Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
"BETTER DAYS Are Coming" must have been the song ringing in the head of Carlton "Spanner" Dennis, coach of Santos Football Club which signalled a possible return to the top League in local football by winning the Major League.
After 22 years in the football doldrums, the oldest surviving football club in the island will today continue its quest for a place in the National Premier League with a 3:30 game against Reno at Railway Oval.
The Santos-Reno clash is one of six games on today in the playoffs for two places in the NPL.
Also in the Corporate Area, Olympic Gardens and Maverley-Hughenden (A League) meet at Cling Cling Oval. At the Spanish Town Prison Oval, home team Central Link and Brazil go head to head in an all A League clash.
Westmoreland's Frome (Confederation) host St. Mary's Axum (A League) at Frome; St. Ann's Lewis Strikers (Confederation) entertain A Leaguers Mount Salem (St James) at Drax Hall. Another A League team, Seba of St. James journey to Monymusk for their date with Clarendon Confederation winners, Platinum.
Santos and Reno who go up against each other will have most to gain from the playoffs. After winning the Major League, Santos were considering an off-season in which they would have beefed up for the then A League, a step below the NPL.
Fate would intervene on their behalf as the Jamaica Football Federation, which had to foot the bill for last year's competition following a decision by long-time sponsors the Cigarette Company "to concentrate on their sponsorship on the NPL", decided to scrap it as new sponsors were proving elusive.
As a result, they set up a 14-team home and away knockout play-off system for two places in the NPL which will see its numbers swell to 12. Involved in the Play-offs are eight former 'A' League teams and four confederation winners.
Reno, who finished second from bottom in the NPL, were demoted to the A League along with Duhaney Park but the play-offs came like the open arms of a forgiving mother giving a child a second chance.
Duhaney Park would not accept that offer, choosing to get their house in order before embarking on another ambitious drive to the top. This gave Altowbar a spot in the second round.
Fallen giants Santos, a team with the most national titles - five - last won the competition in 1980 when they took the double of the Major and the National Leagues. Their downward spiral begun subsequently but youth devotee Dennis has long been planning a return to the "good old days".
His team of mostly youngsters showed character to come from a first leg 3-1 deficit in the first leg of the Major League finals to win the second 4-1. Kingston College schoolboy Richard West got the winning goal in sudden-death extra time and again he will be counted on to slay the bigger boys of Reno.
"We don't fear anyone. We're playing football. In football, everyone's equal," said Dennis ahead of his team's matchup against a more experienced and probably more gifted bunch of Reno players.
Reno's wily coach Wendell Downswell, who was instrumental in Jamaica's qualification for the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina last year, will not let his second chance slip. "We're definitely happy. We are hell bent on grabbing this opportunity with both hands and have been preparing for it," said Downswell of his team who are somewhat fallen giants themselves.
National goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence leads the Reno charge. Sweeper Jeffery Foster striker Kirk Wright and midfielder Patrick Graham are expected to put and end to Santos' run. Better days are probably still on the horizon for Santos but maybe not now.
