At a press conference held at Real Equity Professional Suites on Monday, September 9, Arnett Garden Football Club (AGFC) Chairman Mark Golding announced that effective September 1, the club has been managed by Dream Entertainment.

Key speakers at the press conference included Golding, Head Coach Xavier Gilbert, General Manager Peter Thelwell, and team captain Fabian Reid. Also present were Dream Entertainment’s Chairman Kamal Bankay, General Managing Director Scott Dunn, and director Ryan Reid.

Member of Parliament and former Chairman of AGFC Omar Davies stopped by to congratulate the management and team on the partnership agreement.

Functioning as host for the conference, Bankay noted that the partnership will make a positive change for local sports.

“Today is a historic day not only for Dream Entertainment, not only for Arnett Gardens, but for football and by extension sports in Jamaica, primarily because it is seeing the biggest brands in what we would call professional football in Jamaica unite with the biggest brand of entertainment in Jamaica,” Bankay stated.

Golding noted that the partnership would be fruitful since Dream Entertainment will come in with its expertise in strategic management and entertainment.

“I have been very focused over the past six or so years on how we can make professional club football sustainable,” he said.

“I was part of a small group of football stakeholders who conceptualised the need for a new entity to help manage and commercialise the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) and that work gave rise to Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL),” he added.

Golding explained that the PFJL has been working hard to achieve greater revenues from the Premier League and the clubs as they seek to improve standards. At the same time, the FC has been working hard to try to improve revenues and professionalise the club as much as they can through Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) licensing and maintaining the physical plant.

“Importantly for me, I was seeking a commercial partner to help to guide the strategy to manage the club forward, to grow revenues and achieve financial sustainability…this is important because any enterprise needs to achieve that to prepare for the medium to long term which is the goal,” he added.

He noted that the club has been a leading brand in football, “much loved and supported not only in the community where it’s based, but the wider Jamaica, diaspora and beyond”

“One of my goals as a Member of Parliament and chairman of the FC is to try and achieve sustainability… the principals of Dream Entertainment have already established themself in the field of entertainment as being innovators and very capable executors of successful entertainment…” he said

Dream Entertainment will be working with the existing management team of the FC.

Dunn shared his passion for entertainment, noting that sports is by far the “biggest consumed part of entertainment”.

“This is not just a little side thing for Dream Entertainment; this is now a primary part of our business and focus,” he said. “I am going to be a regular in the community, and I hope to be embraced. I and Dream come into the community with a good heart. We want to build the community and build the football club.”

Dunn said he does not believe in losing and wants Arnett Gardens to win at everything, and win as a community.

He believes that local football is too community-focused, and should be globalised.

“There are more Jamaicans outside of Jamaica than inside, and we have more money outside than we do locally,” he added. “Arnett Gardens is going to be their football club, I promise you that!”

“We are going to build the spirit of winning throughout the diaspora and make Arnett Gardens a bigger brand,” he added.

Thelwell stated his eagerness to partner with the “Dream Team”, sharing his hopes of their skills aiding in the advancement of the operations.

“This is your area of expertise, so we are hoping that you bring your technology, management, and marketing skills…and help us to enhance and foster community engagement,” he said.

Head Coach Xavier Gilbert shared his excitement, stating that it is a fitting partnership.

“Them coming on board will assist us greatly in terms of executing and making the brand even bigger.”

AGFC Captain Reid shared in the enthusiasm of his chairman, coach and the “Dream Team”, saying he wished his team could be here to witness and feel the excitement in the room in real-time.

“Big thanks to the Dream Team for coming on board,” he said. “Arnett Gardens is a community with passion, pride and so I’m glad we are getting the help,”

“From football ah play and wi a win, we will get the support… mi really happy to see that we have a sponsor… Arnett Gardens is a fighting team… we believe inna winning,” he added. “The team is happy about the partnership… we will do our part as a team.”