The Barbados Football Association (BFA) is not in competition with out-of-season tournaments which offer big pay days for the winners but rather is focused on the holistic development of football throughout the country.
This definitive statement was made by newly-appointed technical director Julian Broomes, who declared that the product currently offered by the footballers was not attractive enough for the spectators and, by extension, major sponsors.
He was speaking at a BFA Press conference yesterday morning at its headquarters to update the media about the 2012 season, which kicks off on Sunday, as well as plans to push women’s football.
Broomes was responding to comments that the players were not happy with the prize monies offered by the BFA.
However, junior assistant secretary Sylvia Darlington said the increase in prize monies for the new season resulted from a submission from the clubs.
Senior assistant secretary Charles Husbands stressed that while the BFA wanted to adequately reward the players, note must be taken of the limited resources which have to be used to benefit all and to help the sport to grow.
“The Premier clubs must concentrate on their performance, rather than focus on the BFA. By doing that the clubs would lift their play and the BFA would be able to offer the spectators a better product,” Husbands said. “With a better product, we would see an increase in spectators and gate receipts.”
Such sentiments were echoed by Broomes who lamented that football was not what it was in the past.
“Our product is not attractive enough for big sponsors and when players and fans look at the monies international players are getting they need to look at the product which those players offer to attract the big banks and sponsors,” Broomes said.
The BFA also indicated that an islandwide initiative would be launched to increase the participation of women in football under the theme Striving For Goal, Jump Start.
That was in response to a suggestion from FIFA president Sepp Blatter that “the future of football is feminine”.
While the BFA will be increasing the search for and training of fresh football talent among girls in the island, this year the women’s league is expected to run in conjunction with the men’s competition.
The past four years saw the women playing after the conclusion of the men’s competition.
The Premier League will kick off on Sunday with a formal opening ceremony and parade of teams at 3 p.m.
The field action commences at 6 p.m. with Dayrells Road battling Bagatelle before Wales clash with Brittons Hill at 8 p.m.
