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‘Not all about the money’

Hyde disagrees with reasons for wanting to delay expansion

Published:Sunday | August 21, 2022 | 12:09 AMKavarly Arnold - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Chapleton Maroons coach, Lenworth Hyde (second left) celebrates qualification for the Jamaica Premier League with his team after a 6-3 aggregate win over Treasure Beach FC in their Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Tier Two Competition second-leg semifina
Herbert McKenis
Chapleton Maroons coach, Lenworth Hyde (second left) celebrates qualification for the Jamaica Premier League with his team after a 6-3 aggregate win over Treasure Beach FC in their Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Tier Two Competition second-leg semifinals at Drax Hall in St Ann recently.

Western Bureau:

LENWORTH ‘LENNY’ Hyde, coach of Chapleton Maroons FC criticised the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) for being fixated on money, following reports the organisation was not in favour of expanding the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) from 12 to 14 teams.

The Chapleton Maroons and Fauklands FC recently used the Jamaica Football Federation’s Tier Two competition to qualify for the next season of the JPL. With no relegation over the last two seasons, this has meant an expansion of the top-flight league from 12 to 14 teams.

“I heard Mr (Christopher) Williams (Chairman of PFJL) talking on the TV. They are only thinking about making money and want to see Sabina Park ram, not the development of the players. If we can get more young players in the top flight, we will see more improvement in the national set-up,” Hyde said.

Young players

Hyde believes that the expansion will give more young players an opportunity to play in Jamaica’s top-flight competition and, without that opportunity, these players won’t develop to be on par with the top countries in the world.

“Sixteen and 17-year-old players are professional players overseas. So, if we can’t get them in the Premier League, we are going to go back to where we were. What about the little youths playing daCosta Cup and Manning Cup? What will they do after?” asked Hyde, who is also the coach of the daCosta team, Clarendon College.

“Right now, there is no Under-21 league. There are no other leagues for these players coming out of Manning Cup and the daCosta Cup. That’s why so much of them out the street a fire shot. How I see it, from you leave school and can manage it, you go in the Premier League. This is what I am doing with my team,” he added.

“I want to get my players playing top-level football so when they go overseas it is not strange to them, they are already used to the pace of the game. We played a team that is stronger and running harder than us in the final and we buck our toes. If we had some experience at the top flight, we would be better, but it will come.”