FROM SECOND LEFT: Waterford Compton Manager Sherphine Howell; Home Improvement and Hardware Supplies Office Manager Kim Knight; Waterford Compton Player and Coach Rudy Grosvenor; and Home Improvement and Hardware Supplies Store Manager Kim Newsam are flanked by players Rashad Brathwaite (left) and Jabar Niles in their new gear.
Compton ready for first foray in Premier League
Fri, 01/06/2017 - 12:00am
When the first whistle of the Barbados Football Association 2017 Domestic Season is blown, it will be going to Digicel Premier League debutantes Waterford Compton United CC.
When last year’s Division 1 second-place finishers take to the field in the opening game, they will be doing so in fine style after being rebranded Home Improvement and Hardware Supplies Waterford Compton.
During a presentation held earlier this week at the company’s Green Hill location, details surrounding the sponsorship for the football team was announced. With members of management handing over match kit and other miscellaneous game-day supplies, it was revealed that the sponsorship was for three years in the first instance.
Speaking to members of the media, Director of the company – which also sponsors the Maple cricket team – Richard Lynch, explained that a long-time wish to support a group from the community was finally coming true.
“The company always wanted to get involved in community projects and we had made attempts before to associate ourselves with cricket teams or football teams, and that was unsuccessful for one reason or the other. So on realising that there was a team that was being promoted to the premier league for the first time, we took the opportunity to offer them the sponsorship and they accepted,” he said.
“A group of youths get the opportunity to channel and focus their energies in a positive direction with whatever assistance we can give them.”
Team Manager Sherphine Howell expressed her gratitude and said that she expected only good things from the team. Noting that there would be no new blood in the ranks at the beginning of the season, Howell stated that they had to wait for transfers in the February window.
Going on to say that they had finally arrived after spending two years in both Divisions 2 and 1 after narrowly missing out on promotion for 2016 season, she said that the only way to go was up.
“Year-before there was controversy and we should have gone to the Premier League. After all that took place, we decided to put that behind us…and play the next year and we did it. I don’t think we will be going down this year. I’m looking for good football and I am looking for the team to play so that we can stay up in Premier League and go forward from there. No turning back,” Howell said. (MP)