MONTEGO BAY, St James — THE continued development of youth programmes across the Jamaica Football Federation’s Western Confederation will get priority attention from the newly reelected executive, according to chairman Linnel McLean.

While saying they had some successes in the past two-year term, McLean, who will serve for another term, told the Jamaica Observer West “We are a bit behind on sponsorships for the youth programmes.”

“We were a bit behind in some things such as the sponsorship for youth programmes. Not just for competitions, but also with respect to keeping youth teams in training for continuous periods, and going forward that is one area where we will be targeting,” said McLean.

“We have to get more competitions in, have to get them sponsored and at the same time we have to have continuous workshops for selected youngsters, like a school of excellence that has been mooted by the JFF, where we can keep confederation age group teams in training.”

The football administrator was speaking with the Observer West at the start of the Captain’s Bakery and Grill/Charley’s JB Rum Western Confederation Super League at Jarrett Park on Sunday.

Football executives have been accused of not doing enough to develop the sport from the grass roots level upwards, in recent times.

Meanwhile, McLean pointed to the implementation of “a grass roots programmme for women” which he said “is very good for us.”

He added however, that “we must now start improving on that and develop a holistic women’s programmme as well.”

There is just one female football team from western Jamaica participating in the JFF national competition, Trelawny Women, while the game at the schoolgirl level lags behind other parts of the country such as KSAFA, St Catherine and Clarendon.

Meanwhile, there were two changes to the previous executive that McLean will head.

Donald Gordon of Westmoreland replaces Carol Gentles of Trelawny as the general secretary, while Marline Brown of Trelawny is the new assistant general secretary, replacing Copeland Bailey of Westmoreland.

David Watt of St James returns as the vice- chairman, while Hanover’s Sheridan Samuels will continue as treasurer.