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.

Many-time Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Portmore United have added United Sports Group (USG) and Garwin Tulloch to its ownership group, as the club continues to chart a course towards reclaiming its glory days at the pinnacle of the nation’s top-flight league.

USG is a consortium comprising Tina Matalon, Ryan Reid, Khary Robinson, Duncan Stewart and Jackie Lechler, all prominent and successful Jamaican business leaders across various sectors, while Tulloch is a director of Kemtek Development & Construction Company Limited.

Kemtek, a family business, and one of Jamaica’s leading home construction companies, boasts major investments in the development of commercial and residential properties across various Jamaican communities including the sprawling metropolitan Portmore community.

For Portmore United, the addition of these new investors will strengthen the operational and financial capacity of the club, which is one of Jamaica’s marquee clubs and the most successful in the JPL, having won seven titles –the first two as Hazard United in 1993 and 2003.

The JPL has increased in popularity over the years and even more so in the post pandemic period, under the Chris Williams-led Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL).  During this time, the PFJL has seen tremendous growth in the League’s commercial viability and the economic prospects of the Clubs.

This expansion of an increasingly sophisticated investor pool facilitates the collective vision of the PFJL and the JPL clubs, which is to enhance the financial and operational capacity of the Clubs. The path to achieve that includes leveraging existing revenue streams like sponsorships, player sales, broadcasting, digital media, merchandizing and increased gate receipts, through additional investments in infrastructure, something that USG’s Khary Robinson is pleased to be a part of.

“United Sports Group believes that this strategic investment will further empower Portmore United Football Club to achieve even greater football success and become a catalyst for positive community development. Our leadership group is committed to delivering the time, strategic support and capital to enable the PUFC brand to maximize its potential in the sporting industry commercial space,” Robinson said.

Tulloch echoed similar sentiments.

“Football has remained one of my great passions and the desire to give back to the community through the sport has always been a driving force for me personally. My association with the JPL through Kemtek sponsorship of the League, led me to an association with the principals of Portmore United Football Club,” Tulloch shared.

“From the onset I was impressed with the vision and professionalism across the organization and the decision to invest was a no brainer for me. It is an association that I’m confident will yield great benefits to the various stakeholders of the Club,” he added.

Consequent on the additional ownership compliment, Portmore United’s new Board of Directors, will see Tulloch serving as chairman, with Garfield Sinclair, Peter Baker, Khary Robinson, Clinton Brooks and Garth Pearce, the memebers.

The Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) has collaborated with Malta to introduce the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme, a junior-level training initiative offering opportunities for young talents to further ignite passion for the sport and channel true Jamaican energy.

Targeting youths under seventeen years of age, this programme aims to provide a pathway for young players to progress into local, international or regional clubs and academies. The announcement was made on Wednesday, May 8, during the official media launch at the JFF Captain Horace Burrell Center of Excellence at The University of the West Indies. 

In his remarks, CEO of the PFJL, Owen Hill, expressed, “We are excited about the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme prospects and look forward to developing our local talent and, by extension, allowing the players to be globally adaptable. To our partner Malta, we salute you for stepping up to the plate, believing in us and most importantly, believing in our youth. The team at Professional Football Jamaica Limited promises you that we will make this programme worth your while. On behalf of the PFJL board of directors and management, I thank you for being here and for your continued support as we continue to raise the bar.” 

Through this programme, clubs will have the opportunity to participate using their best junior players between the ages of 15 to 17 and will involve four Premier League Clubs:  Arnett Gardens, Waterhouse, Portmore United, and Harbour View.

PFJL, in collaboration with these clubs, will administer three football festivals where teams will compete in an equitable format to determine the champions on the day. The games will follow traditional football competition rules and will be hosted over three consecutive months, starting on May 25 and ending on July 27, where the teams will compete against each other. 

The Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme aims to take a multifaceted approach by not only developing the technical skills and abilities of Jamaica’s youth footballers but also strengthen the local capacity for elite youth coaches through mandatory coaching education and football education. Coaches are required to be enrolled in a B Licensed Programme or higher to ensure that players are trained effectively. Moreover, individual clubs and player development plans will be implemented with structured coaching education. 

"We are happy to partner with Professional Football Jamaica Limited for the launch of the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme, which is a part of our pilot programme, Malta Sparks. Through this campaign, we aim to bring local caregivers together, energise them, celebrate with them, strengthen their bonds within the community, and foster a profound sense of belonging. In collaboration with PFJL, we have a lineup of impactful workshops led by experts to equip players and their parents/guardians with the essential tools to improve their personal and social development skills. We look forward to the success stories and opportunities that will unfold for the talented young footballers participating in the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme,” expressed Malta Brand Manager, Jodi-Ann Campbell.

Jamaica Premier League club, Portmore United Football Club has signed national player Alex Marshall on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Phillip Williams has been appointed head coach of Jamaica Premier League’s Portmore United Football Club following the recent resignation of Lenworth ‘Lenny’ Hyde.

Hyde’s resignation letter that cited ‘personal reasons’ took effect on Monday, May 9, 2022.

“Portmore United Football Club wishes to thank Mr Hyde for his contribution to the club’s football development and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours,” the club said in a statement Wednesday.

 “PUFC is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Philip Williams as the new head coach of the senior men’s team and technical coordinator for the youth and grassroots programmes. Mr Williams is currently the head coach of the St. Andrew Technical High School football teams and was recently head coach of the Tivoli Gardens Football Club. Mr Williams will be required to lead the PUFC technical department in furtherance of the club’s strategic objectives. 

Williams said Portmore United was the right fit.

 “I’m elated with this opportunity to join the Portmore United FC family and be given the tasks of leading holistically, the Club’s technical development,” Williams said following his appointment. “This was a very easy decision for me as the vision and philosophy of Portmore United FC, align well with my own beliefs and aspirations. I’m looking forward to achieving great things during my stint at this organization”.

 Meanwhile, Superintendent Steve Brown, the Director at PUFC welcomed Brown to the fold.

“Portmore United FC looks forward to the technical leadership of Mr Philip Williams as we continue our mission of rebuilding our various football programmes, negatively impacted by the Covid pandemic over the past two years. Indeed, we are very excited by the possibilities ahead,” he said.