Pow is back

When Orville Powell passed the reigns of Seba United before it became Montego Bay United (MBU) in 2023, after being in ownership for 23 years, many wondered if western Jamaica had seen the last of one of its most passionate football builders.

Now, the former MBU owner is stepping back into the administration of local football, this time with a new badge and a renewed mission.

With his new team, MoBay City Football Club (MBCFC), Powell is now scripting a new chapter, with a mission to restore competitive energy within St James and rivalry that reignites passion.

“Rivalry is always good because one thing I know is that it brings competition, money, people out, and excitement. Me being back now is to ignite that rivalry again and interest in football in the west, while making it better for the people in St James,” said Powell.

Powell pointed out that, at the time when he registered the company MBU, he also came up with the name MBCFC, which is significant, representing the west and Montego Bay. It was put aside with the intention to one day become a rival team.

“It feels good to be back. Winning, to me, is winning lives more than winning a game. Mi is a Montegonian, a western man before me is a Jamaican and a man who supports my community. The name Montego Bay means so much to me because it is what I want to glorify, so I know from then that rivalry is good,” Powell added, making reference to past rival teams like Wadadah FC and Seba.

Once the driving force behind delivering MBU’s last two premier league titles, Powell’s ambition stretches beyond parish lines, he envisions a clear pathway to the JPL but built the right way, from the ground up.

“I aspire to go back to the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) again. My plan is, if we can’t use under-20 players of quality to go to the JPL, we won’t go there. “We are currently using under-20 players, with our oldest being 22. We aim to compete at the highest level with a young squad when we are up and running properly,” stated Powell.

As for the newcomers to the Sandals St James Major League football competition, they notched their first win against Montego Bay Boys & Girls Club, beating them 3-1 at Wespow Park in Montego Bay on Friday.

“We want youngsters that we can have for three years and are still under-20. If we can have some boys in training for three years, we must get a good crop of players. While the major league is maybe for two or three months, we want to continue our training sessions and lobby for the football to become more here in St James,” added Powell, whose story of football in Montego Bay was never finished.

Last year, MBCFC finished second in the U15 and U17 football competitions in the parish.

“While I didn’t expect these youths to become competitive so early in the season, seeing them score against older players, it gives you a feeling that something good is there. With proper structure, which is what I am about, and still having the best facility, where nobody can ever compete with.

“We are on a roll now and we want to encourage people to be a part of the new team,” Powell said.

Asked about motivations for returning and why he chose to start over after passing MBU to new management, Powell said it is the love for the community.

“I never gave up MBU to feel as if I wasn’t a part of it. I gave it up to continue being a part of it but in a lesser role. At the time, I did not sell it for a dollar, but for free to some people who I felt like would have the ability to run it and make it bigger than I could,” Powell said.

“Seba wasn’t mine, MoBay a nuh fi mi. It is for the people and that is how I consider it. Even the MBCFC that I built, while being the force behind it, I really don’t want it that way. I want the people to be responsible.”