Triumph Of Boys From The Hills Represents Reward For Hard Work And Battling Obstacles
When Madras Football Club lifted the St Ann Major League trophy on Thursday, June 1, it represented reaping the fruits of hard work, dedication, and overcoming obstacles by a team of motivated young men.
It also marked the realization of a dream going back more than seven years, by a man who saw needs and possibilities in the small rural community of Madras and its surroundings in southwest St Ann.
The rough patches around Madras Primary School were the original training ground from 2014 when the team was just getting together. That rough surface caused much distress and many bruises but showed the grit and talent of young men from the area.
Now the team does most of its training at Addison Park, Brown’s Town, drawing members from that community as well as far away as Alexandria, in the south, and Discovery Bay in the northwest of St Ann.
Captain is Shadane Higgins.
Over these years, the team has coalesced around Stephen Jennings, a teleradiology consultant..
Mr Jennings, a Montego Bay, St James, resident had a stepfather from the area. It’s a long, tedious drive to Madras but he often used to go there because he found solace and peace for relaxation in that community.
The regular visits brought Mr Jennings to see the need for a coming together of young men in the community. So he started encouraging football.
As a football programme took shape, one of his first moves was to take along with him a young man he had mentored and who had kept goal at Cornwall College, Peter Sinclair.
The football had its ups and downs for years and Mr Jennings acknowledged that much of the funding came from his own pocket. He thanked several persons in the radiology and medical field who had made personal contributions or donations from their companies which kept the team going. Football development at the community level continued through a corner league competition.
Among those he thanked are: Dr Sherrian Leslie; Dr Venessa Thompson, Old Harbour Radiology; Dr Duane Chambers and Dr Ann Fenna of Island Radiology.
Jalando Williams scored the two goals to win the finals
DELAYED SEASON START
Mr Jennings’ leadership also led him to get the young men to sign a code of conduct that bonded them around discipline. He spoke to their dress, conduct toward each other and match officials and such things as not having alcohol and not smoking on the field.
The team in its first attempt in St Ann Division in 2018, made progress without tasting defeat until a rescheduled final against Pepe 11 (now renamed Exchange).
The 2022-23 St Ann Major League season had a rough start for all the eight teams involved. It was first planned to get started last November, before the season actually got going in February. Madras kept doing well until it came to the semi-final stage, losing semi final 1 to Volvo 3-1 and beating Koleto Klassick 4-2 in semifinal 2.
Madras’ victory over Volvo of Priory in the finals was particularly sweet for them. That’s partly because Volvo thumped Madras 4-1 in the Preliminary round. The Volvo victory then, Mr Jennings says, was partly understandable and reminded the team that they still faced resource problems. On the day of that early-season match, the vehicle with the boys from the hills broke down. They had to seek transport by another loaned vehicle to take them to Drax Hall. The team arrived more than ninety minutes late. They were soundly beaten.
But the final against Volvo United was different. Two goals — one in each half — by Jalando Williams ensured Madras took the cup for the first time. Williams scored 10 goals in the competition and was the leading scorer for Madras.
Now the team looks to the North Eastern Confed with the top teams from St Ann, St Mary, and Portland, to get a place in the Tier 2 competition.
Mr Jennings is confident: “Madras is not a team with one or two stars. We are strong because of our team effort.” He said he looked forward to the 40 or so young men who support the team continuing with it and keep training and preparing for their next challenge.
