The 12 teams in the Barbados Football Association’s top tier will get a chance from tomorrow to knock some rust off before the start of the 2018 Premier League when they participate in the 2018 Williams Equipment Pre-season Cup.
Top flight teams traditionally take the first few games of the league to get their house in order, but that is about to become a thing of the past since the Pre-season Cup now affords them the opportunity to work out their kinks before going full steam ahead when the league kicks off on March 11.
The Premier League now boasts 12 teams, and this roster has been divided into three groups with Rendezvous, UWI Blackbirds, Brittons Hill and Silver Sands in Zone 1.
Zone 2 is the home of last year’s double-crown champions Weymouth Wales, along with Paradise, Ellerton and Premier League debutants Porey Spring. Zone 3 comprises BDF Sports Programme, Notre Dame, Waterford Compton and Empire.
Coming out of the preliminary round, the top teams from each of the zones and the best second-place finisher will head into a double knock-out semi-final, which will see the winners on aggregate heading into the February 25 final.
The last teams standing will be going after a $4 000 top prize in the final at Empire, while second place to fourth are to receive $2 000, $1 000 and $500, respectively.
Some new-look teams will be on display as clubs have taken full advantage of the transfer facilities offered by the BFA to augment their ranks.
Wales are seemingly comfortable with their outfit, making only one draft.
The others were busy, with some taking up as many as 13 players from other teams.
The inaugural Pre-season Cup will be taking Premier League football to communities across the island. It gets started with two exciting clashes at the Bayville ground before moving to Friendship on Tuesday and Ellerton on Thursday.
Tomorrow at 6 p.m., Empire will be taking on Compton in the very first clash for the 2018 season, while the nightcap goes to the BDF Sports Programme and an at-home Notre Dame.
There is no admission fee to watch the games. (BFA)
