The Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) may be on hold for the near future due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa, but Professional Football Jamaica Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Owen Hill says their main priority is providing maximum support for the clubs.

The JPL, which would have resumed today, was postponed for the second consecutive week, with several clubs still reeling from the hurricane’s passage. The Sunday Observer understands that Treasure Beach FC of St Elizabeth and St James’ Montego Bay United have been affected the most, with major damage to club assets as well as players and staff losing their homes and personal property. It’s also understood that clubs in the corporate area, despite avoiding the brunt of the hurricane, have also been affected.

Although admitting he hasn’t received a comprehensive report, Hill told the Observer that many clubs are facing a very difficult situation.

“Gladly, there were no loss of lives directly, so all players were accounted for, but what we know for sure is that a number of the clubs, their infrastructure would have been totally devastated,” he said. “You see the images coming out of Montego Bay, you see the kind of devastation on the southern belts, so Treasure Beach and all the St Elizabeth communities were significantly affected.

“So just having those conversations with the clubs is really just to find out how their mental well-being is, how their livelihood is, what kind of support can be provided because, truth be told, they’re not in any position to really speak on football-related matters, and we are also conscious of that.”

While calling on the public to support the various relief initiatives by the Government and other private bodies, Hill says PFJ is doing all it can to ensure the clubs get the necessary assistance during this period.

“We’ve started the process, galvanising some resources and, again, right now it is primarily around water, around non-perishable items and just making sure that we stay connected with them as best as possible,” he said. “Every single resource is going to be directed towards that, and I must tell you that we’ve reached out to a lot of our sponsors, and while they also have a national obligation, they’ve committed resources to us as well, so a lot of the entities with products, they’ve decided that they’re coming on board and they’re supporting.

“We had a discussion with the JFF [Jamaica Football Federation], with the Government, and we’re looking to coordinate through the national efforts because, as you can imagine, transportation is going to be an issue, getting to the location and back and making sure that this, over a period of time, is a sustained effort. It’s not a one-day fix. It’s going to be quite an uphill task and it’s going to be over a long-term period. We’re here for the long haul.”

The past two weeks have seen 14 games postponed due to Hurricane Melissa and Hill says that the figure could rise as restarting the league isn’t at the top of their agenda.

“It’s a discussion that needs to be collectively had, and we’ve not had that discussion, to be frank,” he said. “Our primary discussions are around just trying to make sure that the mental well-being and the livelihoods of those who are a part of the ecosystem, we put some care into that.

“We definitely know that the show will go on the road at some point. When is that point? I can’t give you a definite date. So football will be played at some future point, but right now we’re concerned about the mental and psychological well-being and then getting the infrastructure in place so that people’s lives and livelihoods actually get back to some sense of normalcy.”

Hill, though, believes the JPL, when it resumes, can provide a sense of encouragement to the nation after experiencing troubling times.

“The football will continue, I can tell you that much,” he said. “When? We’re not sure, but we hope to get back up soon because we want to give people hope, and our message is of hope. That’s really what we want to do. We want to give hope to people and we’re going to use the platform that we have.

“It’s not going to be as you were before, but, again, it gives us an opportunity to reset and to collaborate as a community, and this is when the true resilience of the people will come to light, because, for us, we’re our brother’s keeper. We’ll be doing different initiatives to make sure that no one club, no one person, everybody is considered and nobody is left behind.”

Montego Bay United’s Nashordo Gibbs (left) and Tivoli Gardens FC’s Barrington Pryce vie for the ball during the Jamaica Premier League match at Montego Bay Sports Complex in St James on Sunday, September 14. Photo: Paul Reid

HILL…truth be told, they’re not in any position to really speak on football-related matters and we are also conscious of that.