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Waite calls for VAR
January 28, 2025
Tivoli Gardens Football Club's head coach Jerome Waite has reiterated calls for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to be introduced to local football, this for the second time in two weeks.
On Sunday, Waite's team went down 1-0 to league leaders Mount Pleasant Football Academy in their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.
However, with his team trailing late in the game, forward Lennox Russell was brought down just outside the area, with the player clear through on goal. However, the referee made no call.
A similar incident was also waved off a few weeks ago when the West Kingston club faced Portmore United at the same venue, and in his post-match interview, Waite said the local governing body needed to find a way to get the VAR system implemented locally.
"I am not here to talk about referees," he commented. "But if it was a live (television) game Jamaica and the wider spectrum would have seen what took place. The JFF who is in charge of the football, we need to move in the direction where the rest of the world is, and it is VAR"
In his first pronouncement, Waite insists that this is the only way local referees will improve and players will understand the rules of the game.
The long-time coach who has won multiple Premier League titles echoed those sentiments again on Sunday.
"That is the only way our referees will improve and you will be teaching the players," he said.
Meanwhile, Waite graciously congratulated his Mount Pleasant counterpart, Theodore Whitmore, after Mount Pleasant defeated Tivoli to break the record for the longest winning streak ( 11 games) in the JPL.
The previous record was held by Arnett Gardens FC, with Waite leading the 'Junglists' to 10 consecutive wins in 2015.
"It is a part of life. This (record) is something that we spoke about as it relates to the Tivoli team going into this game. But I must congratulate them on achieving the milestone and adding an additional game to the record," he stated.
It was a second straight defeat for Tivoli, who are seventh in the table on 26 points, six behind sixth-place Waterhouse and four in front of eighth-place Racing.
Waite said there is still a long way to go in the championship race.
"We put up a stunning fight and I believe we should have got a point out of this game, and it could have been three based on the two clear opportunities (near the end) that we created. But there are still a lot of games to play so there's no need to panic, and the team will be a better team moving forward," he predicted.
