Jack launches CFU Marketing Division

The marketing division of the Caribbean Football Union was officially launched at a function at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday. In attendance were CONCACAF President Jack Warner, CFU association presidents, Jamaican Government ministers and football dignitaries from the regional organisations. Held on a weekend of activities planned to take place in Kingston, the occasion was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony at the offices of the marketing division at the tenth floor of The Towers in Kingston.

Feature speaker at the launching ceremony was Warner who said that in the midst of the CFU’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the latest addition of its marketing arm now left a whole lot to be looked forward to in the future. “For a body such as the CFU, 25 years is a time  to look back at what was achieved and to look forward at what is still there to achieve. It is a time when  we look back on our achievements and  whether we are either satisfied or not,” Warner said. “We look back at stumbling blocks along the way and see how we would have overcome them. For a young man or woman, 25 years is not a time for looking back but a time to look ahead. A time to build, a time to look to the future and it is against this background, the CFU in my humble view is being mirrored as a young man or woman,” the FIFA vice-president said.
 
Warner outlined and explained reasons for the forming of the Marketing Division which was met with approval from all present at the launch.
“We in the Caribbean Football Union are starting to take charge and take responsibility for our own faith, our own business and our own family of commercial supporters. Let me hasten to add that no sponsor owes us a living but I also hasten to add equally that they have a moral obligation to help and so few do and those who do, do so little and this could be because we don’t market our product as we really should. Hence the reason for a marketing division,” Warner said. He added that while regional governments were not providing enough assistance towards the development of football, the time had come for the national associations to do it on their own and hence the marketing division would play a vital role. “What the Caribbean needs is to get up on its own and become proactive. We must try to convince the governments  because sometimes they don’t help because of ignorance, they don’t see the need for sport and this is because they don’t understand that the flags of our countries can only be flown on the field of sport,” said Warner.

“Through this newly formed marketing division under the astute leadership of Captain Horace Burrell and his dedicated staff, we in the Caribbean now have to harness the commercial energies of the region for the benefit of football,” Warner said. “We must be able to demonstrate to the companies and governments the need to assist in the development of our youth, to improve their growing skills, the need to help to foster the international recognition of our best players and national teams. This is why it was felt that this Division couldn’t come at a better time,” Warner added. Captain Burrell echoed similar sentiments as Warner, saying that he felt new life would be brought into the region’s football. “Over the years we have always hoped to do something for Caribbean  football development and I am very happy that Jamaica has played a lead role in this respect and to have this office sited in Jamaica is a tremendous,” Burrell said.

“I think Jamaica has a role to play in the whole shaping of the Caribbean in all respects. I really must thank President Warner for helping Jamaica to realise this dream. The challenge will be great but some  seem to thrive on challenges, and this is yet another one that certainly we will feature well in,” he said. The Jamaican mentioned that already initiatives will take off and he intends to form partnerships with corporate bodies in the coming months. “The immediate aim  is to get some serious sponsors on board and get the department moving. I think as President Warner said, that if we are to do well and continue our football development, then our marketing arm must function well,” he said. “Certainly this is a motivation to get the ball rolling. We are all ready and rearing to go. I have some interesting initiatives that will be announced shortly which I am looking forward to having implemented,” Burrell ended.