Premier League returns - Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence to host all five games

Fifteen months after COVID-19 stopped local football in its tracks, the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) makes its return at the weekend with five matches to kick off the 2021 season.

The four-month season will start with a double-header tomorrow at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on the grounds of the University of the West Indies, Mona. Mount Pleasant FA will take on Tivoli Gardens FC at 1 p.m while Cavalier SC will face Humble Lion FC at 3:30 p.m

The traditional 12-team campaign will only feature 11 teams this year. UWI FC have pulled out of the competition because of financial reasons. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) board member Donovan White said that the withdrawal forced changes to the schedule which included the Mount Pleasant game originally scheduled for Sunday to be moved to tomorrow.

Tivoli Gardens head coach Phillip Williams said that it was a move that suited his team in making their preparations more manageable.

"In terms of getting the guys prepared where nutrition and hydration is concerned it will be much easier for us," Williams told STAR Sports. We were preparing our minds for the 8 a.m. start on Sunday but we do welcome the change to the 1 p.m. kick-off on Saturday."

At the time last season was cancelled, Mount Pleasant were in second place with 53 points in a close battle with Waterhouse for the top spot in the table. Tivoli were in the middle of their mid-season turnaround which saw them vault from the bottom two to sixth place and a play-off position.

The realities of the pandemic have resulted in teams putting emphasis in their young players for this season. Cavalier SC technical director Rudolph Speid said while his team may be inexperienced, he has implored his players to believe not only in the work they have done this month but in themselves against Humble Lion.

We have quality

"What we have been telling them is don't worry about the experience because we have quality and what we are doing is the right thing. Just go out there, be yourself, play what we have been speaking about over the time we got to train," Speid said.

Humble Lion head coach Andrew Price, entering his second season with the Clarendon-based club, stressed the importance of getting off to a good start considering that there will be limited time to take a claim to a play-off spot.

"It's important that we get off to a good start so it's very important that we try and be consistent over the period of time because there is not a lot of room for error if you have ambitions of winning the title," Price said.

The Centre of Excellence will play host to the opening weekend of the campaign. On Sunday, reigning champions Portmore United will face off against Dunbeholden in the latest instalment of the St Catherine derby at 11 a.m.

The opening weekend concludes with a doubleheader on Monday as Vere United face Molynes United at 1 p.m and Waterhouse play Harbour View at 3:30 p.m.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Tomorrow

Mount Pleasant vs Tivoli Gardens - 1 p.m.Cavalier vs Humble Lion - 3:30 p.m.

Sunday

Portmore vs Dunbeholden - 11 a.m.

Monday

Vere vs Molynes - 1 p.m.

Waterhouse vs Harbour View- 3:30 p.m.All matches will be played at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, UWI, Mona.