BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE executive body of the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) has stuck to its commitment of paying a significant amount in prize money to member clubs of the Premier Division following the successful staging of the Super Six Playoffs.
At a prize giving ceremony last evening (Jan. 25) at the Warner Park Football Stadium, the Association presented the winner’s EC$50,000 cheque to the SL Horsford’s St. Paul’s FC along with the spoils that came with winning the various division titles.
Outgoing President of the SKNFA, Anthony Johnson reminded that he and his executives made a commitment to increase the prize money for the Premier Division winners, which some 12 years ago stood at EC$8,000.
With many suggesting that they have seen a higher standard and professionalism in the way the league operated over the last several seasons, President Johnson noted that when it comes to having a professional league in the Federation that is not possible, instead they are now looking to provide incentives to bring professionalism to the amateur league.
It is against that backdrop that he noted that the old Final Four Tournament has outlived its usefulness and the new Super 6 Playoffs are there to stay.
“We had...a Final Four competition which was in place for almost 20 years, which had outlived its usefulness. We needed to do something different. More importantly, we felt that the level of competition that existed between the clubs at the Premier League level was such that there was a need for the expansion of the tournament,” Johnson explained.
Speaking more about the professionalization of the league, SKNFA’s General Secretary Stanley Jacobs acknowledged that the economic viability of such an initiative is not feasible in the short term, but it is something that would be considered over time.
In highlighting the success of the Super 6 round, Jacobs reminded of the crowd sizes for the league stages and the finals which easily eclipsed the capacity, but due to COVID-19 protocols, a cap was placed on how many persons could have attended.
In that breath, it was announced that the SKNFA would begin discussions on a possible alternative venue to stage the events in the 2021 season.
“...The Stadium is just too small for the crowd that we anticipate will come in the future. And so, we would have to lobby the authorities that we get a proper venue for the Super 6. I remember Game One night we closed the gates and there were persons outside at halftime, and they stayed,” he stated.
Despite the pandemic, the local football body was able to complete all of its respective leagues - the three Youth Leagues, the Women’s League and the Men’s First and Second Divisions.
All winners in the divisions and the marquee players were recognised for their efforts throughout the year.
