‘We’re not yet ready’

KEMAR RICKETTS, head coach of Treasure Beach FC, said it will be a race against time to get the club ready for the Jamaica Premier League’s (JPL) restart, which has been set for December 7.

Treasure Beach was one of the clubs severely impacted by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in St Elizabeth.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Ricketts said following discussions with the league, they had determined an estimated date in which they believed Treasure Beach would be able to compete.

However, he said this does not guarantee that they will be able to meet the deadline as they are a long way away from competitive form.

“We’re not yet ready, and we’ve communicated our issues and said that was the earliest date that we can accommodate,” Ricketts said about the December restart timeline.

“We’re still a bit distant from where we want to be, and we still have a few hurdles that we must jump before we can get going again,” he continued.

“We said that’s the earliest date, but that doesn’t mean that we can return at that date.”

Ricketts explained that the club’s infrastructure suffered heavy damage during the hurricane, including their training facilities and players’ dorms.

The club has assessed much of the damage during their site visits, which also included a visit from Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts.

The Treasure Beach head coach said ensuring that their players are provided a place to stay, particularly those who lost their homes, is their number-one priority.

Ricketts estimated that the club will need more than five weeks before their players can return to the playing field.

“First off, we have to think about where we host the boys, and that has to be comfortable because that’s their home away from home,” he said.

“We’re not in the position to train as yet, but I’ve spoken to the players. Some are still devastated, some are depleted mentally as this would have disturbed their livelihood, and some are still trying to get back to normalcy.

He continued, “We need at least four or five weeks to get the team physically prepared, and then you have to think about match fitness as well. It is going to be a lot.”

Ricketts said there is an extensive amount of work to be done at the club, which has been made even more difficult as several of their sponsors have also been impacted.

The club’s electrical infrastructure will need to be assessed due to water damage while they are also without drinkable water.

Ricketts said the club’s executive will have several meetings regarding their next step as they are determined to return to JPL action.

“It is a lot to think about, and it is a lot to be prepared for,” he said.

“At this moment, I still can’t put everything together as yet to say, this is how we’re going to do it. I have to have a meeting with the executive and have a meeting with my staff to see how we can put a plan together and to see how we’ll go forward.”

Treasure Beach are the only JPL club based in St Elizabeth and the only club from the parish to play in the island’s top flight since 1980.

They are spending just their second-ever season in the JPL, having made their debut in 2023 before being relegated the same season.

They returned to the JPL just a season later and are 10th in the league standings, with nine points from eight games.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com