Molynes United, Portmore United and Waterhouse all picked up wins in the latest round of the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League on Sunday.

Molynes picked up their first points of the season with a dominant 4-0 win over Chapelton Maroons at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Honors were even until six minutes before halftime when Jevaughn Brown gave Molynes United the lead.

The scoring was completed in the second half by Mickel Graham (53’, 71’) and Taraj Andrews (86’) as the Kingston-based club secured their first points of the young season.

Elsewhere, a 37^th minute strike from Junior Grizelle and a second half stoppage time goal from Shacquwell Henry gave Portmore United a 2-0 win over Vere Phoenix United at Ferdie Neita Park.

In the day’s other games, Atapharoy Bygrave scored just before halftime for Waterhouse in a 1-0 win over Tivoli Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex while Humble Lion and Harbour View played out a 1-1 draw at the Effortville Community Centre.

Oquassa Chong gave Harbour View the lead in the 25^th minute before Andre Clennon equalized for Humble Lion in the 67^th.

On Monday, defending champions Cavalier SC will take on Dunbeholden at Sabina Park while a double-header at the Montego Bay Sports Complex will see Mount Pleasant facing Racing United before Montego Bay United battles Arnett Gardens.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has announced that on August 31, its First Instance Body, awarded regional licenses to 11 clubs participating in this season’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL): Arnett Gardens FC, Cavalier SC, Dunbeholden FC, Harbour View FC, Montego Bay United FC, Mount Pleasant FA, Portmore United FC, Racing United FC, Tivoli Gardens FC, Vere United FC and Waterhouse FC participating in this season’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

The remaining 3 clubs - Chapelton Maroons FC, Humble Lion FC and Molynes United FC - received domestic licenses, meaning they will not be eligible for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup or the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup if they finish in the top three of the JPL standings at the end of the season.

Each club was required to meet the minimum criteria outlined in the 2018 JFF Club Licensing Regulations. This season’s achievement of awarding 11 regional licenses marks a significant increase from last season, when only four clubs – Arnett Gardens FC, Cavalier SC, Harbour View FC and Mount Pleasant FA - received regional licenses.

Club licensing, introduced by FIFA, is a key element in promoting the professionalization of football worldwide. This system is based on principles-driven criteria and establishes minimum standards that clubs must meet to obtain a license and participate in competitions.

The Club Licensing Regulations focus on five key areas: Administration, Sporting, Financial, Infrastructure, and Legal. The goal of these regulations is to standardize and elevate football club management globally.

Carlene Edwards, Chairwoman of the First Instance Body, expressed gratitude for the commitment displayed by the clubs in meeting the requirements.

She stated, “The process was challenging initially, as we needed to review and update clubs simultaneously, ensuring they submitted correct and updated documents while adhering to established deadlines in the Club Licensing Regulations Support Manual. Nevertheless, we remained dedicated to the task and successfully delivered all decisions within the stipulated timeframe. We look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with the clubs and anticipate achieving 100 percent compliance in delivering regional licenses next season.”

In a statement, Michael Ricketts, President of the Jamaica Football Federation, emphasized the Federation’s commitment to supporting the club licensing process.

He stated, “I am incredibly proud of our clubs for their dedication and hard work in achieving club licensing. This milestone not only reflects their commitment to excellence but also underscores our promise to elevate football in Jamaica. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the First Instance Body for their tireless efforts in ensuring we meet our commitments to CONCACAF. Their diligence in overseeing the licensing process has been crucial in raising the standards of our football community. JFF remains dedicated to empowering our clubs as they strive to excel on both national and regional stages.”

The next category of stakeholders to be on boarded in the Club Licensing process will include the Women’s Premier League teams and the JFF Championship teams.

Molynes United Football Club has appointed Alex Thomas as their head coach for the upcoming Jamaica Premier League season.