The Ferguson-Whitmore connection

In the space of six months, Davion Ferguson is on the verge of title success both at the schoolboy and top-flight levels. And while his journey to Mount Pleasant as the second in command to head coach Theodore Whitmore has not been without sacrifice, it has been his commitment to adding value and his strong partnership with Whitmore that have been the pillars of what the club is on the brink to achieving.

Mount Pleasant will play in their first Jamaica Premier League final on Sunday against Cavalier, hoping to finally fulfil the promise that they had since they entered the league in 2018. Ferguson joined the Mount Pleasant staff when Whitmore was given the job, and their partnership can be traced back to when he had wanted him in the national setup when he was in charge.

When the Mount Pleasant offer was made, Ferguson said that they both assessed whether it was the right fit for them. It also resulted in Ferguson making a difficult choice.

“When the Mount Pleasant one came up, we had a few conversations about it. We thought we could have added some value because it is a project that appealed to us. I had to make a personal sacrifice because I have been a school teacher for years. And I also coach at Jamaica College (JC),” Ferguson told The Gleaner. “It was a really tough decision in terms of walking away from teaching in the classroom to pursue this project. But it is a decision that I made with strong conviction that it is something that I want to do because of our relationship, and the plan in place.”

For Ferguson, it was not hard to transition into the fold, with his experience at JC proving invaluable, not just because he guided them to their second Manning Cup title in three years last December, but also because the working dynamic between him and Whitmore provided an environment that placed winning and execution above all else.

“We have a clear understanding of how we work, and we make a very good combination. There is no ego. It doesn’t matter who gets the job done on the day. The important thing is getting the job done. We have respect for each other and we are trying to put Mount Pleasant where we feel Mount Pleasant deserve to be,” Ferguson said.

COLLECTIVE EFFORT

The team saw it as an “all in” season but not for the reasons one many think. Ferguson said it was all in, in the sense that it was a collective effort from the owner, Peter Gould, to sporting director Paul Christie and the backing they got from them, which reverberated to the technical and support staff to the players

“Credit has to be given to the owners. They made a bold appointment, they backed us. Mr Gould, Mrs Gould. Paul Christie came in with us. The entire board pushed their support behind us. It was an all-in approach not from the playing standpoint, but all in from collectively everyone at Mount Pleasant. The fans in St Ann are very difficult people, but they love the club and want to see the best for their club.”

Ferguson on Sunday could emulate what Ludlow Bernard did last year in winning the Manning Cup and Premier League titles as coaches. For him, adding value has been his sole focus.

“I let my work speak for itself. Do I get the national recognition that my body of work deserves? No. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter to me. At the end of the day, I will continue to do the work because it’s about trying to add value wherever I go. Once I am adding value to that organisation, that is what matters to me.”

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com