York’s JFC berth hailed as payoff for McKay Security’s St Thomas backing

Jason McKay has called York Football Club’s place in next season’s Jamaica Football Championship (JFC) among the most rewarding sports bets his firm, McKay Security, has made. The company poured $5.1 million into football across St Thomas, and York’s rise means the parish now has a second JFC outfit alongside Baptist Alliance.

“To have an instant return in a matter of months makes me extremely happy to see a parish like St Thomas, which only needed some help, now having two teams in the JFC, which has been dominated by clubs from the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA),” McKay said.

He noted that York did more than merely qualify: the club claimed the St Thomas Major League title and finished first in its JFC qualifying group, ahead of Cedar Grove from St Catherine and August Town from KSAFA — sides drawn from what he described as the country’s two strongest football parishes.

McKay wants the JFC to look and feel like a genuine national second division, not a competition skewed toward KSAFA and St Catherine clubs. He said the elevation of outfits such as King’s Academy of St Ann and York should push other teams to aim higher.

McKay Security also backs the St Mary Football Association. That parish’s flag-bearer, Axum, missed out after falling to King’s Academy at the group stage. Even so, McKay pointed out that King’s promotion still delivered another JFC seat from beyond the KSAFA–St Catherine corridor.

“A stronger St Mary will have their chance next season to join King’s as qualifiers from that region,” he said.

For next season, KSAFA’s Harbour View and St Catherine Police drop into the JFC after relegation. McKay cautioned that fresh arrivals like York and King’s Academy must upgrade their playing staff swiftly if they are not to become short-lived tenants of the tier.

“St Thomas’ Baptist Alliance have been in the JFC for a while, so York need to ensure they keep their heads above water against these experienced teams. McKay Security will continue to sponsor the St Thomas FA, especially the Under-17 league from which new talent is expected to help feed the parish’s senior teams,” he said.

York sealed a landmark treble, collecting the first McKay Security St Thomas Under-17 crown on top of the St Thomas Major League and the South East regional play-off that locked in their JFC ticket.

St Thomas Football Association president Lascelles Logan said securing sponsors remains core to the association’s push to grow the game in the parish.

“McKay Security’s sponsorship played a big role in eastern St Thomas having York in the JFC, joining Baptist Alliance from the west as Premier League prospects. York showed that we can conquer the powerhouses. With both teams in the JFC, I am on the hunt for more sponsorship.

“We are always seeking sponsorship. However, we need more entities from the parish to assist the clubs. McKay Security is from outside the parish, so too Soccer Xpress, which now owns York. They could have easily spent its money in KSAFA but decided to help St Thomas,” Logan said.