IN light of recent comments attributed to the chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) Edward Seaga, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has issued a strongly worded release, blasting accusations of them interfering in the running of the top-flight league as “unfortunate” and “not true”.

In a newspaper article published on Sunday, Seaga, also the current head of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ), said the rift between the PLCA and some of the Premier League clubs was part of a power struggle.

In the article, Seaga, who is a former Prime Minister of Jamaica, alleged that the JFF wants to take control of the PLCA due to its current profitability.

However, the JFF hit back late on Sunday, claiming it has never interfered in the running of the Premier League.

“For Mr Seaga to say that the JFF ‘interfered’ in the running of the league is unfortunate and uninformed. It is the duty of the JFF to address any issue or issues concerning football. The JFF is the governing body for all football in the island of Jamaica.

“It is absolutely not true to say that the JFF has interfered in the running of the League. In fact, the JFF has been criticised by many for too much of a hands-off approach as it allowed the PLCA and PFAJ to fulfil their mandate.

“The president of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell is on public record for recognising, on numerous occasions, the role of Mr Seaga in increasing the level of sponsorship of the league,” the JFF release stated.

The PLCA and a number of clubs have endured a rocky time of late.

At least three clubs were said to have filed written complaints to the JFF, threatening not to compete in the just-started 2014-15 Red Stripe Premier League unless issues pertaining to governance within the PLCA were looked at.

Last Friday, the local governing football body had an emergency meeting of the PFAJ, PLCA and competing clubs to iron out the issues.

It is understood that at the meeting, most parties were convinced that the matter would be resolved by late this month, but representatives from the reigning champions Montego Bay United remained dissatisfied.

The Montego Bay club threatened not to honour their fixture against Reno FC unless their grouses were addressed, but late last evening the Jamaica Observer got confirmation that the defending champions would be taking the field.

If they had failed to show for the Monday Night fixture, Montego Bay would have lost points for that encounter, incurred monetary fines, as well as other sanctions.

The JFF statement continued: “These [Seaga’s] remarks were made after an emergency meeting called by the JFF on September 5 to address concerns expressed by some clubs in the National Premier League. At this meeting, all clubs were allowed to express their views and Mr Seaga himself was offered the floor on many occasions. The meeting ended with definitive decisions with timelines arising out of five hours of discussion and a degree of consensus.”

In its conclusion, the JFF stated that it remains focused that the Premier League is “developed to a professional entity in the medium and long term” in the interest of stakeholders and insisted it will “do everything to ensure” that happens.

— Sanjay Myers