ASSOCIATE sponsor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has upped its investment in the nation’s top league with a $25 million injection, it was announced yesterday.

Of that total, there will be a direct payout of $23 million to organisers of the competition the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), with another $2 million going towards promotional activities and special incentives for coaches and players.

Reacting to the announcement and commitment to football by the Chinese firm, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, urged them further to look at considering investing in field development of clubs.

“If your company (China Harbour) has decided to give each of the football clubs a proper football field, believe me, in years to come, you would be recognised and remembered as the company that changed the quality and standard of football in this country,” Burrell said at the launch of Red Stripe Premier League at the PLCA’s offices in New Kingston yesterday.

“I challenge you, China Harbour, please,” said Burrell as he pleaded with a smiling CHEC deputy regional manager, Xiao Yan Ming, who was seated in the audience.

The new season kicks off on September 15.

As he pressed home his point for the need for total development of the game and the role of corporate Jamaica in this thrust, Burrell warned that the game is bound to stagnate if there isn’t an inclusive approach to growing it.

“In reality, we must have additional sponsors if our league is to move forward. We must have better playing facilities, better organisation of clubs, so we have some way to go,” Burrell noted.

CHEC’s communication manager, Jennifer Armond, said her company was pleased with its association with the league last season, therefore it was not difficult to re-commit.

“The company enjoyed participating in the Premier League as sponsor last season and became aware that it would only be through continued commitment that sport would be able to reap significant results from our initial interest,” said Armond.

Supreme Ventures Limited’s senior marketing officer, Andrei Roper, also announced his organisation’s commitment worth $10m through its brand, JustBet.

Also, JUTC’s yesterday made it public its decision to continue its partnership with the league.

Meanwhile, PLCA chairman Edward Seaga, made note of a change in league format and likened it to the changing formats in cricket that have resuscitated that sport in terms of spectatorship.

“There have been many changes in many sports. Cricket moved from five days to one day and now to two-and-a-half hours and that was unveiled in the Limacol competition and the crowd loved it,” noted Seaga.

“They loved the excitement in shorter time which gives the players impetus not to sit at the wicket but to give them the joy of seeing the ball rising over the boundaries,” said the former Prime Minister of Jamaica.

“Football has had the problem of diminishing crowds depending on the teams, but it has been a long time since we see a really packed stadium.

“At the clubs, spectatorship has not been what we wanted it to be except on Monday night because the innovation of the (title) sponsors Red Stripe, and that is one innovation that has helped us to grow more crowd,” added Seaga.

“This year we have to undertake more changes. I am not in a position to give you the details at this time because the JFF is to consider the proposals we are making,” he added.

It is expected that the league format with 38 games, introduced for the 2007/08 season, will be discarded. For this season, the 12 teams will play three rounds of 33 matches in the preliminary phases, after which the top-eight will then advance to the quarter-final stage in a home-and-away series. It is expected that this phase will see the number-one ranked team facing the number eight-ranked team; the number two vs number seven; number three vs number six; and number four vs number five.

The four winners will then advance to the semi-finals, also on a home and away basis, with the two winners from that stage qualifying for the final.

The two teams at the bottom of the table at the end of the third round will be relegated.

A draw to decide the first set of games to kick off the season was done at yesterday’s press launch which pits defending champion Harbour View away to Sporting Central Academy, while runners-up Waterhouse host Boys’ Town in the marquee match-up on September 15.

In the other games, Portmore United travel to Cavalier, Humble Lion play Arnett Gardens, promoted teams August Town and Rivoli United clash and Tivoli Gardens tackle Montego Bay United.