Having absorbed a lot from outgoing President Peter Reid over the last 13 years, Ricardo Valentine believes he is now well equipped to take over, and by extension, move St Catherine Football Association (SCFA) forward.

Valentine, who is currently first vice-president to Reid, made the declaration during the launch of his manifesto at Cecil’s Restaurant & Lounge in Spanish Town last Thursday.

The manifesto, launched under the theme ‘Retooling ourselves for tomorrow’, came as Valentine and his team prepare for a challenge from veteran football administrator Elaine Walker-Brown at the October 20 election.

While pointing out that he is aiming to build on the work done by Reid, who is now a vice-president and director in the Michael Ricketts-led Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) administration, Valentine is intent on introducing some new ideas.

If elected, Valentine is hoping to take SCFA to new heights with a “Quadrangular Approach” which focuses on areas such as governance, training and development, facility upgrading, and promotion and marketing.

This, he is hoping to achieve with a slate that includes Reggae Boyz Manager Roy Simpson as first vice-president, and Craig Richards as second vice-president.

Julian Thompson, treasurer; Norman Blair, general secretary; Laurence Garriques, assistant secretary treasurer; Stafford Chang, technical development; Marcia Pinnock, head of the women’s programme; and Ainsley Sharpe, youth programme, are the other members on the slate.

Valentine, who is a professional maritime transport specialist, boasts that his leadership would not only be beneficial to SCFA, but also to the JFF.

“We have our plan; we are very clear about what we are communicating to our affiliates. We have a track record of success in this parish, we have a very good team, and we believe that the football in this parish is going to be much better over the next four years,” Valentine declared.

If the confidence exuded by Valentine is anything to go by then victory over Walker-Brown, chairman of the JFF Women’s Football Committee, could be a mere formality.

It is understood that once in good financial standing with SCFA, a total of 43 clubs, as well as the referees’ group, will decide the election.

“I know that I have majority of the support on the block. They understand me, they know a lot about me, we have a good relationship, and they know I’m the person that is ready now to lead this parish.

“I will bring this parish to a level that it has never seen. I can guarantee you, in another few years from now this will be the top football parish in all regards in this country,” Valentine promised.

Some of those plans include boosting the number of St Catherine-based clubs in the premier league, as well as to revive women’s football within the parish and create more awareness for clubs to capitalise on the transfer market via the workshops.

“We are not very far away from KSAFA (Kingston and St Andrew Football Association). I think in another year or two we will certainly be the best parish association in Jamaica, and one in which its members are aware of what is happening in football and can exploit opportunities in the transfer market,” he opined.

With regard to the transfer market, Valentine hinted at a partnership with the JFF to create a “passport system”which will track a player’s development from the age of 12. This, he said, would result in the various clubs/institutions which participated in the development process benefiting financially should a player’s career go global.

“That is already there, stipulated by Fifa; it is just not happening here because we do not have a system that tracks players up to age 23. Papers are being signed but the money is not coming, and the Fifa development officer I spoke with recently has identified that as a problem — that the receiving clubs are not paying over these monies.

“Part of the reasons for that is because nobody is tracking the players and nobody is asking for these payments, and so forth. But once that passport system is recorded, it’s easy when JFF gets the money they [will] know who to share it with,” Valentine explained.