Boys' Town strive to beat growing pains

BY DANIA BOGLE Observer staff reporter

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

GROWING pains, lack of motivation, an ageing team beset by injuries and a shortage of resources are impeding the progress of Boys' Town in the third round of the Digicel Premier League, according to technical director Andrew Price.

The Red Brigade have lost four of their last six matches after starting the third round on a promising note with a 3-1 victory over Village United.

"We just haven't been playing motivated football since we went way back behind the leaders and as a result, it's proving very difficult for the players to feel motivated...," Price told the Observer recently.

Boys' Town finished the first two rounds of the season in fourth place, but have been limping through the third round and are now 10th, having earned only five points from seven games.

"It's a bit disappointing after being very optimistic at the start of the season to be playing like this at this point in time," Price said.

"... What I have to be using to motivate them is... that they're the defending champions of the Flow Champions Cup."

Financing the team, especially in the midst of a recession, has also compounded the problems as late-season injuries begin to pile up.

"When it comes to this time of the season when you have a lot of injuries and you don't have the players to fill the breach, you're deficient against some of the teams that have deeper squads and deeper pockets and bigger payrolls.

"Corporate Jamaica is under pressure, so how much more sponsorship can you get?" asked Price.

"It's the same companies that continue to sponsor us and everybody can't sponsor the Premier League... there are limited resources out there," he stressed.

"What we do in the league is compete with heart, a little love and camaraderie, because we don't have the wherewithal. We struggle every year to finish the season," he emphasised.

Outside of that, Price admits goal scoring has been their weakness time and again this season: "We create chances week in, week out, but we're not finishing," he said.

It seems to be a seasonal refrain, but Price says the team needs to get all the elements right at the same time.

"Despite the fact that last season we had the same problem, we were the leading goalscorers in the competition."

Boys' Town were absent from the country's top competition for a decade and are still getting used to life at the top, he added.

"We're still in transition and its going to take us a while."

Nevertheless, Price said it is also incumbent on players to strive to get to the point of playing overseas.

He expressed disappointment that O'neil 'Bigga' Thompson was the only player from the club currently playing outside Jamaica.

Thompson is currently on loan at English side Watford City from Barnsley after being recruited by Norwegian league side Notodden FK three years ago.

"I would've hoped that other players would have followed suit and gone ahead, but it's not that easy," he said, noting that sending players abroad is another way for teams to gain a boost.

"They see what other players are getting out of football globally, so they must strive to make the national team so they can get exposure and get some contracts... it's the only way they can improve their situation," Price stressed.

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