Ian Allen - Wendell Downswell

Audley Boyd, Asst. Sport Editor
Western Bureau:

Reno, tired of being just a member of the supporting cast, are looking to break the drought being suffered by clubs from western Jamaica and win the Wray and Nephew National Premier League title this season.

The Westmoreland outfit, one of the nation's most successful with three titles in their coffers, have gone more than a decade since last winning the coveted crown in the 1994-95 championship. They had previously lifted back-to-back crowns in the 1989-90, 1990-91 seasons.

For the past four years, they have drifted farther than nearer to winning while holding up among the back-markers.

"Now it's a different kettle of fish. I think in probably the last four-five years this has been one of our better starts. What has been happening over the years is we've been struggling in the early part," noted coach Wendell Downswell, a foundation Reno man who once formed a vintage combination up front with Boysie Nicholson in the Westmoreland team's heyday.

Nowadays, a different generation led by Ricardo Scott, Kirk Wright, Fabian 'Lexxus' Blake, Kendrie Quarrie and Nicholi Findlayson are carrying the torch and they are finally beginning to make some headway, finishing joint third on 18 points with Portmore United, only three points shy of Harbour View, the second place team which qualified alongside defending champions Waterhouse for the first end-of-round final.

"It's the same crop of players that we've had over the past four years and have been struggling to avoid relegation year in, year out. And having made this wonderful start, our intention is to consolidate on the position that we're in presently," said Downswell. "Our intention is to get into the next End-of-Round final."

He believes that is attainable because Reno's confidence has increased.

"I think the players lacked that strong self-belief, especially competing against the Corporate Area teams and the fact that they've finished this round and see that they've competed competitively against them, that has injected a lot of confidence into them, and therefore, they've that strong self-belief they can make it to the next level in the next phase of the competition.

"It will be very challenging for us but the sort of response that we've been getting from the players is really wonderful and we're really upbeat and looking forward to that," Downswell said.

Making the next End-of-Round final will fit perfectly into their plans as finishing among the top two in the second round would also mean Reno are within shooting range of the title going into the third and final phase.

Last season, the title format was changed to a straight league contest so this makes positioning at the top even more significant.

"We recognise the structure of the competition itself," admitted Downswell. "It's now a league competition, every game is important. We treat every game as a final so we take that approach and we take that approach into every training itself, and so the result that we've gotten came because of the quality work that we've put in."

No team from western Jamaica has won the premier league since Seba in the 1996-97 season, but Downswell thinks they now have a real chance to change that statistic.

"I think we do have a realistic chance," he asserts. "Our team is probably one of the youngest teams in the competition. We're young but quite experienced. They've been playing together for an extended period, the last five years together, so therefore we think they're now maturing and with the sort of programme that we've presently in place and the sort of response that we've been getting from them, the sky's the limit."

He added: "One of the good things about it is the president, Mr. Ashford Malcolm. He has a vision for the club and with limited resources, it speaks volumes for us to find ourselves in joint third place now.

"Many people wouldn't see us in the top three just now. Most people figure more or less we'd be fighting to save relegation from this early in the competition. Our intention is to move from strength to strength and once we can get that level of sponsorship as it relates to the whole financial aspect, it'll put us in good stead."

According to Downswell, the recent technical director of the national football programme, sponsorship is a major factor and it has made the difference between teams from the Corporate Area winning the NPL as opposed to those from the west.

"One of the major problems is sponsorship. When you look at the Corporate Area teams compared to the western teams and the level of sponsorship that the Corporate Area teams have gotten there's a vast difference. And if you look at the infrastructural development, the corporate world lends a lot of support as it relates to the Corporate Area teams."

He pointed to bMobile's three-year $60 million deal with top teams Waterhouse, Arnett Gardens, Boys' Town and Portmore United, saying the rural teams have nothing to show.

He says: "I'm appealing not only for Reno but for the entire teams in the west. Once we can get that level of support we'll be back on track because we have the talent, especially Westmoreland and St. James.

"Look at the schoolboy level. We've done exceptionally well. We've dominated the schoolboy competitions so it's not a case that we don't have the nursery. We have the young talent, it's just for us now to nurture those young talents and get those youngsters into a club to fulfil their potential."