Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
ELLIS
AT THE start of a new football season there is the predictable player migration as players go in search of greener pastures in order to capitalise on the scare resources within the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
Clubs to suffer most are those who have been relegated or those unable to math the ambitions or demands of their star players.
Among those on the move is 21-year-old Delroy Ellis of the relegated Invaders of Trelawny. He is set to make the short trip over to another Trelawny team, Village United.
According to Ellis, who can play both forward and midfield and who was the top scorer for his team last season with six goals, he is being eyed by a number of clubs such as Wadadah, Seba, Arnett Gardens, Rivoli and Village United. Village he said seems his most likely destination.
"One thing is certain and that is I am definitely not going back to Invaders," Ellis told The Gleaner recently.
NOT GOOD
"At Invaders the treatment was not good. Since the last season (2004-2005) started not much was done for us financially. We still stuck around and played because we love the club, but that cannot continue," added Ellis about the Bunker's Hill-based club.
The fact that Invaders were relegated helped Ellis to make up his mind.
"Village are still in the NPL and they will offer me the opportunity to make something of myself and to go and play for a team that has the potential to go somewhere.
"I want to go as far as football can take me. I want to be the top striker in the country and to play for the national team one day soon. If it is even once I want to wear the national colours and Village I believe will better enable me to achieve that," explained the man who is a big admirer of Brazilians Ronaldo and Rivaldo as well as locals Kevin Lamey, Christopher Nicholas and especially Walter Boyd.
If Village is Ellis' destination he should have little problem in settling as he is already friends with a number of the players on the team.
"I have friends at Village such as Andre Moore, Omroy Wilson, Jahvan Russell, Eddie Campbell, Charles Hines, Nigel Ellis. I get on well with most of them," said Ellis.
Village coach Dr. Dean Weatherly is also an admirer of Ellis.
"He is a very good player and one I have liked since his days at William Knibb. He is a hard worker and he knows where the goal is," Dr. Weatherly said of Ellis, fondly called Blacks.
"If something can be worked out I would love to have him in my team," he added.
BIT SADDENED
But while Ellis will be happy to leave Invaders, he is a bit saddened to see the decline of the club he has been associated with since they were attempting to qualify for the NPL three years ago.
"The first season was good. We had Tegat (Paul Davis) as the coach and he brought a positive vibe. Even if you were not the best player he made you feel as if you could be the best and we enjoyed our game," explained the pint-sized player.
"During that time we also had more support but after Tegat left and the incident last year where a number of players were beaten, the whole atmosphere changed. Things took a turn for the worse. Some of the better players started leaving and we did not get the same kind of support as we did before and the people in the community started hitting out," Ellis continued.
Things did not get much better and with Invaders in a financial crisis the then controllers of the club sold it to the owners of Seba United.
An outcry from the residents of Bunker's Hill forced the Jamaica Football Federation to step in and the club was returned to the community.
While the ownership struggle took place a number of other players left, including captain and goalkeeper Richard McCallum, Ellis' close friend. Still, Ellis stayed.
"I felt that better was coming as I had heard that they were supposed to get assistance from Chris Blackwell. I suppose we got some support but it was not enough," a resigned Ellis offered.
