The long-awaited return of competitive football to Jamaica is finally here.

After months of uncertainty, the newly branded Jamaica Premier League (JPL), powered by Digicel, gets under way today with an intriguing double-header at The University of the West Indies (UWI)-Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.

Though shortened, the 2021 season promises some amount of excitement as all 11 clubs are intent on making the most of the three months plus worth of action to find some semblance of form and return to some means of normality by pocketing the prize monies up for grabs after the lengthy one-year break.

The UWI FC, who were one of the clubs spared relegation when the JFF ruled the 2019/2020 season null and void due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, have opted not to take part in the truncated season for various reasons.

Ironically, UWI FC were scheduled to get the ball rolling against former champions Arnett Gardens in the opening fixture at 1:00 pm. However, with their withdrawal, organisers had to improvise and moved the Mount Pleasant Football Academy versus Tivoli Gardens contest — originally scheduled for Sunday — into that slot.

The Drax Hall-based Mount Pleasant FA is aiming to make today’s contest, and by extension the entire truncated season, a case of picking up where they left off, as they were sitting pretty at the top of the 2019/20 season with nothing to show for it.

New Technical Director Walter “Wally” Downs is hoping the team can hit top stride from the off.

“Winning will be a priority as there won’t be much of a break between when the next season starts. If we find a team that is capable of going on long winning stretches, then we can take that into the next season. Winning is a habit. It’s a wonderful habit to have and so we will be looking to win,” the Englishman shared.

Meanwhile, Cavalier FC and Humble Lions FC are set to cross swords in the feature contest of the double-header at 3:00 pm.

Though he would have favoured a longer preparation period, Humble Lions Head Coach Andrew Price pointed out that they have made the most of the time allowed and are now hoping for a competitive outing.

Prior to the break, Humble Lions sat third in the overall standing on 42 points and were on a three-match winning run. Their overall stats read 11 wins, nine draws, and five losses in 25 games.

“I would have preferred at least two months preparation for this competition, but it is what it is, we just have to get ourselves ready and try to be competitive throughout the entire programme,” Price said in a recent interview.

Cavalier Technical Director Rudolph Speid is rating his youthful team’s chances of upstaging their more experienced opponents and making the play-offs on this occasion.

Cavalier were sitting in eighth spot on 39 points after 29 games when the pandemic hit. They were four points adrift of a play-off spot.

“I expect to be at the business end, and when the play-offs start we will be there. Preparation wasn’t as smooth as it should be, but outside of that, I expect to be there when the play-offs start,” Speid declared.

On Sunday, Portmore United FC square off against neighbours Dunbeholden FC at 11:00 am, also at The UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.

The JPL matches will take place at three designated venues — The UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, National Stadium, and Stadium East — without spectators, as part of the Government’s protocols for the return of football under measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Additionally, all players, club officials, and match officials will be tested before and throughout the season.

The season will be a one-round round-robin format to rank the teams from one to 11 based on points.

After round-robin play, the top two teams, on points, will go straight to the semi-finals, while teams ranked third to sixth will engage in a quarter-final play-off, with the two winners determining the other semi-finalists.

Those in the lower half of the table — seventh to 11th — will also engage in a play-off to determine their final placing in the season.

Games will be played on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays leading up to the semi-final round. The final is scheduled for September 26.

Saturday’s Games

1:00 pm — Mount Pleasant FA vs Tivoli Gardens @ The UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence

3:00 pm — Humble Lions vs Cavalier FC @ The UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence