St Elizabeth will be buzzing with excitement today as they welcome premier league football to the parish for the first time in three years when Kingston teams Boys’ Town and Tivoli Gardens do battle at St Elizabeth Technical High School.

In a pioneering move, Boys’ Town, from South St Andrew, will travel approximately 80 miles to St Elizabeth to play their designated home game against fierce rivals Tivoli Gardens.

According to head coach Andrew Price, this is a move to spread top-flight football across the island and in the meantime maximising on the gate receipts — something which they have not been able to do at Collie Smith Drive.

“It’s twofold. It’s about giving parishes that haven’t seen the premier league in a while the opportunity to see premier league football, and two, it’s an opportunity to maximise gate receipts,” noted Price.

“We have been invited by the St Elizabeth FA to come down there and we took this opportunity with this marquee game to go and play this game. We hope that the St Elizabeth people will come out and support the game,” he added.

Both teams are struggling at the moment with Boys’ Town in eighth spot on 20 points, while Tivoli Gardens are farther down the ladder in 10th place with 18 points, but it should be an exciting game worth going miles to see, literally, because on any given day the players can raise their level and produce high-quality football.

Rivoli United have decided to share top-flight football with other parishes as well, taking their home game to Drax Hall in St Ann to play Waterhouse FC.

The Spanish Town-based Rivoli United are surprisingly in fourth spot on 22 points, just two points adrift of Waterhouse in third, and the promoted team will know the value of a win could propel them into third spot.

Meanwhile, champions and leaders Harbour View, on 36 points, will be severely tested by former champions Portmore United, who are lying some 19 points adrift and 10 places behind their opponents.

But despite the gap between the teams, it will be a very close game as Portmore United welcome back goalkeeper Gariece McPherson from Cavalier, defender Rickardo Harriott from August Town, and Alanzo Adlam from IFK Marichamn, in Finland to their fold.

In the lone game in Kingston, bottom-placed August Town, on 14 points, host seventh placed Cavalier, on 21 points, in a match that can go either way.

Second-placed Montego Bay United, on 28 points, have drawn six of their last seven matches and they will be hoping to beat ninth-placed Sporting Central Academy, on 20 points, to stay in touch with the leaders.

Fifth-placed Arnett Gardens, on 21 points, travel to sixth-placed Humble Lion, also on 21 points, in an intriguing match at Effortville Community Centre.

The Junglists will be without the talented Vishinul Harris, who is out on accumulation of yellow cards, but they will welcome the equally talented Renae Lloyd, who has made the transfer from Boys’ Town, into their team, and he could make a positive impact first time of asking.

Regardless, Humble Lion will be a dangerous team and, especially playing at home, will be hard to beat. The Clarendon outfit won the first encounter 1-0 and will be seeking the double over Arnett Gardens.

3:00 pm August Town FC vs Cavalier SC @ UWI Bowl

3:00 pm Boys’ Town FC vs Tivoli Gardens FC @ St Elizabeth Technical High School

3:00 pm Humble Lion FC vs Arnett Gardens FC @ Effortville Community Centre

7:00 pm Portmore United FC vs Harbour View FC @ Ferdie Neita Park

5:00 pm Rivoli United FC vs Waterhouse FC @ Drax Hall Complex

3:00 pm Sporting Central FC vs Montego Bay United FC @ Juici Patties Park