
