WFA boss says leagues will kick off despite delays
LLANDILO, Westmoreland — Fears of the entire season in the Westmoreland Football Association (WFA) Major League and Division One being cancelled have been relaxed with plans to start the leagues next month.
Everton Tomlinson, president of the WFA, told the Jamaica Observer this week plans are well underway for the major league to commence after meetings with the clubs. At least 10 teams and as many as 12 could participate in the competition, he said.
“The Major League has to go on. We owe it to the clubs, the players and to the game here in Westmoreland to ensure there is a season,” he said.
There were doubts about the season starting after upgrading work to the LLandilo field, that has hosted all games in the WFA for the past two seasons stalled. Tomlinson said the facility will not be ready by the time the league is to get underway.
With the Llandilo field unavailable, Tomlinson said work will be done on the Bay Road field to host most of the games, while efforts will be made to use other venues as well if they can be brought up to a reasonable standard.
The WFA had taken the decision some years ago to play all games at Llandilo due in part to regular outbreaks of violence at some of the venues.
The long-serving WFA president said on Monday that a series of incidents, mostly the non-payment for work done on the field at Llandilo, had resulted in the field not being ready for the traditional start late last year.
He said in August that the Institute of Sports (INSPORT) had finally responded to their appeals for help in resurfacing the field at Llandilo.
Days later, Tomlinson said the work ground to a halt as the workmen, who were to be paid $2,000 per day, said they had not been paid.
Additionally, he said rainy weather had also affected the work at Llandilo, and despite efforts to get top soil and other material, the work has stalled.
Tomlinson said he was hoping the work at the Llandilo venue would be completed in time for games to be played there this season, especially the finals of the various competitions.
— Paul Reid
