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St George's gearing up for top flightFOOTBALL - Wray & Nephew NPLEVERARD OWEN, Observer correspondent
Saturday, June 23, 2007
BUFF BAY, Portland - Life at the top of Jamaica's football is never always a walk in the park.
The newly promoted clubs to the Wray & Nephew National Premier League (NPL) - the nation's top competition - have found life difficult at the top, but there is one club that is determined to stay in the top flight despite the real odds.
St George's FC of Portland is determined to make their mark, but manager Everton King is cautiously optimistic.
"Now we have qualified we have to remain there and we need to put plans in place to be able to remain in the league for now. I don't think we have the experience now to challenge for the championship cup, but the most important thing is to remain in the league. If better comes we will take it," he said.
King explained that running a football club at the NPL level requires a lot, but cited experience both on and off the field as a crucial element.
"Experience is needed as to how to manage the games twice a week... the players' nutrition... we need to look at our management in organising the number of games for many, many months and there is a lot to learn for both the players, management and coaching staff," he told Sporting World.
Time, he said, will teach wisdom.
"I guess after the first year or two we will realise what is needed to be successful at that level. A number of players have shown interest in coming to us since we have qualified, but I am not one for the wholesale change," added the club executive.
Though King has recognised the importance of strengthening the team, he noted that it is not the intention of the club to go for wholesale changes to the team that successfully qualified from the recent NPL play-offs.
"I want the nucleus of the squad to remain because we would have basically wasted all that we have garnered in the past three years and what these players have learnt. We will need new players in terms of experience, talent and a higher level of playing but we want to keep basically the nucleus," he noted.
Work, King says, is planned for the club's Lynch Park home.
"A lot will be done to improve the playing surface to make it much better, but I cannot promise a carpet field... the bad spots will be cleared and we will be spending some money. We will be looking at getting some stands and we are willing to do whatever is stipulated by the JFF," King said.
The club, he notes, is working around the clock to lure sponsors to the cause.
"... We have some guys and girls working audaciously on sponsors to put together the funds and the pledges to help us get the resources to put in the stands, perimeter fencing and whatever else are required. We are looking at removable or permanent stands and whichever comes first, we will implement," he said.
St George's join Clarendon's Sporting Central Academy as the other promoted team to this season of the NPL following the demotion of Naggo Head and Wadadah.