JFDB News Update Premier League 2013/2014 NPL Round # PREVIEW Friday September 13th, 2013 Title : RSPL back with new controversial format Twelve teams, one trophy is the theme for this year’s Red Stripe Premier League that will see a new format culminating with a cup final to decide the winner. Red Stripe is in the third and final year of a three-year deal, said to be worth more than $150 million, with the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), has prompted a change in format and have reverted to a cup final after six years. The league format with 38 games, introduced for the 2007/08 season, has been discarded and will see the 12 teams playing three rounds of 33 matches. Thereafter, the top eight teams will then advance to the quarter-final stage in a home and away series, with the number one ranked team facing the number eighth-ranked team; the number two vs number seven; number three vs number six; and number four vs number five. The four winners advance to the semi-finals, on a home and away basis, with the two winners from that stage qualifying for the final. The two teams at the bottom on the table at the end of the third round will be relegated. This has brought varying opinions with some experts saying the previous league format rewards consistency and a true reflection of the winner while others simply want an exciting cup final day to pull the crowd out. As usual, 12 teams will be vying for the trophy with the promoted Rivoli United and August Town back among the big boys after a few year’s absence. Rivoli’s return makes it two teams from St Catherine along with Portmore United while August Town has made it seven teams from the powerful Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) alongside champions Harbour View, Waterhouse, Boys’ Town, Arnett Gardens, Tivoli Gardens and Cavalier. Clarendon will be represented by two teams in Humble Lions and Sporting Central Academy with Montego Bay United the sole team from the west in St James. So as it appears, the 12-team competition will see 58 percent of the teams competing from the corporate area with the other five teams coming from just three rural parishes. Based on the transfers this summer several teams have strengthened significantly and will be pushing for victory. Champions Harbour View has brought in just four players in James Durrant (Arnett Gardens), former national Under-20 midfielder Davion Thorpe from Savannah of Reno fame, Anthony Marks (Reggae Youths) and Damarley Oliver (Waterhouse). However, the Stars of the East will be without influential playmaker Jermaine Hue and Kemeel Wolfe, last season’s top signing Evan Taylor looks doubtful and they might struggle a bit this season. Second-placed Waterhouse have strengthened nicely bringing some young and exciting players like Lamar Nelson, Kemar Brown (Arnett Gardens), Romario Campbell (Harbour View), Marvin Morgan (Boys’ Town) and Linval Wilson, Nicodie Haughton (Savannah FC). With the leading goalscorer Jermaine Anderson returning to the team Waterhouse will be the team to beat this year. Portmore United will be right there at the death and could be Waterhouse’s main challenger especially with the acquisition of the dangerous duo of LeVaughn “Country” Williams from Sporting Central Academy and Romeo Parkes from St George’s FC. Fourth-placed Arnett Gardens really improved last season and with Andre Clennon (Waterhouse) and Carlos Barrett (Highgate United) added to the ranks, they could be the fly in the ointment has they have speed to burn this season. Boys’ Town as usual were not very busy in the transfer market and will be hard press to maintain their status as a top six team and could struggle over the length of the season. Michael Campbell, Daemion Benjamin, Renae Lloyd, Kirk Porter and company need some fresh faces to renew and energise the team and that seems not to be the case. But saying all of that, these players have been playing together all along and that could be a decisive factor as they push for championship honours. In contrast, former champions Tivoli Gardens looked a re-energized outfit with a few original players coming home in Jameel Thompson (Waterhouse) and Robert Williams (Harbour View) and the Glendon Bailey-coached unit will be a serious force to be reckoned with come crunch time. With the astute Donovan Duckie now in charge of Montego Bay United, this outfit will be a very dangerous one and is expected to bring back the pride to western Jamaica. They might not seem to busy in the market but they had a really strong squad last season but just did not get it right and will be a serious force this season. Cavalier probably was the busiest in the transfer market bringing in 20 players in an effort to improve on last year’s performance. Peter Keys has made the trek from Waterhouse while Severo Murphy and Jahmika Hutchinson arrived from Highgate. Elton Thompson and Dennis McKinley from Arnett Gardens along with Dwayne Holmes and former National Under-17 goalkeeper Odean Clarke from Holland United. Clarendon teams Sporting Central Academy and Humble Lion will as usual make things pretty hard for the rest of the league. The Mike Henry-owned Humble Lion has brought in Kemeel Wolfe from Harbour View to form a dangerous partnership with his brother Wolry Wolfe to add finesse to a midfield packed with hard tacklers. Jermaine Fletcher and Romaine Barnes from Waterhouse are useful acquisitions. Sporting Central acquired 15 players with the most notable being Cornelius Henry and goal poacher Oneke Ford of Humble Lions. Both Clarendon teams normally wouldn’t be in the reckoning at the end of the league format but with a new cup final in store, they could be right there at the end fighting once they make the quarterfinal stage. Both promoted team Rivoli United and August Town will struggle for consistency but both have experience playing in the league but I don’t see them emerging victorious at all. August Town have scraped up some of the best talent from the KSAFA Super League in Tyrone Davis (Greenwhich Town), Jerome Wedderburn, Richard Orrett, Kevaughn Whyte (Constant Spring), Rupert Murray (Sporting Central Academy) and Rickcardo Harriott (Portmore United) but might not be enough to survive in the league. The same can be said of Rivoli United who brought in hard tackling central midfielder Raymond Williamson (Tivoli Gardens), Christopher Louden (Savannah), Kemar Bennett (McCooks Pen), Kenny Lee (Humble Lion), Mario Harrison (Arnett Gardens) and Kevin Graham (Volvo United). Web Site – jfdb.info Email - [email protected] Media Page - jfdb.info/main/media.asp?mn=1 Facebook Group - Jamaica Football Database Facebook user - Jfdb Jamaica Twitter - footballdataJA Skype – jfdb.info or [email protected] or Jamaica Football Database Whatapps Group ~ “ send me your number ” Chat group direct on Blackberry BBM – 2AB2F0F3 Jamaica Football Database “ The Gateway to Football “
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:23:30 +0000
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