Rangers take title early

Western Bureau:

Jericho Rangers, with a perfect 24 points from their last eight games, have crowned themselves champions of the 2011 Hanover FA Captain's Bakery & Grill Major Football League with two rounds of matches to go.

In fact, last weekend, the Jericho Rangers got the three points they needed to secure the title without kicking a ball, as their opponents, Lucea FC, turned up for their scheduled game minus their gear, which was inadvertently left behind by a member of their management team.

"The Lucea team turned up without their gear so, as per the rules of the competition, Jericho were awarded the three points as well as three goals," said Sheridan Samuels, the competition's co-ordinator. "The three points have taken Jericho to an unassailable 33 points, which means they have won the competition."

At the completion of the competition's second round, the qualifiers for the third round, which features a top-four championship group and a bottom-four relegation group, reads as follows: champ-ionship group - Jericho Rangers, Lucea FC, Super Stars and Logwood FC; and relegation group - Galaxy, Sandy Bay, Haughton Meadows and Haddington FC.

With Jericho Rangers already assured of the title and Haddington FC certain to fill one of the two relegation places, the current point standings read as follows: Jericho Rangers - 33, Lucea FC - 26, Galaxy FC - 25, Logwood FC - 23, Superstars - 21, Sandy Bay - 19, Haughton Meadows - 17 and Haddington FC - 10.

Jericho Rangers have now booked a place in next season's Captain's Bakery Western Super League, which is the symbol of supremacy in western Jamaica's football. They will also pocket $150,000, the biggest payday in the history of Hanover's football.

-A.F.