Out with Seba, in with MoBay Utd
Former Premier League champs in rebranding mode

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, July 17, 2011






FORMER two-time Premier League champions Seba United have changed their name to Montego Bay United for the upcoming football season.

Orville Powell, the new chief executive officer, yesterday referred the Sunday Observer to Bruce Gaynor, the club chairman, who could not be reached for comment. But club administrator and team manager Karene Kelly confirmed that the name Seba will be no more.


POWELL... new CEO for Montego Bay United



"Yes, it has been changed," said Kelly yesterday. The move, she said, is a financial one to get the wider Montego Bay community on board.

That moves includes bringing back Powell, who is also a former president of the St James Football Association, back on board.

Gaynor, who is also a vice-president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), said in an early report he is cognisant of the fact that the club will need help and extended an open invitation to the Montego Bay community, to include the Chamber of Commerce and the St James Parish Council, to assist in the club's bid to become viable and sustainable.
Seba, winners of the national title in 1987 and 1997, only this season gained promotion to the top flight after being relegated in the 2008/09 season.

This will be the second time the club will be changing its name since being formed in 1972. The original name was Beacon before switching to Seba United and taking Jamaica by storm in the early 1980s.

The names of Allan Latty, Noah Sterling, Paul "Tegat" Davis Theodore "Tappa" Whitmore, Stephen "Shorty" Malcolm, Hector Wright, Norman Foster, Iton Scott and more recently, Dane Richards, have carried Seba to the pinnacle of local football.

Hence, the club, which carries the hopes of western Jamaica and plays at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, St James, is a household name and the change will take some time getting accustomed to.

How will fans deal with the name change?

"You have supporters and you have fans," Kelly pointed out. "To my knowledge, they just love good football and it doesn't matter if the name changes or not.
"A lot of people never knew about Beacon; they only know about Seba because Beacon never won any Premier League," she noted.

With the club's training facility refurbished to include a swimming pool and other modern training facilities, Gaynor was quoted as saying that the entity is now ready to move into its preparation phase.

He also expects the club -- Montego Bay United, in its first year back in top-flight football -- to be among the top two when the 2011/12 season is over.

Meanwhile, the club got a timely boost when their Under-15 team captured the Canada Invitational Robbie Soccer Tournament recently.

The international competition, which was held in Ontario from July 1-3, saw the Seba team being crowned champions of the Under-15 division from among 16 teams.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Out-with-Seba--in-with-MoBay-Utd_9234140#ixzz1SMR5WVGJ

Wadadah plotting a return to glory

Published: Saturday | July 16, 2011 1 Comment


Durrent 'Tatty' Brown... We are going back to our roots - Rickettes

Western Bureau:

With Seba United back into the realms of top-flight football, parish neighbours Wadadah FC, who are also two-time former national champions, are also targeting a return to the National Premier League (NPL) in the not-too-distant future.

"Our immediate plan is to rebuild and refocus the club at this time," said Wadadah's head coach Daniel Rickettes. "Ultimately, our aim is to regain a place in the National Premier League (NPL) as early as possible."

One of the major planks in Wadadah's rebuilding strategy is to realign the club with the Mt Salem community, where it was founded back in 1983 by the trio of former national players Mark Ledford and Allan Aarons, and football enthusiast Delroy 'Builder' James.

"Most of the teams that are doing well in Jamaica's football today are tied to communities," said Rickettes, a former star player for Wadadah. "We want the people in Mt Salem to become intimately involved in the running of the club once again."

Upgraded playing field

During the early years, the Wadadah team operated exclusively out of the Mt Salem community, which has produced former national players such as Devon Rickettes, Durrant Brown, Kenneth Gaynor, Paul 'Tegat' Davis, Stennett Samms and the late Winston 'Twinny Bug' Anglin.

As a show of its commitment to realign with Mt Salem, the management of Wadadah recently spearheaded a drive to upgrade the community's playing field, which they ultimately hope to use as their home ground in the not-too-distant future.

In addition, the club has been staging weekly club meetings at the Mt Salem All-Age School with a view of seeking to regenerate community interest in the club. According to Rickettes, the response has been most encouraging.

"We are looking at putting together a strong executive, comprising members of the commu-nity," said Rickettes, who guided the Wadadah team to second place in the 2011 Captain's Bakery Western Super League. "We want to feel the involvement of community in all our endeavours."

With their championship successes of 1988 and 1992 now steadily becoming a distant memory, Rickettes is anxious to erase the ghost of the disastrous 2008 season when the team was relegated from the NPL.

"We are looking at getting back in the NPL within the next two years," said Rickettes. "We have good players and once we re-structure and get the organisation working right, I am sure we will become a major force in national football once again."

- A.F.

As a show of its commitment to realign with Mt Salem, the management of Wadadah recently spearheaded a drive to upgrade the community's playing field, which they ultimately hope to use as their home ground in the not-too-distant future.

DEATH OF SEBA

16/07/2011 13:30:00
By Mavrick Wynter
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“Righteousness exalted a nation, For Seba to be truly great, Put GOD first and move forward in faith.” - Seba’s Prayer.

The St. James football community has been plunged into turmoil and chaos as news surfaced of the pending name change of the parish’s top club.


Several irate fans took up arms as they marched to the Western Mirror’s office on Tuesday night and returned on Wednesday afternoon to voice their grouse as to what they viewed as “utter disrespect” to the Seba family.

Reports reaching the sports desk of the Western Mirror are that the club’s management and executive body have been totally reconstructed and a petition has been filed to have the club’s name changed to Montego Bay United.

“Bruce Gaynor sell wi out, dem people deh nuh have football or Seba best interest at heart,” a member of the angry mob lashed out while in an interview with this reporter.

Patrick Clarke, President of the Seba Fan Club, disclosed that he had a meeting with Gaynor on Sunday afternoon where he was advised that the decision was made to hand the club over to someone else as he (Gaynor) is currently unable to shoulder the high costs required to run the club.

“If him know him couldn’t deal wid it himself, why him go to Pow Pow and a do dem shady thing ya, radda dan come to the public?” one of the many questions the Fan Club president stated needs to be answered.

He then went on to say that the transactions are being carried out in a deceitful and maniacal way as no answers are being provided to their many questions and whenever an audience is requested with any of the parties involved, they are advised that these persons have no intention of speaking with anyone.

Clarke further explained that if the move is carried out this will be the end of the Seba Fan Club, as there will be no Seba and they have no intention of cheering for this atrocity which has emerged from their beloved team. “Wi nah falla back a no dibby dibby team weh nuh know nutten bout matches box, Montego Bay United neva play no league yet, much less fi deh come try win big league.”

Official Announcement

When our sports team got in contact with Bruce Gaynor, he advised that an official announcement of the club’s future will be made at a later date. He then confirmed Clarke’s story, explaining that the club took tremendous amount of funding last season and the amount has tripled this year with the club’s progression to top flight football.

“The club cost me about $7 million last year and the estimated budget this year is $22.5 million. I had no alternative but to seek investors. This to me is better than having no club at all,” Gaynor added.

Lloyd B. Smith, Club Chairman, declared that the process was being handled in a way that shows no regard for the Seba family and disrespect to the St. James football fraternity. Smith noted that he understood that the club has been in need of funding, but the way in which the matter is being dealt with is an “outright betrayal” and he will take no part in any such actions. He also stressed that the club’s executive body was never consulted as no meeting was ever held to explain this new course of action. The entire transaction was solely handled by Mr. Bruce Gaynor and executive members are very upset that they have been treated so disrespectfully.

“Autocratic leadership, bolstered by money is most definitely not the way to go and will over time become unsustainable…the club’s fortunes will resultantly hinge on the personal wealth of these individuals, but what of the players’ welfare, most of whom have been treated very shabbily over these many years?”

He went on to say that it is rather regretful given the relationship Seba and the Western Mirror have shared over the years as they are both legacies of Montego Bay and the late Mr. Dennis Barton who founded Seba in the heyday of the Beacon newspaper. “I would urge those who still love Seba to seriously think of how they can come together and ensure that the name is not hurled onto the dustbin of history in this most callous way.”

Up to press time, all attempts to get in contact with new Club Manager Orville Powell, proved futile. Powell has yet to taste victory with a club at the premiership level after two attempts, but this will be his first time having full control of a club.

The club is scheduled to take a similar fashion to the structure employed at Portmore United, which in the year 2003 had undergone a similar name change from Hazard United due to the club having to relocate based on a new Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) law.

A meeting is currently being organized by the Fan Club for Tuesday evening at the St. James Parish Library at 5:30 p.m. to see how best the loyal fans can move past these dark days.

SEBA’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE - Powell withdraws support after death threat on Bruce Gaynor
23/07/2011 04:00:00
By Mavrick Wynter


The future of Seba United now dwells in uncertainty as former President Orville Powell has abandoned his plan to change the club’s name to Montego Bay United after fans went up in arms about the move.


Powell advised the Western Mirror in an interview, that the decision to withdraw his offer came in light of recent threats made on the life of Club Managing Director, Bruce Gaynor.

“I’m trying to unify football in western Jamaica, but when persons are going to go as far as to threaten Gaynor’s life, I told myself it’s best I just step away from this thing.”

The former president went on to say that it is not his intention to divide the football community of Montego Bay, but for the club to survive it has to move away from its archaic mode of operations.

“No one wants to be a sponsor anymore, persons want to be investors. Persons have to be seeing potential returns from their money if they are going to buy into anything.”

He divulged that the club has been solely funded in the last 10 years by himself and Bruce Gaynor and it would most likely fail if they were both to step away as it is not self-sufficient. Powell closed by saying that for the club to truly succeed it has to increase its marketability, not just locally, but internationally and aligning the team to Montego Bay will easily make it a global brand.

When the Western Mirror contacted Bruce Gaynor, he immediately pointed out that he fully supported Powell’s plan.

“I’ve been opposing it for three years, but after some serious consideration I accepted the fact that if we don’t approach football from a business perspective, we are bound to fail.”

He then went on to say that the club will cost approximately $2 million per month and this was just to pay the salaries of players, members of staff, transportation and security for games.

“If we are to get investors we will need to employ marketing agents and public relations agents and that amount has not been factored into the budget.”

Club Chairman, Lloyd B. Smith, declared that the future of the Club is now in the balance and the only way forward is for all stakeholders to come together for the common good of the club. He stressed that this means that all the major stakeholders including Mr. Bruce Gaynor, Managing Director, the Seba Executive Committee, Mr. Orville Powell/Montego Bay United Football Club, the Seba Fan Club and the players as well as the supporters and well-wishers must buy into whatever is the best proposal for the survival of the Club at this time.

“It will take some $2million to run the club per month and the only way this can be garnered successfully and on a sustained basis is for there to be a business concept that attracts investors, not just sponsors. It is time for those who keep ‘running up their mouths’ to realize that it will take cash to keep Seba alive, not just emotions and sentiments.”

How about the name Seba-Montego Bay United? There is definitely some mileage to be gained by an affiliation with Mobay sort of like NY Giants or NY Jets, both based in NJ.

I can see also where there might be some opportunities to get some tie-ins with the tourist industry.

The supporters dont understand the business model of a professional club these days. Maybe the principals should offer some shares to the public, say 20% of the club, lets see if the fans will put their money where the mouth is.