Teams are now in preparation for the May 22, kick off of the Shahine Robinson-sponsored Lime Hall Community Football League, in Lime Hall.
The teams include defending champions New Ground All Stars and, from the same area, New Ground strikers. The other teams are last season’s beaten finalists Pepes Eleven, Lumsden United, Cass .F.C. Tivoli Strikers, Unity Strikers, Youths Strikers, Lime Hall Masters, High in Town Strikers, Corner Shop F.C. Williamsfield Strikers, and C/J Strikers.
Shahine Strikers and Youth Strikers are newcomers to the league.
Teams can collect their entrance and affiliation forms from the president and league director, Clive Brown.
Sponsors Shahine Robinson and Genevor Gordon are looking for a big and exciting season and expect the teams to maintain the high levels of discipline characteristic of the competition over the years.
Former champions National Water Commission (NWC) began the quest to regain their title with a 2-1 win over last year’s beaten finalists Grand Bahia Principe in the opening match of the Sandals-sponsored St Ann/St Mary Business House Football Competition on Sunday.
In a thrilling encounter, NWC team came from a goal down to take the fight to the hotel men and in the end, eked out a dramatic victory at Drax Hall playing field.
Grand Bahia Principe opened the scoring in the 49th minute courtesy of key player Shavar Brown, who made no mistake from the penalty spot. However, NWC stormed back with Dwayne Holmes rounding the goalkeeper to score a masterful goal.
NWC continued their pressure, displaying an exciting brand of attacking football, and earned a well-deserved victory when Ricardo Reid unleashed a scorcher that left the goalkeeper no chance in the 88th minute.
Winning Coach David Pryce lauded his players for their fighting spirit against a very strong Grand Bahia team.
“Teamwork was important to our success. The team kept its discipline and came away with a very hard-fought and very much welcomed win,” Davis noted in a post-game interview.
In the feature match, defending champions and preseason favourites Couples Tower Isle were held to a 2-2 draw by Riu Ocho Rios in another entertaining match.
The teams were met prior to kick-off by Sandals Public Relations Managers Ian Spencer and Crissano Dalley, as well as president of the St Ann Football Association Danny Beckford.
Competition continues today at Drax Hall with the Jewel Dunn’s River tackling newcomers B & H Inside Ja Holdings at 4 pm, while Beaches Ocho Rios are up against former champions Couples Sans Souci in the feature match at 6 pm.
Top teams for Sandals Business House football
The 2016 staging of the Sandals-sponsored St Ann/St Mary Business House Football Competition promises to be the most competitive ever, according to event chairman Danny Beckford.
Speaking at the press launch on Thursday at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, Beckford, who is also president of the St Ann Football Association, noted that defending champions Couples Tower Isle will face a daunting task of repeating their win.
He said this is as a result of a number of former champions being in the hunt this season.
Thirteen teams are slated to take part in the competition, which kicks off with a big double-header today at Drax Hall playing field in St Ann. At 4:00 pm National Water Commission (NWC) battle last season’s runner-up Gran Bahai Principe, while Couples Tower Isle face highly touted RIU Ocho Rios in the feature match at 6:00 pm.
Couples Tower Isle, Couples Sans Souci, Beaches Ocho Rios, Sandals Ochi, RIU Ocho Rios and Moon Palace make up Zone A. Zone B comprises Gran Bahai Principe, Jewel Runaway Bay, National Water Commission, and Stush in the Bush Enterprises, Noranda Bauxite, Banks United and BH Inside Jamaica holdings.
National Water Commission and Noranda Bauxite are two of the former champions that are returning to the competition after a couple years’ absence, and according to Beckford, their presence will add much excitement to the event.
Brian Roper, general manager of Beaches Ocho Rios, spoke of the importance of discipline during the competition. He also pointed to the fact that Sandals Resort had been sponsoring the competition for the past 24 years, which spoke to their commitment as good corporate citizens.
“As sponsors we are very serious about discipline, especially as it relates to starting games on time,” Roper noted, while calling on the organisers to ensure teams are penalised for late starts.
Ramel Sobrino, general manager of Sandals Ochi, in welcoming the participants, noted that many footballers received jobs as a result of the competition and urged players to grasp the opportunity to retain employment at the end of the season.
Sobrino stressed his company’s commitment in assisting with the development of football in the parish as it played a crucial role in keeping the young men off the streets.
Well deserved honour for 'Diggy' Henry
By Adrian Frater, Western Bureau
COME THIS AFTERNOON, a Rusea's High School past student group will be staging a football extravaganza in Lucea to honour the school's long-serving coach, Emerson 'Diggy' Henry, for 20 years of unbroken service to the school.
Without even looking at the excitement this game is expected to provide, I would like to congratulate the organizers of this game for this noble gesture of showing gratitude for Henry's contribution in helping to make Rusea's High school a household name in Jamaica.
When Henry took over the Rusea's team in 1983, the school had never won any schoolboy title, let alone the daCosta Cup. Today however, 20 years on, the school have copped that coveted title seven times and also bagged the Olivier Shield and Ben Francis on a few occasions.
In fact, based on the dazzling record of the Rusea's team in the 1980s, during which they won five of their seven daCosta Cup titles, there is no question that Rusea's was the most successful schoolboy team of that decade and Henry stood unchallenged as the best of the schoolboy coaches.
I think honouring Henry at this time also holds additional significance. Henry, who narrowly escaped death recently when he was shot seven times by gunmen who ambushed Mount Salem team officials after one of the team's training sessions, needs to be told in no uncertain manner that his contribution to the school is much appreciated.
Looking at the highlight of Henry's coaching career, one can't help but reflect on his 1985 team which created history by becoming schoolboy football's first 'grand slam' winners by bagging the daCosta Cup, the Ben Francis Cup, Olivier Shield and the now defunct Nutrament Shield.
In looking at some of the players who have benefitted from Henry's coaching prowess, it is not far from a 'who is who' in national football.
The likes includes 'nationals' such as Linton Stewart, Kenneth Gaynor, Michael Graham, Caple Lawrence, Donald Hewitt, Mark `Hagler` Wilson and current national captain, Aaron Lawrence.
In so far as this afternoon's games are concerned, it should provide a chance to look at what Rusea's will have on offer this year when the current daCosta Cup team match skills with their Herbert Morrison counterparts in the curtain raiser.
The second game, which will see a Rusea's team of the 80s matching their counterparts of the 90s, should bring back a great deal of nostalgia to the fans.
As an ardent fan of the football of the 80s and 90s, I am definitely looking forward to watching the feature game. I definitely want to see how much of the magic of their schoolboy days players such as Gaynor, Edward Campbell, Hewitt, Troy Malcolm, Loxley Reid and Graham have retained.
Based on reliable information, Henry still has three of the seven bullets that struck him in body. However, the source said he is now able to move around and will be at the game to watch his former charges match their skills against each other.
As a token of respect for Henry and his enviable achievements at Rusea's, I think all true fans of football in western Jamaica should go out and support this game. Frankly speaking, I think it makes far more sense to honour a person when he or she is around to appreciate it.
John Barnes did a football clinic back in the days where he toured the island and did some wonderful things for kids who were interested to learn the game, or just some who had skills but wasn't yet fine tuned, or needed a word of encouragement.
That was a fantastic thing to do, really fantastic in my opinion, and as someone who would've done anything at the time to meet JB, i felt special when I got let on the Chukka Cove field to be a part of the clinic.
Why aren't we pushing and favouring that across the island in order to enlarge the sports section in the papers and take over the real estate back from all the stories of violence?
I would love to see a few of them big sports personalities finally come to their senses and realize gaining money and riches is not the end, but the beginning of what you can then teach those coming up after you.
Let's get back out there and teach, and help.
Thanks JB, for what you did back then, it was an inspiration.
I mean picture is one but shouldn't this have it's own body of people initializing this?
If a kid can develop the passion from these programmes, don't you think they would give back when them grow up?
I mean, if me get buy and a get paid US8000 a week because my jersey a sell, and i'm on the national team. I would give some of that money to the program itself, or at least volunteer to be a part of it!
I have been watching the different "grassroots" programmes put on by JFF over the last number of years, and I must say a lot of it is shambolic to say the least!
Why aren't we motivating kids in the "grassroots" programmes to learn new languages? Spanish, French, Portuguese
Why would we wait for them to learn a language *after* they move to a certain country on football business?
Wouldn't it be great to put down that one knows a minimum of 4 languages?
Why isn't JFF more aggressive towards sports and building academys, even if it is to farm out the youths; at least they will have something to look forward to other than meeting a brick wall after reaching a certain again.
Why isn't a true grassroots programme isn't prepared, and spread across al parishes via the JFF representatives of that parish?
Why is it just for show and the moment someone stops looking then the program dies?
Don't you think athletics would have died if treated that way too?
Since the 60's how many athletics champions have we had?
Is it that we are worthless and deserve to be at the bottom of the football pile instead of respected as a formidable force in the game?
We have not won anything; don't get swell-headed about it. A trophy here, or one there in 3 generations is not winning anything. The demands should be higher, and we shouldn't even smile upon winning a single competition. We are just too talented for that.
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