Re-elected Portland Football Association President Raymond Grant says key among his focus for this new term are improving the parish’s clubs’ structure and deepening the selection pool for referees.

Grant, also a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) vice-president, was elected unopposed for another term as president of the Portland Football Association at its annual general meeting on Sunday, August 11.

This will see Grant serving as president for 22 consecutive years and assisted by deputy presidents Garfield Fuller, Chase Roberts, Quacy Watson, and Raquel Russell. Long-standing treasurer Daydrean Gordon completes the executive, assisted by Kerry-Ann Harris and completed by Public Relations Officer Everard Owen.

The executive council later reappointed Deneile Smith as the association’s general secretary.

“We have to arrest the many deficiencies that I see in the clubs if we are to grow the sport,” Grant said in his address to the clubs. “It is my firm belief that we have to go back to the community-based organisation in getting the structure around each team. I see one or two clubs operating with one or two persons and when those persons become fatigued or not available for whatever reason the entire organisation fails.

“You cannot develop the football that way. I challenge all members here that are affiliated to clubs to go into your community as there are many, many persons there who want to give voluntary service, and what is affecting most clubs is we want to claim ownership of what is not ours, because the football is bigger than all of us. We need to go out and recruit persons to build the structure and organisation. You can contact Social Development Corporation, churches, and community groups and find the persons to build your group. There are various persons there who want to serve. As we seek to develop our structure and arms around the organisation, you also need to build yours.

“Let us go back to our communities and build the club, as one or two of you just cannot do it. We have to look at how we operate and make serious changes. Expect that over the next few weeks we will have some communication and some firm decisions, so brace yourself for that,” Grant warned.

Grant commended the clubs for their participation over the year in the various leagues that have all been completed.

““As we look forward to the coming season, the certification of coaches, as the [JFF] has already mandated an approach, and we will have to abide in going forward,” he said, “We will be circulating the certified coaches within the parish and if your club does not have any of these certified coaches, you will have to get one, and the coach does not necessarily have to be from the parish, with either the D or C licence.

“If the certified coach is not the person managing the charge, there are also consequences of fines. Just like what happens internationally and also in the Premier League, as this is mandatory and there will be some changes going forward as we look forward to the corporation of the clubs.

“I am aware of the problem with the number of referees who participated, but we are doing training and recruiting of new referees for the upcoming season.”