FOLLOWING days of speculation as to whether or not UWI Mona FC would be participating in the 2020-2021 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season, chairman of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), Christopher Williams has confirmed that the university team has withdrawn from the league.

“I can confirm that we have received communication from the principal of The UWI that they have withdrawn from this season’s Jamaica Premier League,” Williams said while confirming the news just three days before the start of the season.

Williams expressed disappointment at the late withdrawal but insisted that the PFJL has already started making the necessary adjustments to ensure that the opening weekend fixtures will still take place.

“This is obviously a disappointment, not just from the fact that we would have liked to have twelve teams participate, but also because of the 11th hour within which we are getting this notification.

“However, we have already pivoted and we have adjusted the fixtures to shift the matches to accommodate the withdrawal of UWI,” Williams said.

The UWI were scheduled to play in the opening fixture of the season against Arnett Gardens, who will now be idle for the first weekend of the season.

“We will play Mount Pleasant vs Tivoli Gardens as the opening match on Saturday at 1:00 pm and we will leave the space which was previously Sunday morning at 8:30 vacant. And there will only be on match played on Sunday, which will be at 11:00am,” the PFJL chairman informed.

Ultimately, the number of teams participating this season has been reduced by one but, all things considered, a good season is anticipated.

“We will now be an eleven-team league and that means one team will be resting each weekend. And, as you know, it’s a league format so there will be not much challenges in terms of accommodating the second round, semi-finals and final,” Williams concluded.

Based on the adjusted fixtures, Cavalier FC will face Humble Lion FC in the second fixture on Saturday at 3:30 pm while the lone fixture on Sunday will see reigning champions Portmore United take on Dunbeholden FC.

The Monday fixtures remain the same and all the games on the opening weekend will be played at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.

— Dwayne Richards