HAVING started his football journey with sponsorship of the St Catherine Football Association and the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), under the leaderships of former presidents Lincoln “Happy” Sutherland and Ambassador Stewart Stephenson, respectively, Jason McKay has returned to a passion he has described as “the greatest sport in the world”.

Though he has never played competitively, McKay never misses his pick-up games with friends and has owned St Catherine’s New Raiders FC as well as KSAFA’s Meadhaven and beamed with pride as McKay Security Limited made a title-winning debut in Business House Division One in 2023.

McKay’s biggest foray yet, a $9.6-million sponsorship of parish football, spread across KSAFA and the St Thomas Football Association, has turned heads, particularly St Thomas, which will benefit from a $5.1 million deal with McKay Security’, including prize money of $1 million to winners of the association’s Major League.

“It’s a pleasure to do business with KSAFA and the St Thomas football association but there is something unique about St Thomas,” McKay disclosed. “It was the first time I had ever seen players come forward to personally say, ‘thank you’,” he reminisced after first sponsoring the parish’s Under-17s.

McKay was so moved that in addition to his firm returning as title sponsor of the St Thomas Under-17 league into which it will pump $2.3m, a $1-million sponsorship deal was also brokered with Restaurants of Jamaica to provide teams with a bucket of KFC on match days.

Dear to McKay’s heart, especially in his role as a police officer of 22 years, attached to the St Catherine South Special Operations Unit, is that of steering youngsters away from a life of crime.

“Crime is less present during football seasons,” noted McKay, who is also a criminologist, the holder of a PhD from Nova Southeastern University, completed 2020. McKay’s thesis focused on an analysis of 318 murders committed in Southern St Catherine.

“Whenever football is being played, there is less time for young people to be involved in crime. It’s a worthwhile distraction for those not playing and a way out for those on the field,” he pointed out.

“Administrators really get nothing out of football. It is the players who get contracts. As a sponsor, your brand gets recognised, especially if games are televised. However, players get an opportunity to be discovered as well, so McKay Security has ensured to also add broadcast sponsorship to KSAFA’s Championship semi-finals and final as well as St Thomas’ Major League final,” McKay emphasised.

“It is very important that the public sees what is happening in parish football so the players can be exposed nationally,” he added.

St Thomas FA’s president, Lascelles Logan, described McKay Security’s sponsorship of the association’s leagues as “a major boost”.

“McKay Security’s $1-million prize money to the winners of the Major League, moving from $200,000, was Dr Jason McKay acknowledging that the winning team would need a significant sum to assist in the play-offs on way to what will hopefully be a Jamaica Football Federation Championship spot, the stepping stone to the Premier League,” Logan pointed out.

In addition to the $1-million Major League prize money incentive, McKay Security has also committed $800,000 towards the league’s operational expenses as well as the broadcast deal, valued at $1 million, in which the final will be shown live on
CVM Television.