A NEW CHAPTER in the history of Barbados football will be written today when the 2013 Digicel Premier League kicks off at the Wildey AstroTurf Facility.
With the National Stadium unavailable, for the first time action in the men’s local competition will not be played on natural grass but on an artificial surface which, ironically, was used for the Women’s League, last year.
In the opening game, newly promoted Cosmos will oppose KDJ Auto Parts/Gatorade Dayrells Road at 5 p.m.
This will be followed by the official opening ceremony at 7 p.m. before the main match between Mackeson Brittons Hill and Meridian Youth Milan at 8 p.m.
Brittons Hill have been hard hit by transfers, with their inspirational stalwart Gregory “Lalu” Goodridge and play-making midfielder Jeffrey Williams, who is also Barbados’ captain, joining Division 2 side Rendezvous.
Whereas the transfers of Goodridge and Williams have already been finalized, that of goalkeeper Kerry Holder, who is also linked with Rendezvous, has not yet been settled.
But Brittons Hill have recruited a few new players in striker Shad Parris from Ellerton and Kick Start’s talented defensive midfielder Elsid Miggins.
They will be up against a Jerry Skeete-coached Youth Milan side, which will still feature the likes of former Barbados captain Norman Forde, veteran goalkeeper Adrian Chase, seasoned striker Kenroy Skinner, midfielder Dwayne “Boot’ Griffith and dread-locked defender Dwayne “Ticky” Skinner.
However, Milan are expected to be without national player Ramuel Miller and central defender Romelle Burgess, who are reportedly moving to Pride of Gall Hill. Young defender Kemar Chase has joined the Barbados Defence Force’s (BDF) Sports Programme.
Jermaine Boyce, a former BDF winger, has returned to Youth Milan, as well as Angus Doyle, a striker who has the distinction of scoring against Cuba during the second round of Barbados’ 2008 Digicel campaign in Havana.
Also joining Youth Milan this season are Damien “Duffy” Edwards and Shakeel Greaves, who played with Cosmos last year; Kerion Boyce of Sunrise; Antonio Bishop from Haynesville and Kemar Husbands from Checker Hall.
Cosmos, in their maiden Premier season, will have a new striking pair in six-footers Jamar “Crouch” Grazette and Andre Pinder as well as Steve Pinder, who have journeyed to St Peter from Bagatelle.
Roam’s DeCarlo Walrond and Road View’s midfielder Lawrence Taitt have also joined Cosmos, who will be coached by Alex Hinds, a former player with the Speightstown-based outfit.
Cosmos, who were extremely consistent in Division One football over the past five years and also did well in the FA Knockout Cup, have a good goalkeeper in Richard Corbin. However, their two best known players are brothers Donovan and Maradonna Lavine, who both have national senior experience.
Donovan, a defensive midfielder, who also played for Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame, will be joined by former Alleyne schoolboy athlete Dario Alleyne and Jason Gilkes in marshalling the defence.
Maradonna will team up with Zico Greaves, a striker who shone for St Andrew during last year’s David Thompson Memorial Constituency Council’s Classic.
Cosmos will have several midfield options with the likes of Dale “Laloot” Benn, former?Barbados under-23 player Ramon Bignall, Shane Small, Taitt and Queen’s College student Tre Hinds. The Lavine siblings can also play in midfield.
Apart from Hinds, two other schoolboys in the Alexandra defensive duo, Trevon Bowen and Antoine Gibbs, will be turning out for Cosmos.
Their opponents, Dayrells Road, have suffered a massive loss with their sweeper Jomo Brathwaite as well as Akeem Pilgrim switching to Rendezvous, while key striker Tristan “Fishy” Parris is recuperating from a leg fracture sustained while playing in the LIME Pelican Challenge.
Brathwaite’s departure leaves Ryan James with the task of manning the defence while the experienced John Stoute and Brian Bynoe will orchestrate plays in the midfield.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the National Stadium, BFA president Randy Harris said the new venue should be a hit.
“We are asking everyone to bring their own seating. The venue will be more like the YMCA where we played matches in the past. The good thing, though is the actual astro pitch is great for football, very modern situation, and I believe the players will enjoy their game at the venue,” he said.
Harris also said the clubs will receive some of their prize money for last year’s Premier?League and Knockout Cup after the BFA received a grant of $125 000 for the world’s governing body, FIFA.
“It is no secret that we had a little problem trying to get prize monies together but we have worked out an agreement with the clubs and I think everybody is happy. We are just looking to go forward with the season,” he said.
But Harris said the BFA?would honour its commitments to the clubs in the lower divisions before April 30 while it was also looking to settle the outstanding sums owed to the referees, the Red Cross Society and the Royal Barbados Police Force.
