New-look competition starts on Tuesday
Published:Saturday | November 26, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Western Bureau:The 2011/12 Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) Western Confederation Captain's Bakery & Grill Super Football League, which will be contested by 12 teams from the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, is slated to kick off next Tuesday with a double-header at Jarrett Park, Montego Bay.
"We were hoping to start this competition on Sunday but because Montego Bay United FC (MBUFC) will be having a Red Stripe NPL home game, we have decided to push back the start of the competition," said Marline Brown, the competition's coordinator. "We are ready and rearing to go."
In Tuesday's opening games, Fogo United will square off against Tomorrow's People in the 4:00 p.m. curtain-raiser; while in the 6:00 p.m. feature game, former champions Wadadah FC will lock horns with newcomers Jericho Rangers at 6 p.m.
The competition is being contested by the eight surviving teams from last season alongside Savannah FC (Westmoreland), Jericho Rangers FC (Hanover), Fogo United (St.James) and Invaders SC (Trelawny), the four promoted teams from the 2010-11 domestic parish leagues in the west.
The competition, which yields a qualifier for the Red Stripe NPL competition annually, will be played under a new format this year, as the old league format has been replaced with a two-zone preliminary format, which will evolve into a cross-zone, semi-final and final in the subsequent stages.
first round
"In the first round, the teams will play a home and away format, which will be followed by a end-of-round final between the two group winners," said Marline Brown, the competition's coordinator. "We will then have the cross-zone and then move into the semi-finals and then final."
The grouping for the competition's first round reads as follows: Zone One - Invaders, Jericho Rangers, Granville FC, Frome FC, Wadadah FC and Catherine Hall; and Zone Two - Fogo, Savannah, Montpelier FC, Tomorrow's People, Fogo United and Bamboo FC
The breakdown of the prize package reads as follows: the champions - The Captain's Bakery Trophy and $150,000; 2nd place - $75,000; 3rd place - $50,000 and 4th place - $30,000.
Last year's confederation champions Seba United, now renamed MBUFC, were successful in the National Premier League qualification competition and are now numbered among the 12 contenders in the 2011-12 Red Stripe NPL.
Sports diary west
TODAY
WBA Basketball final
Flames vs Wolfpack - Montego Bay Cricket Club Courts - 5:00 p.m.
daCosta Cup Football Semi-finals
STETHS vs Grange Hill - STETHS - 3:00 p.m.
Rusea's vs Glenmuir - Jarrett Park - 3:00 p.m.
TOMORROW
Maddens Hanover Domino
Opening Ceremony - Watson Taylor Park, Lucea - 2 p.m.
NPL Football
MBUFC vs Tivoli Gardens at Montego Bay Sports Complex - 5 p.m.
NB. Please send your weekend sports fixtures to adrianfrater@hotmail.com