Sport

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Football fans, who were left disappointed on Sunday when the planned Reggae Boyz and a Claro/St James XI game, which was slated for Jarrett Park, was aborted following a fight between former national captain Warren Barrett and referee Donat McKenley, will get another chance to see the national team this Sunday.

The national team, which is currently fine-tuning preparation for upcoming friendly matches against CONCACAF neighbours Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, will be matching skills against a Trelawny National Rums Invitational team at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, starting at 3:30 p.m.

"We are really looking forward to the game - our players are all excited about getting this opportunity to impress the national coach," said Trelawny FA vice president Marline Brown. "The players have been in training for quite a while, so I know they are rearing to go."

The Trelawny squad, which has been working out daily at the Elletson Wakeland Youth Centre, is made up primarily of players from National Premier League outfit Village United and parish champions Harmony FC, which recently won the TFA/National Rums of Jamaica Major League title.

"We have a crop of very good young players in this parish, and we are always seeking out all available avenues to provide them with exposure," Linnel McLean, the TFA president, told The Gleaner in a recent interview. "We have been placing a lot of emphasis on youth football within recent times, and thankfully, we are now seeing the results."

Disappointed

Following Sunday's aborted game at Jarrett Park, national coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore expressed much disappointed as according to him, an opportunity to expose players from St James was wasted.

"It was most disappointing," said Whitmore, "Especially since I have been getting some knocks from persons who are claiming that I am not exposing enough western players to the national programme."

Whitmore also used the opportunity to lamented the fact that several western players, who were invited to join the national squad, did not take up the invitation, creating the public impression that he was sidelining them.