MONTEGO BAY, St James — St James FA president Texchus Nembhard is ruing the fact that no referee from the parish has been named on the panel for the National Premier League (NPL) competition.

At Tuesday evening’s presentation and awards ceremony of the St James FA, Captain’s Bakery Knock-Out and Guardian Life Division Two competitions at the Roof Garden on Kerr Crescent in the city, Nembhard — a former referee and head of the Confederation’s Referees Group — admitted that the situation was not a good one.

“We need to get more people involved as this is a bad reflection on the parish,” he said.

Nembhard, who is also a FIFA Referees’ Instructor, said they need to attract more persons to the profession if it is to move ahead.

Donat McKinley, who was voted the top senior referee in the parish for last season, was on the panel up to last season but was not included this year.

He was also part of the four-member referee team which officiated in the ISSA daCosta Cup schoolboy final at Jarrett Park last year when Rusea’s High’s Anthony Walker scored a blatant hand-ball goal against Lennon High School in the second period of extra-time.

McKinley, who was the fourth official at that fateful game, was banned, along with the other three referees, by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on the recommendation of the Jamaica Football Referee Commission last December.