In a landmark moment for football in St. Lucia, Tier 1 district league
players in the Saint Lucia Semi Professional Football League have
begun receiving payments. This pivotal milestone, initiated with the
2024 season’s kickoff in March, signifies a major step in the league’s
mission to leverage football to transform lives. We get the details in
this report.
The distribution of player salaries commenced in May,
following the Philip Pierre administration’s presentation and approval
of the 2024/2025 revenue and expenditure estimates. The payment
framework has been meticulously crafted to ensure transparency and
accountability from both the SemiPro League and the participating
teams.
Player payments are calculated using a points system that takes into
account discipline, punctuality, participation in training, and
personal development activities, in addition to the basic match day
remuneration. Team administrators play a vital role in registering
each player and providing the necessary information to facilitate
payments. A growing number of teams have completed their paperwork,
and disbursements are being made to their respective banks or credit
unions.
Discussing this pioneering achievement, the SemiPro League’s CEO,
Francis Daniel, expressed his satisfaction with how district leagues
have positioned their players to benefit from this initiative.
Offering his perspective on the achievement, the district coach for
Canaries remarks that although the initial onboarding process may have
been challenging for some, it is essential and well worth the effort.
He believes that going forward, the process for player salaries will
be much smoother.
Meanwhile, players have shared their thoughts on the benefits of the
SPFL and the impact this milestone has on their league careers.
According to David Henry, the payments have improved more than just
their socioeconomic status. Having played overseas and in the SemiPro
Football League, he explains that his value is now acknowledged based
on FIFA’s pro player system.
The SemiPro Football League eagerly anticipates the completion of the
administrative process by all district leagues, enabling players to
fully experience a professionalized sports setup.
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