“Go back through that west gate walk around to the south on Losack road and enter there”. These were the words of a SKNFA official to Javid Brian of Sandy Point who had arrived at Warner Park to play in the first competitive match since all sporting events were ceased in March of this year. One of the conditions was that players and spectators had to use different entrances to the venue. A group of young players from Molineux were stopped in their tracks…although they used the correct entrance, they did not have masks on. Another official ensured this, then they were allowed to go to the dressing rooms.
The Ball Boys had a new task, they were now armed with sanitizing bottles. The precaution here was to prevent a ball that went into the crowd from entering the field of play immediately. As such there were 8 ball stations were those balls would be cleaned while another one is put back into play.
The Technical Director Jeffrey Hazel himself assisted the teams in using the new substation rules where five changes can be made but at only three points in the game half time being one of them.
On the field on the first day, things went back to normal. Sandy Point (considered as one such Big fish since they had a stint in they the Premier Division a few years ago) gobbled up Molineux in quick time defeating them 6-0 in game one. Then Dieppe Eagles swamped Newton Ground 10-2 in a one-sided affair.
Then on Tuesday, it was a much tighter affair with the two teams in that division – Lodge and Challengers. A 41st-minute strike by Kwani Archibald from Lodge was enough to separate the two teams giving Lodge the victory and made them the new leaders in Division 1.
The focus now moves to the Premier Division where there will be a battle of the Stars League Leaders Village Superstars will tangle with neighbours and rivals South Stars in the curtain game while Security Forces will try to arrest the men from St. Pauls in the opener.
The action starts at 5 pm at the Kim Collins Stadium on Saturday 26. See you there!