In an effort to bolster its operational and financial capacity, Portmore United Football Club has gained additional owners namely United Sports Group (USG), a consortium comprising Tina Matalon, Ryan Reid, Khary Robinson, Duncan Stewart and Jackie Lechler.

Their investment is believed to be close to the valuation of Portmore United Football Club. This now makes it a force in Jamaica’s premier league football and it is hoped that other business leaders will follow suit with other local football clubs.

United Sports Group will not play a role in the day-to-day management of Portmore United Club but will serve more as a guardian angel. 

Portmore is the most populated sprawling urban area in Jamaica and this investment will also act as a fillip for the development of the area. It now means that Portmore United can develop talent and look to export players to some of the most successful leagues in the world. Already, Leon Bailey of Craig Butler’s Phoenix Academy is a shining star at Aston Villa in the English Premier  League.

Of this investment Khary Robinson, Chairman of  Norbrook Equity Partners said: “United Sports Group believes that this strategic investment will not only restore Portmore United Football Club to its historical glory but also empower the club to become a beacon of success, development and community upliftment in Jamaican football.

“Our ability to impact positive change alongside a great group of leaders in the sport became clear and we are committed to delivering the time, strategic support and capital to enable that change.

CEO of Proven Investments Christopher Williams, who is the Chairman of Professional Football Jamaica Limited ( PFJL) which runs the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), has long called on corporate Jamaica to support local football and thus play a vital role in community life. He also sees financial opportunities in Jamaican football.

Both Khary Robinson and his brother Kimani were promising youth footballers but chose to make their names in the business arena. They both still have a keen interest in the sport. 

Khary Robinson continued: “ For years having played the sport at the highest local level myself, I wanted to get more involved in the long-term development of Jamaican football as I have been fortunate enough to see first-hand the positive impact of the sport on players and their supporting communities.” 

Speaking with Our Today, Christopher Williams said, “I want to applaud United Sports Group for their vision and tenacity. The reality is Jamaica has a hugely demanded entertainment product and consumption of entertainment is dominated by streaming platforms. The most popular streamed entertainment is reality content which is sport and the most popular sport is football. Local football will deliver consumption numbers and advertising revenue, bringing monetisation which will benefit the owners of the club. 

“I am looking forward to working with them and they will see that this investment is one of the best that they have ever made. This will lead to better sponsorship, better revenues, better gate receipts, better player sales. Stay tuned for more investors buying into local football. There are at least three other major investors in discussions with other clubs. The playoffs in May have been fabulous, well-attended events. The Jamaica Premier League will be the IPL of the hemisphere.”