Despite numerous calls for him to run for president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), chairman of Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) Chris Williams says he’s not interested in the role at the moment as he aims to further advance the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

JFF Vice-President Raymond Anderson is challenging incumbent Michael Ricketts for the top post. But the election has been postponed indefinitely due to FIFA’s intervention in the federation’s affairs.

During an exclusive sit-down interview with the
Jamaica Observer, Williams, who has received high praise in some quarters for his work in improving the nation’s top-flight league, says he had considered the JFF job, but believes his PFJL role would be more beneficial to the country’s football right now.

“I’m not there yet. The job that I have is the best job for the long-term sustainability of football. This is the right place for me. That would be distraction from putting in the foundation, let us stay focused on putting in the foundation,” Williams, the boss of Proven Investment company, said.

“My family, my Proven family, everybody; we all sat down and analysed it and said PFJL is the best place right now. At this point in Jamaica’s evolution, it’s better to put my resources and my contacts and my abilities towards developing the Arnetts, Mount Pleasants, MoBay Uniteds, Portmores, etc. That will benefit the country on a much longer basis so I think I’m in the right place,” said Williams.

He wouldn’t be drawn into the current issues and concerns that have faced the JFF under Michael Ricketts, but Williams says it’s not beyond repair.

“I think that JFF is fixable, I think that we can get better performance out of JFF but that’s not my concern at this time. I’m not on the board, I’m not involved so I don’t want to give a solution when I’m not properly apprised, but I know being experienced and being around business for 30-odd years, I know it’s fixable. What are the specific solutions? I don’t want to get into that. I just want to focus on my lane,” he said.

Williams, though, says he may decide to throw his hat in the ring when the next election rolls around in four years, but until then his message remains the same.

“‘Low me right yah so, make me gwaan build it [premier league]. It’s not as glamorous because trust me, [I’ve said] me really shoulda run because me vex how we [JPL] can’t get no airtime, [plenty] cass cass. I can’t take the negativism, I’m not a negative person. What I’m doing, what ISSA [Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association] is doing, the parishes are doing, prep and primary school, we are all working and me can see it clearly that in another four years, we’re going to have a local professional industry that we will all be proud of and our kids can earn a good living from playing the sport they love, right here,” he said.

“It’s not that I am shirking the politics but I analysed it and say right now, put the best talent and the best effort and focus on the local ecosystem because that will ensure that when we do get back to the World Cup, we’re not just getting back but we a compete and live there. We nah visit, we a live at the World Cup and we a go be feared because we have baller on top of baller,” he added.

Williams says he wants to ensure Jamaica’s footballers are able to become financially sound without having to depend on big transfers overseas.

“You need a solid base, so work with me and make me stay where me deh and gwaan put in the base because trust me, if we have a league system like in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, England and Belgium, where the players are not dreaming of going to play for Barcelona and so on. Yes, they will do so but they will be good playing for Charlton Athletic, Boca Juniors, Santos, etc. These countries have built an ecosystem that can support professional football and then they have now gone on to dominate international football on top of that with a national team and so on,”

“So yes, we’re going to get there but let’s stand on this first, let’s get the foundation built locally first so that a man know say him can be a professional footballer right here — so even if him nuh make it to Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Serie A, him good. Frankly, we have 500 players in the Premier League [but], we’re certainly not going to sell 500 players so that can’t be the goal. The goal must be to have a base for the 500 players so they can buy a car, house, retire, earn a decent living right here,” he said.