Mount Pleasant, Charlton Athletic forge partnership

MORE JAMAICAN players could find themselves plying their trade in England after Charlton Athletic FC announced a partnership with Mount Pleasant Academy.

The partnership, the release said, was long-term and aimed at increasing the number of elite players graduating from the club.

Dubbed the ‘Mountain to Valley Partnership’, players should find themselves with a clear pathway to professional football in London.

In addition, Mount Pleasant is set to receive assistance from Charlton Athletic’s own academy.

“This long-term, strategic partnership will allow Charlton to dramatically increase the talent pool our brilliant academy is able to draw from. A lot of Charlton’s most successful home-grown players of the last 50 years have been of Jamaican origin – including many in the current team – so there is also a really good cultural fit,” said Paul Elliott CBE, MBE, a non-executive director at Charlton.

According to Peter Gould, owner of Mount Pleasant, the partnership is set to provide Jamaicans and other players throughout the Caribbean with an opportunity to hone their skills outside of the region.

“This will help move regional football forward as young athletes will get an opportunity to hone their skills and develop their talents outside of the region,” said Gould.

PARTNERSHIP A PLUS

Sporting director at Mount Pleasant, Paul Christie, believes the partnership will increase the attractiveness of Mount Pleasant’s academy to players in the Caribbean.

“Mount Pleasant is already fortunate enough to attract many of the very best young players from throughout the Caribbean. Our belief is that this partnership with such a renowned London club will make us even more of an attractive proposition for talent. Charlton and Mount Pleasant have long-standing connections at many levels, from our respective ownerships to directors to coaching staff, so we are going to be building on firm foundations,” said Christie.

At the end of 2022, Charlton Academy was ranked as having the eighth best academy in England and the club intends to improve on that by expanding its talent pool.

“Quality recruitment is key to a successful academy. Our recruitment of talented players in the immediate Charlton catchment area has been a key factor in our success and youth development over so many years. It all starts with talent ID.

“The Mount Pleasant partnership is an interesting, potentially fruitful, link outside of our south and east London focus, and I know Bert Dawkins [Academy Recruitment Manager], who has been over to Jamaica to visit Mount Pleasant, is very positive about the possibilities with player recruitment from an emergent CONCACAF academy programme.”

As part of the various commitments underpinning the partnership, Charlton’s young players will take part in an annual youth tournament at Mount Pleasant’s campus, while the Addicks will host Mount Pleasant’s senior side in an annual pre-season charity match at The Valley.