Tweet
Exciting NPL season ahead
Published: Saturday | September 10, 2011
Tivoli Gardens' Navion Boyd (second right) celebrates scoring with teammates Raymond Williamson (second left), Kemar Flemmings (left) and Lennox Wright, during their Digicel Premier League championship decider against Boys' Town at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex last season. Tivoli won the game 1-0. - file
Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner WriterThe National Premier League (NPL) promises to be an exciting one this season, with a number of clubs backing themselves to take home the title.
Leading the charge are the reigning champions Tivoli Gardens who, despite selling influential playmaker Keammar Daley, are confident that they have the players needed to repeat, including Navion Boyd, and new signings Marcelino Blackburn and the returning Christopher Nicholas.
They are, however, expected to be seriously challenged for the crown with last season's runners-up Boys' Town, a revamped Harbour View, and a new-look Waterhouse leading the charge.
Boys' Town have added a number of former national youth players to their line-up, including Jermaine Allen, Garfield Gillespie and Maurice Evans, and along with their trademark hard-running style of football and never-say die attitude, will be looking to go one step better.
Dethroned champions Harbour View who, judging by their standards, performed less than expected towards the end of last season, have uncharacteristically made a number of acquisitions in the transfer window. Kavin Bryan and Andre Fagan, who recently returned from Vietnam, are two who should help the St Andrew-based club reclaim the title.
Waterhouse, in the meantime, who have at best been hot and cold in recent years, has brought in Donovan Duckie as their new head coach to lift them to another level.
They have also bought a number of promising young players, including Andre Campbell, Gary MacIntosh and Loxley Thomas, and along experienced Jermaine 'Tuffy' Anderson, Vincent Earle and Richard McCallum, will be hoping that they will better their fourth-place finish last season, and head as far up the points table as possible.
Not an easy task
These four, however, in their bid for honours, will not have it easy, as though they are early favourites, clubs such as perennial challengers Portmore United, the talented but inconsistent Sporting Central, and western Jamaica standard bearers Reno and Village United, are all more than capable of holding their own.
A rejuvenated Arnett Gardens, who under the guidance of Paul 'Tegat' Davis claimed the pre-season KSAFA/Claro Champions League, and the Lenworth Hyde Sr-conditioned Humble Lion, who have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window, are also no pushovers, and should they get going could prove to be a handful.
Promoted teams, Montego Bay United (formerly Seba United) and Highgate United, will have a lot to do to save the drop, but with an ardent support base will be hoping to pull off their share of upsets.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports7.html
Published: Saturday | September 10, 2011
Tivoli Gardens' Navion Boyd (second right) celebrates scoring with teammates Raymond Williamson (second left), Kemar Flemmings (left) and Lennox Wright, during their Digicel Premier League championship decider against Boys' Town at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex last season. Tivoli won the game 1-0. - file
Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner WriterThe National Premier League (NPL) promises to be an exciting one this season, with a number of clubs backing themselves to take home the title.
Leading the charge are the reigning champions Tivoli Gardens who, despite selling influential playmaker Keammar Daley, are confident that they have the players needed to repeat, including Navion Boyd, and new signings Marcelino Blackburn and the returning Christopher Nicholas.
They are, however, expected to be seriously challenged for the crown with last season's runners-up Boys' Town, a revamped Harbour View, and a new-look Waterhouse leading the charge.
Boys' Town have added a number of former national youth players to their line-up, including Jermaine Allen, Garfield Gillespie and Maurice Evans, and along with their trademark hard-running style of football and never-say die attitude, will be looking to go one step better.
Dethroned champions Harbour View who, judging by their standards, performed less than expected towards the end of last season, have uncharacteristically made a number of acquisitions in the transfer window. Kavin Bryan and Andre Fagan, who recently returned from Vietnam, are two who should help the St Andrew-based club reclaim the title.
Waterhouse, in the meantime, who have at best been hot and cold in recent years, has brought in Donovan Duckie as their new head coach to lift them to another level.
They have also bought a number of promising young players, including Andre Campbell, Gary MacIntosh and Loxley Thomas, and along experienced Jermaine 'Tuffy' Anderson, Vincent Earle and Richard McCallum, will be hoping that they will better their fourth-place finish last season, and head as far up the points table as possible.
Not an easy task
These four, however, in their bid for honours, will not have it easy, as though they are early favourites, clubs such as perennial challengers Portmore United, the talented but inconsistent Sporting Central, and western Jamaica standard bearers Reno and Village United, are all more than capable of holding their own.
A rejuvenated Arnett Gardens, who under the guidance of Paul 'Tegat' Davis claimed the pre-season KSAFA/Claro Champions League, and the Lenworth Hyde Sr-conditioned Humble Lion, who have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window, are also no pushovers, and should they get going could prove to be a handful.
Promoted teams, Montego Bay United (formerly Seba United) and Highgate United, will have a lot to do to save the drop, but with an ardent support base will be hoping to pull off their share of upsets.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports7.html