Tivoli for tour of Curaçao

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Former Digicel Premier League champions Tivoli Gardens are scheduled to leave the island tomorrow for a one-week preseason tour of Curaçao.

The west Kingston based-team, which surrendered the Premier League trophy to Harbour View last season, will play three matches on their tour against club teams from the hosts, Haiti and Aruba.

Brian Rose, manager of the Tivoli Gardens, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday that the tour forms part of their preparations for the upcoming Premier League season and his players and coaching staff are looking forward to it.

“I think this will be good preparation for us because I know that our players will benefit a lot from it and the coaching staff will also have an opportunity to look at some players during this tourn-ament,” said Rose.

New system of play

Tivoli, who lost the league title by seven points to Harbour View will be coached by Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey, who took over the reins at the end of the last season from Lenworth Hyde.

“Our coaches have also introduced a new system of play which is far different from the one the players are used to from last year and I think this is a good opportunity for them to try it out in this competition,” Rose said.

He added: “I think the tour will also help the team mentally and physically, too, because we will be playing overseas, and so the players will be exposed to a different system and culture.”

The tour will also be Tivoli’s second overseas preseason assign-ment of the summer, following their one-week trip to Antigua in June and Rose noted that he is very happy with the way things have gone so far.

“Our preseason training started in June and I am very pleased with how things have gone so far because the team is about 80 per cent fit at this moment and I think this is a good sign for us because Premier League starts in less than a month,” Rose reasoned.