Powell

Western Bureau: Being western Jamaica's lone representative in this year's Digicel Premier League (DPL) football competition, Trelawny's pride and joy Village United FC could well be likened to Atlas who, according to Greek mythology, is carrying the world on his shoulders.

In recognising that his team is now representing the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the entire western region, Village United's coach Cassman Williams stated that his main aspiration was to ensure that at the end of the season the west was still represented among the DPL contenders.

"We are not only representing Trelawny, we are also representing St James, Westmoreland and Hanover since we are now the only team from the west," Williams stated at the time.

"We cannot afford to fail because to do so, the region would find itself without a team in the nation's top competition."

From being the most dominant region in national football for most of the 1990s, the west has fallen from grace. Teams such as Wadadah FC, Seba United, Violet Kickers and Reno FC, who at various times wore the mantle of national champions, have all been relegated to the Western Super League.

"Over the years, getting sponsorship support has been one of our greatest problems," said Derrick Whyte, a top executive of the Village United outfit. "Being the only team representing the west we are hoping the business community will seek to partner with us in our bid to keep the west in the DPL."

influential personalities

While many influential football personalities in the west have been giving verbal support to Village United's bid to meet coach Williams' expectations of finishing in the top six, former St James FA president, Orville Powell, who was also until recently the top honcho at Seba United, has actually backed up his talk with action.

"We have offered Village United the opportunity to take whichever Seba players they desire on a loan basis," Powell stated a week ago. "If you notice, our utility player Delroy Ellis is now with them."

In addition to offering players to Village since the start of the season, Powell is usually among the horde of fans from St James who maintain a weekly presence in the stands at the Elliston Wakeland Youth Centre whenever Village United is involved in a home fixture.

"We are extremely happy for the support because gate receipt is an important part of our plans to generate income," noted Whyte. "The more support we get, the better things will be for us."

As president of the Trelawny Football Association and chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation Western Confederation, businessman Linnel McLean said he and the organisations that he leads are at the disposal of Village United and stand ready to meet any reasonable request from the club.

unflattering record

"Village United is our only DPL team at this time and we are prepared to do all we can to ensure that they stay in the league," said McLean. "As a region, we just have to stand up with Village."

With one round of the DPL now complete, Village United have not been doing as well as the western region would have hoped. After being in the top six halfway through the round, they have now fallen to ninth place with their unflattering record of two wins, six draws and three defeats from 11 games.

While Reno, Wadadah, Seba United and Violet Kickers are now all busy in the Western Super League, campaigning in the hope of getting back into the DPL next season, they have no choice but to watch Village United play the role of Atlas for the west this season.

Tivoli Gardens' Keammar Daley (centre) evades a challenge from Village United's Lavardo White, while Teofore Bennett (second left) and Rushane Henry (left) look on, during a Digicel Premier League football match at the Edward Seaga Stadium on Sunday, October 11. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer