Trelawny Major League kicks off Jan 7

[Karl]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Trelawny Major League kicks off Jan 7</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>HORACE HINES, Observer staff reporter
Thursday, December 28, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>The National Rums-sponsored Trelawny Major League, the créme de la créme of football competitions administered by the Trelawny Football Association (TFA), is scheduled to kick off at the Elliston Wakeland Sports Complex on January 7 with one game.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The competition will be played on a home and away format among the 11 participating teams. Last season's Trelawny Division One champions Upsetters FC and runners-up Brits United are the two newly promoted teams to compete in the competition.

Both teams finished the Division One League on an identical number of points, with Upsetters crowned based on a superior goal difference.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Meanwhile, recently demoted Captain's Bakery Western Confed campaigner Harmony United will be among the contenders for the winners' purse of $150,000.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The second-placed team will walk away with $60,000, third and fourth-placed winners will pocket $35,000 and $30,000, respectively.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Mid-season final champions will be awarded $20,000 while $10,000 goes to the losing finalists.<P class=StoryText align=justify>At the same time, TFA administrators have indicated that even though former NPL team Invaders, who were recently relegated from the Captain's Bakery Western Confed, automatically qualify to participate in the Major League, the team has indicated that they will not be participating in the competition this season due to severe financial constraints.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Duanvale, Preston, Spicy Hill, Flames, Kinloss, Jackson Town, Lacers and Studs are the eight other teams in the competition.

[Karl]

RE: Trelawny Major League kicks off Jan 7

...and...

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Leaky wants tangible plans for Trelawny Stadium</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>HORACE HINES, Observer staff reporter
Thursday, December 28, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=120 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>LEAKY... MP for North Trelawny</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Former Cabinet minister and North Trelawny Member of Parliament, Desmond Leaky, is calling on the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) to establish their plans for the US$30 million multi-purpose Trelawny Stadium after it hosts the opening ceremony for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 and four warm-up games.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"My concern is what will happen to the stadium afterward (CWC 2007). JAMPRO has been given responsibility of the facility for over a year now from November last year and up to now nobody can hear what is JAMPRO's plan for the use of the stadium," Leaky said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Come April next year World Cup gives up the stadium and we don't have any plan in place for it yet This is a serious concern because four days of use for the World Cup is not what my idea of the stadium is," he added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Leaky, who was at the forefront of the lobby for the multi-purpose facility, expressed fears that after CWC 2007 the sporting complex will be idle for an extended period.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The warm-up match and the opening ceremony, after that they give it up to JAMPRO and JAMPRO should be announcing some plans at those times and if you are going to develop any good entertainment... three months is a short time to plan anything. What I am afraid of is that this place will be closed for some time after World Cup before they (JAMPRO) come up with something," Leaky stated.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Meanwhile, efforts to contact JAMPRO yesterday were unsuccessful. Staff members ostensibly had already left for the evening as the toll free number rang without an answer.
Kenya, India, the Netherlands and the West Indies will be involved in warm-up games at the facility after the opening ceremony next year.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaica is one of nine Caribbean countries that will host Cricket World Cup 2007. The island was awarded the Yellow Package, which features four warm-up matches, the opening ceremony, six first-round matches and a semi-final match.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Hosts West Indies will play their first-round matches in Jamaica. The semi-final and six first-round matches will be played at Sabina Park in Kingston, while the warm-up matches and opening ceremony will take place at the new stadium in Trelawny.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The multi-purpose facility, which is being funded through a government-to-government loan from China, will have the capacity for 10,000 permanent seats and 15,000 temporary ones.<P class=StoryText align=justify>

<P class=StoryText align=justify>Why would the TFA not be seeking sponsorship to have use of these grounds?<P class=StoryText align=justify>...and, why would the T&amp;F people not be seeking to raise sponsorship to use the grounds for development meets and Western Champs? <P class=StoryText align=justify>...other sports organisations? ...other purposes? Why not?<P class=StoryText align=justify>BTW - In my time Western Champs where held at Cornwall and Mannings only! Should the meet be moved around to other venues? <P class=StoryText align=justify>Sickko: Which other schools have held the meet since the 1950s...early 60s? I think...I seem to recall it was held on theSteths

[Assasin]

RE: Trelawny Major League kicks off Jan 7

good thing Desmond Leaky a ask question.

It seems like we build these things for show. What is more important is the economic effect. There should be ground work planning involving people from Trelawny, St.James and St.Ann about the use of the stadium and management of this facility. Not just Jampro. Two many times country people sit down and a wait fi the usual order from Kingston until them come down and dig up the grass carry go a town.

[Sickko]

RE: Trelawny Major League kicks off Jan 7

I thought Leaky was on the committee to market the stadium?? Maybe things have changed...as for Western Champs, they are due in February so the stadium would not be ready for western champs.

I would have to ask but not sure if the dimensions could hold a 400m eight track.

Western Champs format the last six years isa three day one...girls and boys held on dirt at a high school trcak and the finals held at the artificial track at Catherine Hall.

All the schools who can host have hosted...Rusea's, Mannings, STETHS, Munro....Irwin High has offered to host the girls eliminations this year but there are doubt if it will be there.