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St Bess longing for Premier League side <DIV class=KonaBody>
By Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
Courtney Brown - Anthony Foster
The decision by Reno Football Club to play at least one home match at St. Elizabeth Technical High this past Sunday has re-energised the St. Elizabeth Football Association to get a team from the parish involved in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL).
"The support for the venture can be seen by the crowd that turned out for the match," said Courtney Brown, president of the St. Elizabeth Football Association and businessman.
"It was just the Thursday that we went with Reno and the day after I gave them the go-ahead to play some of their matches here until they sort out their home ground." added Brown.
"We did not make any big announcement. It is just what came in the media and looking at the crowd on Sunday, most of them are from St. Elizabeth so St. Elizabeth people are really dying for top-flight football and that is really on our agenda."
Reno were playing their game in St. Elizabeth because of numerous complaints of their home ground at Frome in Westmoreland.
Right track
The plan to satisfy the parish's hunger for football is nothing new, according to Brown, but the healthy turnout for the Reno game just gave him even more evidence that his administration is on the right track.
"As I said at our last award ceremony recently, 2008 will not be too late for a Premier League team in the parish and it is attainable," he pointed out.
To make the plan a reality, the St. Elizabeth Football Association is focusing on getting at least three teams in the Super League, which would improve their competitiveness and improve their preparedness for the National Premier League.
Brown also pointed out that none of the current teams is ready for the big league as yet.
"As I have said and as we know, there is no team in St. Elizabeth that can go to the Premier League with the limited finances and the talent spread so we are trying to put a super team together. The coaches now understand that this is the way to go and the only way we can get there.
"We are looking at Tafari Lions again so we are trying to see if we can put a team together from the teams in the Major League and see how best we can progress from there," Brown said.
According to Brown, there is no shortage of talent from the parish and to make his point he mentioned forward Kirk Wright and midfielder/defender Merrick Howard as two players from the parish currently representing Reno. Long before them was the now retired Tedroy Jones.
The migration of players from the parish in search of top-flight football is not limited to Westmoreland.
"If you look at all the Premier League teams, at least two St. Elizabeth players are on each of them, and speaking with some of them when I go out, they are willing to come back as soon as we get on board (the NPL)," a confident Brown said.
Talent pool
He added that there is a constant stream of talented players flowing through the parish and that a top team is needed for them.
"Since I took office in 2003, I can recall at least 27 players from the Under-15 level upwards passing through the national programme. Presently, we have two players with the country's Under-20 team in Haiti. Both are coming out of the daCosta Cup. There is Richard Wilson of Munro and Montrose Phinn of STETHS.
"They are doing extremely well. Wilson is about third in terms of the goalscoring with 13 and Phinn, like Wilson, is brilliant on and off the field and is one of the top defenders in the daCosta Cup," Brown declared. </DIV>
By Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
Courtney Brown - Anthony Foster
The decision by Reno Football Club to play at least one home match at St. Elizabeth Technical High this past Sunday has re-energised the St. Elizabeth Football Association to get a team from the parish involved in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL).
"The support for the venture can be seen by the crowd that turned out for the match," said Courtney Brown, president of the St. Elizabeth Football Association and businessman.
"It was just the Thursday that we went with Reno and the day after I gave them the go-ahead to play some of their matches here until they sort out their home ground." added Brown.
"We did not make any big announcement. It is just what came in the media and looking at the crowd on Sunday, most of them are from St. Elizabeth so St. Elizabeth people are really dying for top-flight football and that is really on our agenda."
Reno were playing their game in St. Elizabeth because of numerous complaints of their home ground at Frome in Westmoreland.
Right track
The plan to satisfy the parish's hunger for football is nothing new, according to Brown, but the healthy turnout for the Reno game just gave him even more evidence that his administration is on the right track.
"As I said at our last award ceremony recently, 2008 will not be too late for a Premier League team in the parish and it is attainable," he pointed out.
To make the plan a reality, the St. Elizabeth Football Association is focusing on getting at least three teams in the Super League, which would improve their competitiveness and improve their preparedness for the National Premier League.
Brown also pointed out that none of the current teams is ready for the big league as yet.
"As I have said and as we know, there is no team in St. Elizabeth that can go to the Premier League with the limited finances and the talent spread so we are trying to put a super team together. The coaches now understand that this is the way to go and the only way we can get there.
"We are looking at Tafari Lions again so we are trying to see if we can put a team together from the teams in the Major League and see how best we can progress from there," Brown said.
According to Brown, there is no shortage of talent from the parish and to make his point he mentioned forward Kirk Wright and midfielder/defender Merrick Howard as two players from the parish currently representing Reno. Long before them was the now retired Tedroy Jones.
The migration of players from the parish in search of top-flight football is not limited to Westmoreland.
"If you look at all the Premier League teams, at least two St. Elizabeth players are on each of them, and speaking with some of them when I go out, they are willing to come back as soon as we get on board (the NPL)," a confident Brown said.
Talent pool
He added that there is a constant stream of talented players flowing through the parish and that a top team is needed for them.
"Since I took office in 2003, I can recall at least 27 players from the Under-15 level upwards passing through the national programme. Presently, we have two players with the country's Under-20 team in Haiti. Both are coming out of the daCosta Cup. There is Richard Wilson of Munro and Montrose Phinn of STETHS.
"They are doing extremely well. Wilson is about third in terms of the goalscoring with 13 and Phinn, like Wilson, is brilliant on and off the field and is one of the top defenders in the daCosta Cup," Brown declared. </DIV>