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PFJL steps in after clash of colours halts JPL match
April 19, 2023
Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), Owen Hill, says the colour clash which held up the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game between Harbour View and Molynes United for nearly 30 minutes at the Ashenheim Stadium on Sunday, should not have reached that far.
Hill also revealed that they have already taken steps to ensure such a situation does not reoccur, as they will be supplying teams with neutral kits for future games.
Nevertheless, he pointed out that there were multiple opportunities for it to be sorted before the actual match day.
"Both teams had two sets of gear on hand. However, Harbour View are listed as the home team, and so they have the right to wear their royal blue and gold.
"However, what usually happens is that there is a meeting between the match commissioner and the referees a day or two before the game and these issues would have been highlighted.
"So all this should have been sorted out from Friday or Saturday. It should not be on Sunday at match time," Hill said.
The game was stopped after 15 minutes when the blue of Molynes and the blue and gold of Harbour View became a problem for the match officials.
Molynes' replacement jersey, a gold top, was also similar to that of Harbour View.
Harbour View had their red and white away kit, but coach Ludlow Bernard said he has accommodated this type of situation too many times with the same team and would do it no more.
The game only resumed after Rudolph Speid of Cavalier lent some playing gear to Molynes.
Hill noted that the match officials understandably tried their best to facilitate the playing of the match under the circumstances and at the end of the day good sense prevailed.
"On the day I understand the referee and match commissioner were trying to sort out the best combination and they agreed to play the game in the colour combination that you saw at the start.
"This could have been resolved multiple ways but again someone has to concede. Harbour View could have worn the red but the administrators of Harbour View said they were not going to do it.
"They may have issues surrounding their decision but at the end of the day it is their right," Hill said.
Hill added that they have identified two solutions to the problem.
He said PFJL will now sit in the mandatory prematch meetings and that each team will be provided with two sets of neutral gear to use in instances where there is a colour clash.
"Myself or operations will sit in the mandatory meetings. Games where the colours are too close, we will have a neutral kit and we will inform them what they would need to wear come match day," he said.
