Six years ago Jamalco FC was formed. Elsewhere that same year, 23-year-old Rayon Johnson decided he wanted to teach football and he began his coaching career.

Both Jamalco and Johnson had visions, and fate would bring them together in 2013. The rest is history.

Johnson, now 29, has led Jamalco to historic qualification to the highest tier of football in Jamaica in a relatively short time.

“I was coaching primary school [Watsonton] when [Jamalco President] Ewan [Scott] asked me to come,” Johnson told the

Jamaica Observer.

“Even the spectators were saying [I am a] primary school [coach] and so forth. But in my first year, I surprised most of them because I took back the team to basics and taught quite a few of them how to pass and control the football and they really gave me respect in that light,” Johnson explained.

Johnson had tremendous success as an Under-13 primary school coach, and was elevated to the coaching job of Clarendon’s youth team.

But it’s at the senior level that he now stamps his class, winning two Clarendon Major League titles and as many South Central Confederation titles.

He led Jamalco to the Clarendon knockout title, defeating former Premier League campaigners Sporting Central Academy in the semi-finals, before dispatching top-flight heavy hitters Humble Lion 4-2 in the final.

“The whole community and the players are really happy about it. We are excited about the whole thing. We went close a couple of years ago, and making it this far this year we knew we really had to put in the work and get the job done, and so we did,” said Johnson.

Jamalco, under the presidency of Scott, came close to premier league qualification in their fourth year of existence in 2014, reaching the play-off, but they lost out to FC Reno and Barbican FC.

The following year Johnson again led Jamalco to the Clarendon Major League title in unbeaten fashion, but they missed out to Portmore United in the South Central Confederation Super League. Needing just a draw to advance to the premier league play-offs, but lost 0-3 to Portmore United.

That Portmore United team went on to qualify for the Red Stripe Premier League where they eventually finished second to Montego Bay United.

Jamalco made no mistake the third time of asking in 2016 and qualified after only four of the six play-off games were completed. They defeated Brazil FC twice, and also recorded wins over Granville United and Maverley/ Hughenden by 1-0.

“Despite the wins, I don’t think it was easy. We had to go out there and play some tough games. These teams are really quality teams and it wasn’t an easy road,” noted Johnson.

“We tried to get some goals in and defended what we had. The defence stood tall throughout the competition and that’s one of the key things going into a tournament, trying not to concede,” he added.

Jamalco, despite having two games to complete the play-offs, turn attention to preparing for the new premier league season, in which they will have to get their home base at Wembley Centre of Excellence up to required standards.

Jamalco FC, from the south-east section of Clarendon, cover communities such as Hayes, Corn Piece, Raymonds and New Bowens.

Most players are from in and around those communities, which makes the achievement even more remarkable.