Harbour View committed to youth development, says U17 coach
Published:Tuesday | July 1, 2025 | 12:12 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
FOLLOWING HIS team’s triumph in the final of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Under-17 final at the Constant Spring Sports Complex on Sunday, Harbour View coach Sydney McFarlane said the club is still producing top youth talent in Jamaica.
Harbour View downed Cavalier 2-0 in Sunday’s final — the Stars of the East romping home through goals from Kajay Fletcher in the 27th minute and Kelvin Brown in the 50th minute.
Speaking in a post-match interview, McFarlane praised his players for achieving the objective they had set before the start of the season.
“From before the season this was our goal, and I’m glad we’ve met our objective,” he said.
“We have a good bunch of players and we did a good rotation of them because we have a very strong squad. I just think everything worked perfectly for us.”
Spectators at the National Stadium were treated to a thrilling game as the Stars of the East turned on the flair against their opponents in the final.
Both goals came from flashes of individual brilliance. Fletcher opened the scoring in the first half when he picked up a ball just inside the opponents’ half, glided by three defenders and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper at his near post.
Brown, who had been a nuisance all game, also showed off his footwork on the second goal, dribbling by two markers before letting loose a shot that nestled in the back of the net.
McFarlane said it is a core part of the football development in Harbour View to encourage their players to be creative on the field and comfortable with the ball at their feet.
“Those are some of the things that we try to do and we also try to play a team game, inside of being individuals.”
He explained that the key is finding the right balance between individual brilliance and well-oiled team plays.
“What we try to do is, when the time comes and you have to use your individual skills, then you can be confident and that is the time to use it.
“Most of our players are very good in one-on-one situations, so we encourage them to do so, and we do it in our training as well.”
McFarlane said with this philosophy, the club can continue to build on their reputation of producing top youth talents in Jamaica.
He also explained the club will now look within their under-17 squad to assess the players who they believe are ready to make the transition to the senior team and play in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).
Earlier this year, Harbour View caught the headlines when 15-year-old prospect Tyrique Robinson scored on his JPL debut against Vere Phoenix United.
“It is very important, because we always believe that this is where we are going to get the players who are going to play in the Premier League,” he said.
“These are the youngsters that we’re going to look at now to see who we can bring into the Premier League team. We are always looking to work with the youngsters and then carry them up to that stage to play with the senior team.”