TG halt practice - as uncertainty around the start of the NPL continues

December 07, 2020
Portmore United’s Chavany Willis (left) battles for possession  with Tivoli Gardens’  Jabeur Johnson during a Red Stripe Premier League match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on March 1, 2020.
Portmore United’s Chavany Willis (left) battles for possession with Tivoli Gardens’ Jabeur Johnson during a Red Stripe Premier League match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on March 1, 2020.

The uncertainty that continues to surround the start of the 2020-2021 Premier League season has been taking its toll on the Tivoli Gardens Football Club, coach Phillip Williams told STAR Sports.

Williams describes this unsure period as confusing and frustrating, while noting that it is part of the reason the west Kingston team has suspended training for the time being.

"We have been going through the period of uncertainty for some time now, and because of this it has led to some amount of confusion in terms of how do you structure your training sessions to get the players to a certain level for competition, which we don't know the starting date for," he said.

"So it's frustrating on the players, who are losing hope."

But although players have attended training consistently, he said they are now lacking real motivation, which is to get a concrete date for the start of the league.

"We stopped training two weeks ago, and we have stopped training for more than one reason.

"But it is all based on the uncertainty of the league and the news that came out that it wasn't going to be played until 2021," he stated.

Distraction

He anticipates that the players will lose a lot of the groundwork they have done because of the suspension of training, along with the distraction of the season's festivities.

"(December) the 6th was the last date which was given, so the break was basically a forced break which is accompanied by a lot of reasons, some because of the uncertainty and other natural reasons in terms of sustaining preparation period for players.

"It will set us back, but whenever we get a date again we will just have to restart and hope that they are not in such a bad condition as during the summer break.

"Hopefully, when the date is set again they will give us sufficient time to get the players up to a certain level where they can equip themselves and represent themselves and their clubs well," he commented.

He also believes that it would help if clubs get an update from the federation on what the health and safety proposals to the Ministry of Health and Wellness consist of.

"Public health comes first, but it is just the whole uncertainty with the proposals and what is in the proposals, like the date and such.

"But up until now the club hasn't been made aware of the different proposals to see in which way they can help, whether with the JFF or the Ministry of Health.

"So it is a big uncertainty in terms of the clubs don't know how to approach their sessions," he said.

"But we are looking forward to some semblance of sport being played, and in our case football in whatever format.

"All around the world different leagues have started, and we just need something to get going in terms of being organised by JFF and sanctioned by the Ministry of Health."

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