ON THE SPORTING EDGE

It is refreshing in today’s world of ego driven sports personalities where someone who even in the midst of success recognises they have limitations and calls for help.

Even while celebrating leading Wadadah FC to a second Jamaica Football Federation’s Captain’s Bakery and Grill Western Confederation Super League title in four years after beating Reno FC 5-4 on penalty kicks in the second leg of the finals at Jarrett Park two Sundays ago, Daniel ‘Cup Head’ Ricketts showed his commitment to his club and to football transcended misplaced ego.

Ricketts was a stubborn player in his days when he represented both Violet Kickers and then Wadadah FC, after leaving Cornwall College where he was star midfielder for coach Steve Bucknor, and there is no doubting the decision was his and nothing would have changed his mind once it was made up.

It would have been easy for the former national junior representative to continue marshalling Wadadah by himself and after dodging several bullets on the way to the title, few could second guess that decision to continue riding his luck.

Ricketts however, showed a maturity that must be admired when he faced a television camera and said “I am an inexperienced coach and I am doing this for Wadadah,” after announcing he would be seeking help from a more senior coach who we now know is Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis, who he bested in the semi-finals.

Davis’ Tomorrow’s People had beaten Wadadah to win the mid-season finals but Wadadah returned the favour in the semi-finals. Now Davis will help Ricketts to what many hope will be a place in next season’s Red Stripe Premier League.

There was no doubt that Wadadah had the best team on paper in the league, when Ricketts armed with enough resources in January went shopping for players.

How he deployed them was another matter, however, as it was painfully obvious he was on a steep learning curve and at times was outcoached by the likes of Davis and Reno’s Michael Graham.

Despite an unbeaten streak that extended to 11 games in the League at one stretch, and giving Premier League outfit Montego Bay United a good run in a parish Knock Out semi-final game, the Wadadah team was at times predictable and would get stuck in a rut for long periods, having to wait on individual skills to win.

Davis is no stranger to the wars of Premier League qualification, having guided Village United and Seba United to the island’s top club football league, and will undoubtedly be a big asset, not only to the Wadadah team, but no doubt Rickets will be able to pick up pointers that could prove helpful down the road.

In January we said here that Wadadah was looking like a potential Super League champion and possible Premier League qualifiers, and while the road was not smooth, the second half could still become a reality.

As Ricketts said on Sunday and we agree totally “Montego Bay needs another Premier League club.”