Tottenham took the gamble of confirming managerial novice Tim Sherwood as their new head coach on this day in 2013.
Sherwood had no experience at leading a club prior to assuming Spurs first-team duties one week earlier in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas’ sacking.
Yet after one defeat and one win, the Tottenham board had no trouble in supporting Sherwood to lead them further up the Premier League table, with the then 44-year-old appointed on a contract running to the end of the 2014-15 season.
The north London club had been expected to challenge for a top-four finish after a heavy outlay over the summer, yet they sat seventh in the table and were four points adrift of the Champions League places.
Villas-Boas was dismissed a day after a demoralising 5-0 home defeat against Liverpool, while Tottenham had also shipped six goals at Manchester City.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy admitted he was loath to dispense with the services of Villas-Boas, but gave his backing to Sherwood, who played for the club as a midfielder from 1999 until 2003.
Levy told the club’s official website: “We were extremely reluctant to make a change mid-season, but felt we had to do so in the club’s best interests.
“We have a great squad and we owe them a head coach who will bring out the best in them and allow them to flourish and enjoy a strong, exciting finish to the season.
“We are in the fortunate position of having within our club a talented coach in Tim Sherwood. We believe Tim has both the knowledge and the drive to take the squad forward.”
Sherwood oversaw Tottenham finishing sixth in the table in the 2013-14 campaign before parting ways with the club two days later, with Levy saying in a statement: “We agreed an 18-month contract with a break clause at the end of the season and we have now exercised that option.”
Sugar Boyz defeat BVI to stay on top in CONCACAF Nations League
The St. Kitts and Nevis Senior Men’s National team, known as the Sugar Boyz, solidified their position at the top of League C in the CONCACAF Nations League with a 3-1 victory over the British Virgin Islands (BVI) on Wednesday, October 9, at Warner Park.
Playing in front of a large home crowd, the Sugar Boyz took control early in the match. In the 25th minute, Malique Roberts opened the scoring with a powerful header, putting the hosts in the lead. Twelve minutes later, the advantage was doubled when Gvaune Amory unleashed a thunderous strike that rippled the back of the net, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the Sugar Boyz went into halftime with a commanding 2-0 lead.
BVI started the second half with renewed determination, pulling a goal back early on. However, despite their efforts, the Sugar Boyz put the game out of reach towards the end of the match, thanks to an own goal from BVI’s Ikyah Williams, sealing a 3-1 victory for the home side.
After the match, assistant coach Austin "Dico" Huggins praised the team for securing all three points but emphasized that there is still room for improvement. “We worked hard on possession, keeping the ball, and not making unnecessary turnovers. We have to be more patient. Today we saw them trying to pass the ball around, but we still need more movement going forward, breaking the lines, and attacking the goal,” Huggins said.
Team captain Julani Archibald echoed the sentiment, happy with the win but acknowledging that the team did not perform to their full potential. “I think we didn't play to the best of our ability. We could have played much better since we were at home. But nonetheless, we got the three points, and that's the most important,” Archibald said.
On the opposing side, BVI’s head coach Christopher Kiwomya and captain Troy Caesar expressed disappointment, feeling that their team could have taken more from the game.
With the victory, the Sugar Boyz remain in prime position to advance from their group. Their final group stage match will be against the Cayman Islands on Tuesday, October 15, at Warner Park. The match kicks off at 3:30 PM, with free admission as part of the SKNFA’s efforts to give back to football fans.
Newtown United Women reclaim Elvis ‘Star’ Brown Women’s league title with victory over Old Road
Newtown United Women have reclaimed the title of queens of St. Kitts and Nevis women’s football after they won the Elvis ‘Star’ Brown Women’s league finals recently, defeating defending champions MFCR Old Road United Lady Jets 3-1.
After the match Coach St. Clair Morris of Newtown, explained what it felt like to lead the women back to the title. “The president of Newtown gave me a task to do and he told me I have to win this cup to bring back some recognition to Newtown and the community itself and the club. So we decided to have a plan and so we made sure we got the girls training and training on a regular basis,” Coach Morris said.
“Next season…we're going to try to bring in some younger players. As you can see a number of senior players are going to retire…at least two are going to retire. So what we're going to do for next season, we're going to try to recruit some youngsters and bring them in the team to make the team stronger,” he added.
At the start of the season, Sherima Blake, one of Newtown’s top scorers, made a vow that her team would win the title and reclaim former glory. She was obviously elated with fulfilling that prediction. “I feel very excited. I'm happy. I'm very happy,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I scored about 13 goals and I'm very proud but I still didn't get the golden boot. But yeah, I'm proud of myself still.”
This is the first time in five years that Newtown won the Women’s League title, after years of dominance in previous seasons. This title adds to the first ever Women’s League President’s Cup title, which they won earlier this year.
Finalists decided for the 2024 Keith Gumbs U17 Tier 1 League and Rams U13 Premier Youth Cup
The finalists for the 2024 Keith Gumbs U17 Tier 1 League and the Rams U13 Premier Youth Cup have been decided after thrilling semi-final encounters that delivered drama, heroics, and resilience from the young footballers.
The finals for both competitions will take place at the NBGC Technical Centre in St. Peters. The Keith Gumbs U17 Tier 1 League final is scheduled for Sunday, October 14, at 6 pm, while the Rams U13 Premier Youth Cup final will be held on Monday at 6 pm. Fans can expect intense competition as these young teams vie for championship glory.
In the Keith Gumbs U17 League semi-finals on Thursday, October 10, Dieppe Bay secured their place in the finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Newtown United. Dieppe Bay stormed to a 2-0 lead in the first half, putting Newtown under pressure. Newtown, however, rallied in the second half, pulling a goal back late in the match to make it 2-1. In a dramatic finish, Newtown earned a penalty in the dying moments, but Dieppe Bay's goalkeeper came up with a crucial save to preserve the win and send his team into the finals.
The other semi-final was a dominant display from Village Superstars, who came from 1-0 down against St. Peters FC to secure a 4-1 victory. Jermaine Powell was the hero of the match, scoring all four goals for Village, carrying his team to a commanding win. Village’s captain, Carl Newton, praised the resilience of his teammates and their determination to prove a point. “All weekend, we were focusing on beating them... we encouraged the players to go hard all the time, no matter what,” said Newton. He anticipates a tough battle in Sunday’s finals, describing it as an "intense and aggressive" contest. Newton also hopes his team can replicate their 2020 treble, with Village Superstars’ U15 team having already claimed the Atiba Harris U15 League title, and their U13 side set to compete in the Rams U13 Premier Youth Cup finals on Monday.
In the Rams U13 Premier Youth Cup semi-finals, Conaree Fireball International pulled off a stunning comeback against Saddlers Dream Chasers. Saddlers looked set for victory with a 2-0 lead well into the second half, but Conaree pulled one back and then conceded a third due to a defensive error, making it 3-1. Undeterred, Conaree staged a remarkable recovery, scoring two quick goals to level the match and send it to penalties, where they held their nerve to book their place in the finals.
The other U13 semi-final saw Village Superstars secure a comfortable 3-1 victory over Dieppe Bay, sealing their spot in Monday’s final and giving the club a chance at another youth title this season.
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