LUCEA, Hanover — Vassel Reynolds, who led Wolmer’s Boys’ School to the FLOW Super Cup title and the ISSA/Flow Manning Cup final this season, is to replace Aaron Lawrence as the coach of Rusea’s High in the daCosta Cup competition next season, well-placed sources have told the Jamaica Observer.
It is understood that the “deal is all but signed, sealed and done” and Reynolds will make the move cross-country to try to restore the 10-time daCosta Cup champions to their past glory next season.
Rusea’s High, the second-most successful school in the rural area competition with 10 titles between 1984 and 2011, were left without a coach after Lawrence saw out his three-year contract earlier this year before advising the school that he would not be seeking an extension.
Repeated efforts to contact Reynolds and officials at Rusea’s proved futile.
Lawrence was at Rusea’s for three years and under his guidance, the school qualified for the lucrative FLOW Super Cup Knockout for the first time, beating Haile Selassie High in the first round before losing to Cornwall College on penalty kicks in the quarter-finals in one of the most highly anticipated games of the entire schoolboy football season.
After a slow start to the 2014 season when they were second in Zone B behind Frome Technical, then finished last in their inter-zone group, they made it as far as the quarter-finals the next two seasons and had a combined record of 19 wins, seven draws and eight losses.
Lawrence described his decision to leave the Rusea’s job as “a difficult one, but then not so difficult”. “There was too much pressure at Rusea’s to win and we did not have the facilities we are used to, like boarding in the past,” as he elaborated.
Lawrence, a former Reggae Boyz goalkeeper and captain, said also that there were a lot of influences, and while he got the full support of the school and the principal, there were more that he was expecting, especially from the past students, but that did not materialise.
“It was best to move on... I need to think about me and my family now,” Lawrence said.
“We could have gone further, could have done better, so we failed as a team,” he added.
Despite their loss to Cornwall College in the Flow Super Cup, Rusea’s appeared well set to make a run at the rural area double — the daCosta Cup and Ben Francis KO. After beating Paul Bogle High 2-1, they were beaten 3-1 at Dinthill in their next quarter-final game and then lost 1-0 to Lennon at Jarrett Park to end their season under a cloud.
LAUDERHILL, Florida – Jamaica’s All-Island U-19 schoolboy footballers claimed their sixth lien in eight years on the CASA Youth Soccer Championship trophy after beating Fort Lauderdale Strikers 4-3 on penalties in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday.
With an average of four goals per game and unbeaten coming into the finals, Fort Lauderdale found it difficult to penetrate the defensive unit of the Jamaicans, which was marshalled by captain Jahwani Hinds, Ajeanie Talbott, Oquin Robinson and Michael Heaven.
Jamaica got their clearest chance in the first half when Tyrek Magee picked up a beautiful diagonal pass from Heaven on the right, but his tame shot went wide of the mark from close range in the seventh minute. That was only one of two chances the Jamaicans got in the entire first period which ended 0-0.
On the resumption, the Jamaicans settled quickly and looked more purposeful going forward, but poor finishing kept them off the scoring sheet 15 minutes into the half. In the 52nd minute, Jourdain Fletcher, with the goalkeeper at his mercy, failed to capitalise on a splitting mid-field pass from Duhaney Williams.
Five minutes later, a combination between Williams and MVP Peter-Lee Vassell in the six-yard box saw the latter misjudging a nicely timed pass, which ended in the hands of the goalkeeper. Minutes later, a rebound from a brilliant volley off the right foot of Andrew Daley produced a very tame follow up shot from Williams in the six-yard area.
Fort Lauderdale Strikers took the lead in the 61st minute after Inigo Sagardul latched on to a loose ball on the right side of the six-yard box and sent a right-footer pass Shamar Jamenson in goal.
The goal, however, did not seem to rattle the Jamaicans as they maintained their offensive sway and continued to create chances. Fletcher, Williams and substitute Alphonso Gordon all got opportunities, but saves by the Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper and poor shooting kept the Jamaicans off the scoresheet to that point.
Five minutes from game’s end, prolific goal-scorer Jourdain Fletcher gave Jamaica the equaliser, which ultimately sent the game into penalty kicks. Fletcher picked up a loose ball near the edge of the six-yard area and fired low to beat the Fort Lauderdale Strikers custodian.
The game was held up for a few minutes as the hosts protested that the goal was off a loose fairplay ball. The referee allowed the goal, however, as it had touched a Fort Lauderdale player.
About a minute from regulation time, Jamaica should have gone up 2-1, but Duhaney Williams’ went for glory instead of passing to the unmarked Fletcher who was in a better position to go for goal.
Gooden, Fabian Grant, Vassell and Fletcher converted for Jamaica, while a Fort Lauderdale miss and a save by goalkeeper Jamenson gave Jamaica the 4-3 win.
Coach Miguel Coley was very happy for the victory.
“We were in a very tough zone and with the challenge of teamwork from a bunch of players who never played together before, I thought we did very well,” he said.
Captain Hinds, who was playing in his third CASA Classic, said: “It was a very good championship win, especially when you consider the togetherness of the team and that Jamaica missed out the two previous years.”
As Waterhouse FC continue to toil in the vineyard, recently appointed Head Coach Glendon “Admiral” Bailey believes his team is now at the turning point of their Red Stripe Premier League campaign.
Bailey, who took over the reins at the Drewsland-based club almost two months ago, was brought in to foil their battle against relegation, after Marvin Tate was relieved of his duties some 13 games into the season.
Though only registering two wins and one draw from his seven outings in charge thus far, the bold “Admiral” is hoping to strike with lethal force as his desperate team crafts the great escape.
A convincing 3-0 beating of Arnett Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday has set the “Fire house” team ablaze with confidence, as they are a mere two points away from avoiding the drop zone.
Goals by Romario Campbell (69th minute) and substitutes Kemar Beckford (63rd) and Irvino English (81st) earned them three valuable points which pushed them up to 18 in 11th position on the 12-team standing.
“This is definitely a good platform to build on. I told them before the game that this can be our turning point of the season, all we have to do is just go out there and show the character and come out with a good result.
“If I tell you that I expected us to beat Arnett Gardens by three goals I would be lying. But I know we would have done well and the confidence in the team has paid off,” Bailey told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.
Promoted outfits Maverley-Hughenden and Jamalco FC, as well as former champions Harbour View, all on 20 points, are now within their sights.
“From here we just want to accumulate as much points as possible; there are a lot of points out there to get and it is not over, by any means. We just have to keep working and believe in ourselves; but this is a good starting point and we just have to build on this, we can’t be laid back,” the tactician added.
Bailey, who has two league titles to his credit, underlined that although Sunday’s performance was by no means something to brag about, there were a lot of positives to take into account.
“I wouldn’t say it was excellent, but good. I think the players really applied themselves tactically and technically and that is all I have been asking them from I came…. to just trust me and trust the system and give us some more effort, energy and fight, and we saw that.
“We definitely dominated the midfield and we got our chances and we put them away. I think we could have created more damage but that is the nature of the game. I am very pleased with how we played as a unit — with a whole lot of spirit and fight,” Bailey noted.
Equipped with a balanced team of youth and experience, Bailey has acquired the services of former Arnett Gardens front man Neicko “Engine” Williams and another upcoming “Jungle”-bred star in Javoni “Badge” Simms.
Both were thrown into battle against the South St Andrew club, with Williams relishing the opportunity to prove a point against his former employers.
“As a coach being in this thing for a while, I have always known that when a player comes from a club there must be a reason why he left, so he is going to have more vigour and more energy to play against his former club.
“That was always the plan with Neicko Williams and he really came with the spark and the energy which lifted the team, so we are pleased that it worked in our favour,” said Bailey.
“Simms is another good player and I think he will assist us very well; he didn’t get enough playing time today but with that being said, I think he is still not where I want him to be in terms of fitness. So once I get him peaking, I think he will provide the same kind of sparks that Williams did,” the coach ended.
Waterhouse will have a grand opportunity to make one step up with their next assignment being against Harbour View on Sunday.
TUCKER, St James - Defending champions and leaders Montego Bay United (MBU) will hope their recent history against Tivoli Gardens will hold when the two clash in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table game in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) at WesPow Park on Sunday, starting at 3:00 pm.
Both teams have established themselves as the form teams in the competition, combining for an impressive record over the past few months.
MBU, who have lost just once in their last 10 games, lead the points table with 42, three more than Tivoli Gardens, who have lost just once in their last 12 outings.
MBU, however, have had the better of Tivoli Gardens of late, winning their last four meetings without conceding a goal, and have won five of their last seven meetings over the last two seasons.
After resting a number of their regular starters and fielding a team with six players aged 22 years or less in their 2-1 win over Jamalco FC on Sunday, the champions are expected to welcome back a number of senior players this Sunday, including midfielder Dwayne Ambusley, Dino Williams, Donovan Carey and Keniel Kirlew.
Owayne Gordon, the MVP last season who scored 20 goals, has made a good return to the team, while Kashief Brown and Ramone Sibley could both challenge for a place in the starting team. So too can schoolboy sensation Jourdaine Fletcher, who was called up to the national senior team for the first time this week.
Two schoolboy players made their debut on Sunday and one, 18-year-old Michael Heaven, could retain his place in the defence this week alongside national player Ladale Richie, the backbone of the MBU defence.
Tivoli Gardens’ Jermaine Johnson and Elton Thompson have combined for 15 of the team’s 29 goals scored and are expected to lead the charge against MBU on Sunday.
Tivoli Gardens have won more games away from the Edward Seaga Complex this year than at home, winning seven and drawing one, compared to winning just five at home, drawing two and losing two.
However, MBU boast the best home record — losing just once, and drawing one, and with nine wins chalked up — while scoring 16 of their 27 goals scored on their turf.
Craig Foster has scored three goals and provided one assist in four Red Stripe Premier League matches for Reno FC since his return in January.
This has been a key factor in pushing the Westmoreland-based club to a three-game unbeaten run, which leave them three points outside the top six and importantly seven clear of the relegation places.
At this stage last season, Reno were in eight position and looking like a club heading into the relegation battles.
However, with a completely new-look unit to include Foster plus a couple young players such as the current STETHS midfielder-turn-striker Demar James and Michael 'Diddy' Kerr, Reno are beginning to look like a refreshing unit under technical director Wendell Downswell.
Their come-from-behind 1-1 draw on Sunday at home against a powerful Portmore United team came on the back of a gutsy performance, with the game-tying goal coming in added time from a thunderous Afiba Chambers header.
The draw keeps them five clear of Maverley-Hughenden (20 Pts) in the chase of sixth place Arnett Gardens FC, who suffered a surprising 3-0 defeat to relegation candidate Waterhouse FC on Sunday, but gave Downswell and his team additional confidence moving forward.
Chairman of the St Catherine Referees Association Oneil Clayton has called on the Franklyn Brown-led Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) administration to resign. Clayton stated that referees islandwide are disgruntled about how their affairs are managed and how referees fees are being utilised.
The St Catherine and Clarendon referees groups recently withdrew their membership from the JFRA, and Clayton accused Brown of not providing adequate services for the fees charged and insisted on a forensic audit and that money owed be paid over to them.
He also questioned the organisation's purpose after FIFA placed the responsibilities of administering and training local elite referees on national associations in 2014. Clayton says that the JFRA is nothing more than a social club that is still not meeting its members' needs.
"We pay $,1500 a month for referee dues, $450 for CUG, $50 for welfare, and $335 for insurance. So a balance of $655 is left. When other people were in charge, that $655 was used for Christmas parties and awards, but we haven't had one in six years. So why pay over this fund?" he asked.
Clayton, a vice-president in the previous administration, led by Courtney Campbell, said that Campbell generated sponsorship to host these functions during his stint so money in the JFRA coffers for that purpose was untouched.
But Brown noted that the decision to discontinue the annual Christmas party was taken by the previous administrators, and instead, funds were allocated to the confederations to host their own parties and awards.
"Central had it one time and KSAFA held theirs twice, and they got their money. Other confeds were supposed to do it, including South Central, but they did not, but the money is there for them to use," he stated.
A $15,000 salary bump given to the two office administrators after the association cried that it had no funds is also a bone of contention for Clayton. Brown, however, countered that the increase was long overdue.
OTHERS MAY PULL AWAY
Clayton warned that the actions of the JFRA would force other parish referee associations to pull away from the organisation, and wants Brown and his executives to resign and an audit to be done before fresh elections are called.
"The JFRA is not a must. You don't have to be a part of the it based on constitution, so pulling away from the JFRA means we will save some funds. My referees (St Catherine) have a problem, so we send a letter; Clarendon is having problems and they are brave enough to send a letter, and there are more letters to come," Clayton said. "They all need to resign, put everything on pause, have a forensic audit, and start afresh. It (JFRA) serves no purpose whatsoever."
Brown is nonetheless ignoring the calls for his resignation and notes that they are in the process of doing an audit. He also hopes to iron out some of the concerns raised.
"I have nothing to resign for and I have no intention of resigning," he stated. "Mr Clayton doesn't have the moral or legal right to question the purpose of the organisation ... the JFRA is of utmost importance. It is very relevant and needed."
"We are in the process of doing an audit soon, which will be supplied to all the members of the JFRA. We hope to iron things out with Clarendon. They have some legitimate concerns, and we are hopeful we can discus and come to a better understanding, and they will want to come back," added Brown. "St Catherine has flatly rejected any meeting with us. But any time St Catherine feel they want to return to the JFRA, the door is wide open."
Do you think it's a good idea for the FA to rule that all teams in the Major Leagues and up, that are legitimately registered teams, have their own professionally kept venue?
Do you think setting that standard who help to push the game into a more professional path?
We are curious to know who you think is hands down the most exciting player to come out of Jamaican football. We ask this because FBJ is in the business of getting to know players that we might not have known, or to bring fresh to memories we might have forgotten.
Describe why you think that player is the most exciting and the team(s) they've played for throughout their careers.
We think this will be a difficult one to fathom and talk about.
We want to know who you think would be the most decorated player out of St. Ann.
This should be thought about similar to counting the amount of cautions a team has accumulated throughout the season, meaning the most prestigious titles puts that player to the top first, so winning the national league would automatically place you towards the top and if you won more than one should be considered, etc.
Share your thoughts on who you think has deserved to sit at the pinnacle, we can provide a list of potential candidates if need be.
Here are some things to consider:
- National titles
- National caps
- The most caps on a given team
- The total number of teams played for on a national level
- Success outside of St. Ann as well as in the parish.
PRESIDENT of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), Dr Walton Small, has hit back at high-school athletics coaches, saying that proposed changes for the ISSA-Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships were based on their own complaints about watering down the event.
Small has also said that ISSA governs school sports, and that the issue of recruitment, as it relates to academics, is the purview of the Ministry of Education.
ISSA's Technical Committee will vote on Friday on several changes to the annual high-school track meet. One change would see track athletes being restricted to two individual events, as well as two relays.
The proposals have been met with opposition from the Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association (JATAFCA).
Last week, a post on JATAFCA's Facebook page pointed out that despite adjustments to the rules, 454 fewer athletes competed in Champs in 2016 than in 2010.
"They (ISSA) are presiding over a period of decline. They need to pause and do the analysis in terms of the decisions being made," JATAFCA President David Riley told The Gleaner.
Small said coaches were instrumental in those changes.
"When I hear that, I wonder if they have memory lapse, because we made those changes because of their suggestions ... from the coaches and other experts in the field that what we were doing was bringing student athletes to Champs that did not merit the quality of the meet; that we should be displaying the best of the best. It was because of that suggestion why we increased the standards, and if we increase the standard for qualification, you are going to automatically get fewer people," Small said.
"Every year after Champs we do a review and we have a technical committee that is made up of very knowledgeable people and they advise us based on reactions, and one of our things is looking to just cutting down on the workload of students because one of our aims is to ensure that we do not expose our students to undue stress and pressure.
"These rules that we have made are because we are listening. It must not be said that ISSA was insensitive to the health of the students," he added.
Small conceded that Champs athlete numbers were getting smaller, but said that it was because the quality had improved, thereby weeding out athletes who were not up to scratch.
A bone of contention for Riley was that the practice of recruiting student athletes needed to be regulated.
Small, however, said ISSA has rules governing how recruited athletes can participate, but that he could not stop the schools.
"We are not into the business of regulating where students go. That is the business of the Ministry of Education. However, so as not to have wanton movement, we have put in rules. Yes, there are the pros and cons of transfer, (but) not all good athletes move from their school," Small said.
A number of student athletes, with and without Jamaican familial connections, have participated at Champs, and while the argument was made that they are being developed at the expense of Jamaican students, Small again said he had no control over their movements.
"If a child comes to Jamaica, we cannot stop them. Once you are a student you have a right to participate in ISSA sports," he noted.
Small said a clearing house system had been instituted with the intent of regulating how students are recruited.
The clearing, house, he said, prevents one school from recruiting a student without the knowledge of his or her current school administration. A registration system also identifies any student moving from one school to the next.
