WESTERN BUREAU:
THE 2002 football season is finally under way and nowhere in the island is this time of the year more anticipated and enjoyed than here in western Jamaica.
Not so long ago, western Jamaica, meaning really St James, Westmoreland (Reno) and Hanover (Rusea's), was called the football capital of the country.
While it might be premature to start looking forward to the track season in January or next football season, last weekend's start to the football season was not very promising and has not given even the most rabid fans much hope.
Of the six western Jamaica teams who were in action in the Pepsi/Sports Plus DaCosta Cup and Wray and Nephew National Premier League, only two managed wins. Alas the two victories were achieved at the expense of other western teams.
Cornwall College who will have their hands full in defending the schoolboy triple and Village United managed 2-0 wins over Herbert Morrison Technical and Reno respectively.
MANNER OF VICTORY
The manner of victory in both cases was not convincing and while each team that won dominated their perspective contests, they both failed miserably in front of the opponents' goal and maybe the results could even be attributed in some instances to the ineptitude of the opponent more than the skill of the victors.
In the case of Cornwall, it is prudent to point out that it was the two lone survivors from last season's triple championship team that made the difference between the two schools. It will be much to expect these two players, as good as they are at this level to carry the team on their backs further than say the Inter-Zone round, if they get that far.
As for those who lost on the weekend, the aforementioned Herbert Morrison and Reno along with Seba United and Wadadah, they have long seasons ahead of them and there are serious concerns in some quarters that some clubs might not be able to complete the long season.
Seba looked flat and without purpose in their 1-0 loss to Harbour View; Wadadah lost big time 5-1 to Waterhouse while Reno looked out of sorts in their 2-0 loss to Village.
A few weeks ago, President of the St. James Football Association, George Evans boasted at the association's awards ceremony that there had been some positives in the game on the local scene.
Chances are Evans can attest to these advances as he is in the game at the ground level and is in a better position than most to gauge these achievements. From a more cynical viewpoint, it could be said that Evans had no choice but to see advances, as the state of the game can get no lower, we hope, in the west.
Evans boasted that Jermaine 'Tuffy' Anderson's inclusion in the starting line up of the national team that played against India in an international friendly in England and his subsequent scoring, was a huge plus for the St James game.
Anderson, you see, was the first local western player chosen directly from a non-Premier League or A-League team for the national team and justified his inclusion.
In addition to Anderson who will play for Village this season, there were also four other players on the field in the Village-Reno game on Sunday who were on that trip to England and counting Cornwall's Dane Richards, that made a total of six.
Improvements yes, but if the game is to grow, the administrators need to look elsewhere than the Premier League clubs.
The efforts must be concentrated at the primary schools and Under-12 levels, before the players get to high schools, if any real long term improvements are to be made.
