August Town Football Club of Jamaica and Wigan Athletic Football Club of England are miles apart, but are so close in their plights, having won their respective top-tier knockout competitions then get relegated the same year.
August Town did that in the 2009/10 season winning the Jackie Bell Knockout before being relegated from the premier league, while Wigan did the same this past year beating Manchester City in the prestigious FA Cup before being relegation from the English League.Just like in the 200 million bestseller A Tale of two Cities, depicting the struggles in Paris and London before and during the French Revolution, both clubs’ struggles are paralleled and well documented.But while Wigan will be plying their trade in the lower division of England this season, August Town are back in the Red Stripe Premier League after a three-year absence hell bent on staying there.Head coach Max Straw outlined his team’s first priority which is to be a staple in the top flight and put an end to their see-saw run in the premier league.“We never come in this competition to be fodder to anybody. Our sole intention and purpose is to be one of the teams in the premier league for the following season,” Straw said firmly.“Being back in the premier league we are clearly the number 12 ranked team, so we know that if we remain the number 12 team we will be relegated.“So our job is to try and get amongst the top 10 teams and stay there. We know it is not an easy task, but we have a little experience and we have made some acquisitions bringing experience into the club,” he added.With that in mind, August Town, formed in 1972 to serve the adjoining communities of Hermitage, Elletson Flats and Mona, were busy in the transfer market bringing in at least 13 players.Having won the KSAFA Super League then qualified for the premier league with what fans called an ageing side, August Town have brought in Jeffrey Grant (Cavalier), Kevaughn White, Richard Orrett and Jerome Wedderburn (Constant Spring), Tyrone Davis (Greenwich Town), Ricardo Harriott (Portmore United) and Rupert Murray (Sporting Central Academy) to their ranks.“We have to bring that experience to play in the premier league. We want to expose young players at some point, but we have to have experienced players to lead in the dressing room. You can’t beat that, but it’s about giving these other players the opportunity to shine in the premier league,” said Straw.“We not coming in here to celebrate qualifying or the premier league. No, we have been through that already. This time we have to show that we can stay and we belong with these other teams here. We have to pay our dues, take our licks, but we want to win between 15 and 18 games and that should keep us in the top half of the league,” Straw argued.But just like any other team, August Town, with a capacity of 1,500 seats at the UWI Bowl, are considered a small team in terms of financing and this year they will have their hands full keeping up with the big boys.“I can’t say it won’t be a challenge, but it’s a challenge that we in the club have decided to take up. We know we’re not coming off a budget like those bigger clubs, but we trying to put this one under a secure footing so that it can be a source of employment for the footballers in the community,” said Straw, who was assistant coach to Lenny Hyde at Humble Lion last season.HOUSE RULES
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Coach out to prove August Town not made of Straw
