Adrian Frater, News Editor

( L - R ) BUCKNOR, WILLIAMS

WESTERN BUREAU:

WITH NO St James team in the line-up for the upcoming 2008-09 Digi-cel National Premier League (NPL), fans in St James are now lining up to throw their support behind Trelawny's Village United and Westmoreland's Reno - western Jamaica's two representatives.

St James, which featured as many as four NPL teams at one time during the golden era of the late 1980s and mid '90s, was left without an NPL representative at the end of the 2007-08 season when Seba United were relegated and Wadadah failed to advance from the NPL qualification competition.

"I will be juggling between Westmoreland and Trelawny on Sundays to watch Reno and Village," said Anthony 'Follies' Williams, who enjoyed NPL success at Wadadah as both a player and coach. "My love for football would not allow me to do otherwise," he said.

While still bemoaning the fact that St James' football has hit rock bottom, top-flight cricket umpire Steve Bucknor also plans to join those fans making the trek to watch Reno and Village.

"I definitely will be watching a few games, although I don't believe I will be putting myself out of the way to watch a game every week," said Bucknor, a former coach of Seba United. "It is my hope that, come next year, St James will once again be represented in the NPL," he said.

Solid support

The promise of solid support from football fans in St James was good news for Village United's coach, Dr Dean Weatherly, who is a native of St James.

"Spectator support is crucial in motivating the players, so we welcome whatever support we can get," said Weatherly. "It is also good in terms of gate receipts."

Junior Welch, a former vice-president of the St James FA and current coach of the St James Senior League outfit ACS FC, says he also plans to watch a few games but does not intend to make it a weekly ritual.

"If a good game is being played, I will definitely make an effort to go and watch," said Welch. "However, my primary focus is to see St James football getting back on top."

The NPL season, after two postponements, is due to kick off this Sunday.