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<DIV class=HTMLTitle><SPAN id=Ar0460000 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">NPL off to slow, boring start </SPAN></DIV><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><DIV class=HTMLContent style="OVERFLOW: auto"><SPAN id=Ar0460001 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">When western sports fans say the Wray and Nephew National Premier League is off to a slow start, we are referring specifically to the western teams, which, with the exception of Village United, have traditionally had to play catch-up. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">However, with just three rounds gone in the season, it would appear that the majority of the teams are off to a slow start, forcing fans to suffer through a number of boring games. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Five clubs are yet to win a game while one, 2004/2005 champions Portmore United, have not scored a goal in 240 minutes of football. Four of the 18 games have ended nil all and only four clubs have managed, so far, to score four goals or more. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Harbour View, which has won all its games so far, and defending champions, Waterhouse, who have dropped two points, are off to good starts. </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460002 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Harbour View was off to a similar start last year, leading by up to 13 points at one point before they were caught and reeled in by Waterhouse. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Of the four western clubs, Reno and Wadadah — winners of two of their three games so far — are off to their best start in years. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">After the Reggae Boyz’ pathetic display in failing to get out of the first round of the Caribbean Football Union’s first round, despite having home advantage, the slow start might have deeper meanings. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Some might argue that it is due to the fact that they are getting a better understanding of how the league system works, </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460003 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">but I doubt that very much. The league system is not a new concept and all the kinks have long been worked out. The key to winning in a league is to stay consistent for the duration of the competition, be it four months or nine months. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Another of the mysteries of the young season so far is the less than inspired play. Normally, following a World Cup, the standard of play — at least at the start of the season — is always high, at least above the norm, but this has not been the case. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The NPL is not a sprint, but a marathon that will go on until next April or May and this will </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460004 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">give the clubs time to get into a rhythm and hopefully, the </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460005 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">standard will rise to a more acceptable level. </SPAN></DIV><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><DIV class=HTMLImage><IMG id=Pc0460100 src="http://activepaper.olive
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">When western sports fans say the Wray and Nephew National Premier League is off to a slow start, we are referring specifically to the western teams, which, with the exception of Village United, have traditionally had to play catch-up. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">However, with just three rounds gone in the season, it would appear that the majority of the teams are off to a slow start, forcing fans to suffer through a number of boring games. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Five clubs are yet to win a game while one, 2004/2005 champions Portmore United, have not scored a goal in 240 minutes of football. Four of the 18 games have ended nil all and only four clubs have managed, so far, to score four goals or more. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Harbour View, which has won all its games so far, and defending champions, Waterhouse, who have dropped two points, are off to good starts. </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460002 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Harbour View was off to a similar start last year, leading by up to 13 points at one point before they were caught and reeled in by Waterhouse. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Of the four western clubs, Reno and Wadadah — winners of two of their three games so far — are off to their best start in years. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">After the Reggae Boyz’ pathetic display in failing to get out of the first round of the Caribbean Football Union’s first round, despite having home advantage, the slow start might have deeper meanings. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Some might argue that it is due to the fact that they are getting a better understanding of how the league system works, </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460003 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">but I doubt that very much. The league system is not a new concept and all the kinks have long been worked out. The key to winning in a league is to stay consistent for the duration of the competition, be it four months or nine months. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Another of the mysteries of the young season so far is the less than inspired play. Normally, following a World Cup, the standard of play — at least at the start of the season — is always high, at least above the norm, but this has not been the case. </SPAN>
<SPAN style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The NPL is not a sprint, but a marathon that will go on until next April or May and this will </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460004 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">give the clubs time to get into a rhythm and hopefully, the </SPAN><SPAN id=Ar0460005 style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: newspaper; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">standard will rise to a more acceptable level. </SPAN></DIV><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 5px; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal"><DIV class=HTMLImage><IMG id=Pc0460100 src="http://activepaper.olive