G2K knocks PNPYO"s political clubs in schools suggestion

Tuesday, February 04, 2014 | 10:06 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has disagreed with a stance by the People’s National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) for political clubs to be established in high schools.

 “While we strongly believe that young people should be introduced to proper principles of governance and democracy, we are however wary of wanting to introduce minors to political clubs especially in our current tribal system of politics,” said G2K president Floyd Green.

“What is needed is a strong civics programme where students are made to understand the concept of citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that are embodied in that concept and how that interacts with the political process,” Green added.

According to G2K vice president Matthew Samuda, high schools students are already exposed to the concepts of representation and politics through participation in their clubs and societies and especially through student councils.

He argued that Students Councils “should be strengthened so that the voice of the student representative can truly effect change throughout secondary schools”.

G2K further accused the PNPYO of having senior students at a prominent high school use the public announcement system to encourage children at the school to join the PNPYO.

“That was not a push to form a non-aligned political club; it was an attempt to indoctrinate young impressionable minds in the thinking of a political party.  We cannot deny that this may open up our children to unnecessary victimisation and presents issues of undue influence, issues which our students can very well do without,” said Green.

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G2K knocks PNPYO"s political clubs in schools suggestion

Clubs unlikely to splash cash in transfer window

Sport

Thursday, January 02, 2014

LONDON, England (AP) — When European football’s January transfer window opens for today the market is expected to have a slow start.In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And, although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers.Chasing their first league title in 10 years, the Gunners are reportedly looking for a forward to add to France international Olivier Giroud, who ended a seven-match scoring drought with the winner at Newcastle on Sunday, ensuring that his club starts 2014 at the top.Although Giroud said Arsenal has sufficient attacking options for the remainder of the season with himself, Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hinted he could be tempted to sign a couple of new players.After failing to lure Luis Suarez, Wenger won’t bid again for the Uruguay striker, who signed a new deal with Liverpool this month.“We are, as many clubs, certainly on alert. If something special turns up we will not turn it down,” Wenger said. “But we are not as well desperate because we have a big depth in our squad.”Lagging two points behind Arsenal in the standings at the time of writing, Chelsea could also be looking for extra firepower after Samuel Eto’o, Demba Ba and Fernando Torres scored only six goals between them in the league so far this season.With Ba, Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne possibly leaving, British media reported that Chelsea and Liverpool have held discussions about the possible arrival of Suarez at Stamford Bridge that could make up for Jose Mourinho’s failure to sign Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in the off-season.While a Suarez move to Chelsea looks highly unlikely, Monaco forward Radamel Falcao is a more realistic target for Mourinho, with the Colombian reportedly unhappy in the French league. Xabi Alonso has also been linked with a move to the Blues.

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Clubs unlikely to splash cash in transfer window

European clubs spend $2.3B on player transfers

LONDON, England (AP) — The world’s richest football league is getting even richer, although the wealth of English clubs is also benefiting teams overseas.

In less than three months during the European transfer window, more than $2.3 billion was spent by clubs in the continent’s top five leagues — with a third of that shipped by Premier League sides overseas, according to an analysis by accountancy firm Deloitte.Such spending might seem at odds with the economic hardships being experienced by many fans, but the transfer window splurges are not slowing down.Even though there are relatively new Financial Fair Play regulations in European football, the days of the big-money moves are not over.“If a price of a player is high or not high, I think this is the market and we cannot intervene in this market,” FIFA President Sepp Blatter said yesterday. “It is definitely a European market.”In less than three months, £490 million (US$760 million) of the £630 million (US$980 million) paid out by English sides landed in bank accounts abroad — up 60 per cent year-on-year.The record spending spree, though, was in part the result of Tottenham generating 100 million euros (US$132 million) by selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in a world-record deal.Even though Spaniards have been in recession for much of the past four years, they turned out in their thousands on Monday to laud the arrival of a player reportedly being paid around 350,000 euros (US$461,000) a week.The head of world football can see how incongruous that looks.“You say the country is a poor country or indebted, but in football you always find money,” Blatter said. “If a player is the value of that (100 million euros), I doubt, I doubt, but I cannot stop this. Gareth Bale, he can prove now that he is better than (Cristiano) Ronaldo.”Spanish top-flight clubs, however, did make an overall transfer profit in the summer of 110 million euros (US$145 million) and Italian sides had a 12 million-euro (US$16-million) surplus.Financial planning wasn’t so astute elsewhere.Net spending by Premier League clubs was £400 million (US$622 million), while the figure was 150 million euros (US$198 million) in France, and 60 million euros (US$79 million) in Germany.The spending power of England’s top-flight clubs has been strengthened by new television deals that are generating more than US$8.5 billion over the next three years.“Testament to the impact (the TV revenue) is having is in the scale of Premier League gross spending, as well as the gulf in net spending between the Premier League and other European leagues,” said Alex Thorpe from Deloitte’s sports division.“Whereas many clubs around Europe have been reliant on selling players in order to spend, the financial advantages Premier League clubs enjoy have enabled net spending of £400 million across the league.”Around £140 million (US$218 million) was shelled out by Premier League clubs on the frantic final day on the transfer window, with Arsenal scrambling to break their transfer record to bring Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid for a club record 50 million euros (US$66 million).Deadline-day can create a frenzy, with champion Manchester United managing to squeeze just one notable deal over the line — Marouane Fellaini joined from Everton for £27.5 million (US$43 million) — despite months pursuing talent across Europe.Despite calls to close the transfer window before the season starts, finding an agreeable date across Europe is tough.“I agree it is too long but the whole world is involved and don’t play at the same time as we do,” UEFA President Michel Platini said. “The clubs also want to have transfers finished before the start of their competition.

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European clubs spend $2.3B on player transfers