Tym Glaser, Associate Editor- Sports

RIDDLED BY political infighting and crippled by internal bickering for at least a decade, football's Western Confederation, spurred by the region's lack of success at the top level, finally appears set to put forward a unified front.

St. James' flagship side, Seba, was relegated during the last National Premier League (NPL) season and parish mates Wadadah failed to qualify for the league in the NPL play-offs.

That leaves just two teams, Westmoreland's Reno and Trelawny's Village, flying the flag for a region which dominated the sport from the mid-'80s to well into the '90s.

At the Gleaner Editors' Forum held in Montego Bay on Thursday, participants welcomed the opportunity to discuss the 'state of the union' and address ways to push the game forward in the region and recapture the status as the island's best from the now dominant Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA).

Successful programmes

While bemoaning a lack of success in the top flight and lamenting a dearth of sponsorship dollars, which, they said, seem to emanate from and for Kingston, the parish bosses and other western football notables said it wasn't all gloom and doom.

They particularly pointed to successful youth programmes and teams which were providing a feeder line into national squads.

In the frank and open discussion, it was agreed that marketing of the western football product had to be improved, and Westmoreland FA president Everton Tomlinson said the time was long overdue for the parishes to find professional marketing people to seek out those all-important sponsorship dollars, while also promoting the sport.

The leaders tentatively agreed to meet again in regards to setting up a special committee to look into marketing and other issues.

Why so long?

But the question still begs to be asked, why did it take 10 years for them to come together in a meaningful manner to speak about and address the region's football troubles?

Sure, they have met over the past decade but it is widely accepted that those meetings served no greater purpose than to push political agendas and reignite hostilities.

Former Cornwall and All-Jamaica 'keeper Alvin Clarke summed up the situation best and issued a stern warning to the forum.

"In western Jamaica, we have become so parochial; it's every man for himself. I must pull you down and you must pull me down," Clarke said. "The talent is here when you look at the youngsters coming up ... and it's all very well to say you have the resources but who's going to put it all together. We can't put it together until this little, august body comes together. If we can't get it right at the top, how can we get it right at the bottom?"

The ball is well inside the parish bosses' half now; may they use it well.

Feedback: tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com