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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Portmore trio set to join Belgian club</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>ANDREW HANCEL, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Portmore United trio of Demar Stewart, Jason Morrison and Rafe Wolfe will likely leave for Belgium this week, according to the club's technical director Horace Reid.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"They are going to leave later this week," Reid said Sunday.
"They are awaiting their visas... their passports are currently in Caracas, Venezuela, at the Belgium Embassy, and they should get the visas between tomorrow (yesterday) and Tuesday (today)."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Reid said the trio had received their work permits last week and their international clearance was also sent off last week.
The trio has been on the books of English Premier League club Sheffield United, but was given the option of playing for their feeder club Royal White Star, as they did not qualify for a United Kingdom work permit.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to UK guidelines, a non-European player must play in 75 per cent of his country's FIFA commissioned 'A' matches for the senior team before a work permit can be issued.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Therefore Morrison, Stewart and Wolfe were loaned to the third division feeder club where they could complete a naturalisation process over time, after which they would be eligible for European passports.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore will not immediately see any monetary earnings from the players' transfer to the Belgian club, Reid said.
"Initially, the agreement is that they go to Belgium and play there for several months and establish themselves. From there, hopefully they can move them into first division teams.
Once they get to first division teams, then we'll start to make some money," said the former general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Reid noted that the progress of these three key players speaks volume to the strength and depth of the programme at Portmore United.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Well we're losing three quality players, but we have a strong Under-21 programme. So while we're losing some quality and some experience we have to soldier on with the youngsters...," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Last month Portmore lost the services of national midfielder Omar Daley, who signed for England's League One club, Bradford City.
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>ANDREW HANCEL, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Portmore United trio of Demar Stewart, Jason Morrison and Rafe Wolfe will likely leave for Belgium this week, according to the club's technical director Horace Reid.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"They are going to leave later this week," Reid said Sunday.
"They are awaiting their visas... their passports are currently in Caracas, Venezuela, at the Belgium Embassy, and they should get the visas between tomorrow (yesterday) and Tuesday (today)."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Reid said the trio had received their work permits last week and their international clearance was also sent off last week.
The trio has been on the books of English Premier League club Sheffield United, but was given the option of playing for their feeder club Royal White Star, as they did not qualify for a United Kingdom work permit.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to UK guidelines, a non-European player must play in 75 per cent of his country's FIFA commissioned 'A' matches for the senior team before a work permit can be issued.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Therefore Morrison, Stewart and Wolfe were loaned to the third division feeder club where they could complete a naturalisation process over time, after which they would be eligible for European passports.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore will not immediately see any monetary earnings from the players' transfer to the Belgian club, Reid said.
"Initially, the agreement is that they go to Belgium and play there for several months and establish themselves. From there, hopefully they can move them into first division teams.
Once they get to first division teams, then we'll start to make some money," said the former general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Reid noted that the progress of these three key players speaks volume to the strength and depth of the programme at Portmore United.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Well we're losing three quality players, but we have a strong Under-21 programme. So while we're losing some quality and some experience we have to soldier on with the youngsters...," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Last month Portmore lost the services of national midfielder Omar Daley, who signed for England's League One club, Bradford City.
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