Waterhouse without a coach....
The Daily Gleaner - Tuesday July 11, 2006

National Premier League Champion Waterhouse Football Club is still without a coach and pre-season training has already started, revealed club president Peter Hibbert.
'No we haven't a coach but training has already started' Hibbert told The Gleaner.
However, Hibbert quickly pointed out that this situation is not a problem right now.
'We dont have a problem. We started worse than this last year and won the title.'
Waterhouse, the 2005 - 06 champions lost coach Wayne Fairclough who guided the team to a remarkable title-chasing victory over Harbour View. But the real problem for the champion is finding a qualified coach which Hibbert said is limited in the island.
Said Hibbert: 'I am working on it, and we are looking at different options. Of course youu know it is limited.' He continued:'In the highest League in the country, coacheskeep rotating. If you fail at one place you can always go some where else to get a work, it doesn't matter.
' 'But Waterhouse have a way of building people. We have a way of making people famous, especially coaches,' said Hibbert.
Top notch coach coach Geoffrey Maxwell led Waterhouse to their first NPL title in 1998 and since the a number of coaches have come and gone.


Howard Walker
Gleaner Staff Reporter

This is an abbreviated version of the original story. "

Lively Lamey stars at NPL awards ceremony.
The Daily Observer - Wednesday July 26, 2006

Twelve year veteran striker Kevin Lamey was rewarded with five individual awards, including the prestigious Tony Burrowes and Player of the season awards for his indefatigable efforts in last season's Wray & Nephew National Premier League (NPL).
Lamey was recognized at Monday night's Wray & Nephew NPL Knockout Cup and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Under 21 League Awards Ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel.
The wily striker who tallied 21 goals helped Waterhouse post a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the last round over long-time runaway leaders Harbour View under the new league format.
Having already established himself as the top goal-scorer in the second and third rounds, as well as for the season, Lamey was voted as the best candidate for the Tony Burrowes Awards, which carries a prize of J$100,000.00 and a trophy.
He returned later to cop his fifth award - player of the season, which comprises J$50,000.00 and a trophy. He won an additional J$10,000.00 and trophies for each of the two rounds when he was the top goal-scorer and J$25,000.00 for being the top-goal scorer for the season.
'I feel pretty good. I played tremendously for the team,' a modest Lamey told reporters after the ceremony. 'I thought it was a positive contribution for my team... It is a very good award. I tried to be positive on and off the field and it worked for me.'
The Tony Burrowes Player/Personality of the Year award honours the memory of the late Wray & Nephew Limited employee, sportsman and sports fan. to be eligible for the award the winner had to fit certain criteria as stipulated by the sponsors.
The Player:

1) Must play for his club at least 2/3 of the 2005-2006 season.
2) Should be registered for the entire season of the Wray & Nephew NPL season.
3) Must be a role model in his community.
4) Must be a role mode for his team.
5) Should receive a maximum of five yellow cards and one red card, and
6) Must have played 50 percent of the total games in the 2005-06 Wray & Nephew NPL season.

Meanwhile Waterhouse were the team with the most wins in the preliminary rounds (J$50,000 and plaque): the top scoring team in the preliminary rounds (J$70,000): the winning captain (Craig White J$10,000 and trophy) the winning coach (Wayne Fairclough trophy) and the league champions (J$2,000,000 and gold medals)

This is an abbreviated version of the original story. "

The name Wayne Fairclough may not readily come to the minds of many. Not even to some in football circles, where he is quietly making his mark.
    Fairclough is the man who has guided Waterhouse FC to an amazing rally to overtake long-time leaders of the the Wray & Nephew National Premier League (NPL) Harbour View.
  The lead of a point may be a slim one, but the mere fact that the Drewsland based side could find themselves a nose ahead after trailing the Stars of the East by a massive 15 points at one stage isn a tremendous achievement.
   Waterhouse are now on 59 points - one ahead of the breaking Harbour View.
    Fairclough who took the reins in November last year after Calvert Fitzgerald was given his marching orders, is a coach of vast experience in the local game.
    He grew upin Allman Town/Woodford Park and got his first coaching job as a youngster shortly after leaving St. Andrew Technical (STATHS), with Kingston Technical, assisting his then Santos team-mate Keith Bryce.
    He represented Santos both at the youth and senior levels and was coached by Carlton "Spanner" Dennis and Jackie Bell respectively.
    However, his first major coaching role came at Union Gardens, where he guided that team to honours in 1986 and was beaten finalists in 1988 against Meadheaven. The team was twice winners of the knockout competition.
     The high-point of Fairclough's coaching career at the time came in 1990, when Geoffrey Maxwell, the then national senior coach, brought him around the team and allowed him to absorb and observe what it is like to be in the big league among big players.
    He says Maxwell has been his biggest influence, from their playing days together at Santos until he eventually became coach. Another of his major influence has been Frank Brown, who coached him while playing for KASAFA in a SDC parish league back in the 1970s.
    In 1990, he was lured to Arnett Gardens where he helped them regainpromotion to the National League after a long absence, and to their first Jackie Bell KO title.
    However, he only stayed at Arnett Gardens for one season, but went on to secure the team's first ever place in the island's premier football competition.
    After two seasons at Marverley his next stop was Naggo's Head, whom he led to three consecutive Happy Sutherland KO titles from 1993-95.
    A brief stint with Galaxy in the National League followed, but he left in less than a year for his alma mata, St.Andrew Technical, where he spent seven trophy-less seasons as their Manning Cup coach.
    He returned to Arnett Gardens for another spell, but that did not work out again and he quit before the season ended.
     On leaving Arnett, he heard that the Waterhouse's Under 21 coaching post was vacant and he applied and got the job. He also worked as an assistant then to Calvert Fitzgerald in the senior team, the man he succeeded after the latter was fired.
    Initially the job was for six months but based on the success rate, he was offered it on a long term basis.
    "I dont know if they had someone else in mind. They just told me I would take charge of the team until the management had straighten certain matters out," he said.
     Fairclough, who at one point guided the team to 16 matches unbeaten, said he has not very differently since taking over the top job.
    "But I have always been an integral part of the coaching staff, so when Fitzgerald left it was basically the same thing," he said.
    "The only thing was that I started to share my thoughts with the players more, and try to build their belief and self confidence....but there is not much difference ," he told Sporting World.
     He continued: "When I took over it looked impossible for any team to catch Harbour View, but being a firm believer in God , we knew that we had the players nwith the capability to catch them.... so the executive and the coaching staff did all they could to motivate the players to believe they could do it," he said.
    He says he is not sure how much his coaching style is appreciated but concludes that "everyone likes a winner, so I dont know if everything would be much different if I wasn't winning."
    "But we plan for each game and the coaching staff and players try their best to stick to the plan and try our best to be responsible and act as the consumate professionals," he said.
    He said he is enjoying the challenge and the experience is great.
    "It has been a challenge, I have learnt a lot. Being in two finals in your first season as coachis good, but what goes on afterthis season is left to be seen...but coaching is always a challenge, there are always things to learn, there is always room for improvement," said Fairclough.
     Waterhouse are the KASAFA Jackie Bell champions and NPL round two winners.
    
     Married to a teacher, with five sons two of whom attend Universities in the United States, Fairclough says his passion for the sport and belief in the Almighty are the foundations for his successes so far.
    "To continue coaching you have to have the passion, If you dont have the passion it makes no sense. But when you have the passion you will always strve for higher heights,"he ended.
    
    Waterhouse is on course for another final when they defeated Reno 4-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Red Stripe Champions' Cup recently and will face defending champions Portmore United in the semis on Sunday at the National Stadium at 7:00pm.

Livingston Scott - Observer staff reporter. Sporting World /The Daily Observer/Saturday March 18, 2006

Affiliation to the Jamaica Football Federation and The Kingston & St Andrew Football Association in 1979 marked the birth of Waterhouse Football Club, but the club was actually formed in 1968 under the name Great West Football Club.
    Waterhouse is the epitome of a "community club" - which provides a home for the youth of the area to develop and parade their footballing skills plus even gainful employment at times.
    Winners of the National Premier League, the nation's most prestigious football competition in 1997 and 2006, Waterhouse showed steady growth between 1984 and 1992 when they gained promotion to the Major League and Premier League competitions. They took the 1989/90 Major League crown to move up to the Premier League, but were demoted in 1992. Fortunately the fire was out for only three years as the club embarked on an immediate mission to get back to the Premiership and returned to the NPL with a fifth place finish in 1996/97 after winning their second Major League crown.
    There has been no stopping them since and the club has developed into one of the finest in the country.They have remained in the top half of the Premier League standings since becoming champions in 1997/98 under coach Jeffrey Maxwell, finalist in 2000 and 2001 and champions again in 2005/06, an accomplishment which was dedicated to their much loved coach Peter Cargill who died in a motor vehicle accident on April 16, 2005 en route to Montego Bay for amatch against Wadadah.
    However what is probably the club's main achievement is the building of their fabulous mini stadium which housed its first match on October 11, 2003. Another Historic occasion was Saturday November 1, 2003 when the political divide was bridged and Waterhouse hosted their first home game against Tivoli Gardens in 24 years.
    Since the 1980s the inner city based club has always built their teams around a talented pool of youngsters and there is no indication that this tradition will change any time soon.
    The club has developed a sound infra-structure including an expansive development programme which includes fielding teams in the Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 20, Under 21, Womens, Masters and Premier Leagues. All told the club is home to over 350 footballers.
    Waterhouse have given the nation a number of distinguished footballers including Owen Ellis, Danny Engglish, Stanley Perry, Richard Marshall, Kevin Lamey, Hugh 'Bingi' Blair, Desmond Breakenridge, Adrian Reid, Raymond 'Dye Job' Webb, Lloyd Waugh, Ainsley Smikle, Irvino English, Damien Powell, Boris Johnson, Rohen Lungren and Gregory Hall.

Adapted: the Sport Globe, September 8 - 21 2006.

'Firehouse' Blazing a trail in it's community
Keith Brown - The SportGlobe

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
This quotation from Albert Weinstein, one nof the many which adorn the walls of administrative wing of the Waterhouse Football Club, vividly underpins the thinkingwhich has transformed this inner city club into a community colossus, impacting the lives of residents in a manner rarely seen in Jamaica.
  When residents start painting their homes in the club's colours, painting and naming their buses "Waterhouse FC", volunteering to paint the stands and pavilion and turn out in hordes at matches, then something dynamic is happening and it is something that should make us all sit up and take notice.
  When the club officially opened it's spanking new mini stadium on October 30, 2003 Minister of Finance Omar Davies, obviously impressed stated "The Waterhouse mini-stadium has shown that it is possible for various social and income groups to work together in harmony towards a common objective, and if we could take that to the national level, the benefits to all would be considerable."
  The social/financial partnership he was referring to was the involvement of 58 corporate bodies in the erection of the facility and the continuing strong relationship which exists between this inner city organization and companies like Dairy Industries, Tank Weld Limited ICWI and Trujuice.
  And it is not the usual story of "pumping in some cash and leaving them to fend for themselves."
  Former Dairy Industries head honcho Ryan Peralto Jnr. is chairman of the club, Tankweld's Bruce Bicknell is Vice Chairman and Peter Hibbert, Managing Director of Sports Plus sports goods store is the President. A classic case of putting your mouth where your money is and not just looking on, but getting involved.
  The development of the club has done wonders for the community. Club mascot "Eptik" who decked out in his blue and yellow fireman suit breathes "fire" on Waterhouse opponents at Premier League games, sums it up well in stating "we promoting a ting fi show the fans them that is not just football. It is all about providing entertainment, building community spirit and bringing a boost to the players dem also."
  Waterhouse have realized that the fans play a critical role in the club's success and have given priority to making the community an integral part of the organization. All members of the executive are volunteers and all funds raised are pumped back into the club and community.
  For example there is the famous "zinc fence" project where the zinc fences along the road which adjoins the club have all been taken down and replaced with concrete walls which houses messages from the companies which are involved with the project.
  Another project being planned is the clean-up of the expansive Sandy Gully which runs behind the club, and houses the Gully League which has spawned many of the players who have graduated into the Waterhouse teams.
  This community concept is also evident in the makep of the club's Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 21, Women's, Masters and Premier League's teams which number 205 active players. Over 85% Iis homegrown talent. In fact, their 30-man Premier League squad which has only eleven "outsiders" carries the bulk of non-Waterhouse personnel.
  Waterhouse have done amazingly well with the limited resources, and in blazing a trail of success, have reached a level where President Hibbert can declare with conviction that "we are not looking for handouts, we have a product to sell and we intend to reap maximum benefits from the sale of that product--- a sports organization which is transforming a deprived community and making them into achievers despite of their social circumstances."

Adapted: the Sport Globe, September 8 - 21 2006.

Bicknell - doing more than just writing the cheques!
Jermaine Wright - The SportGlobe

He is lauded as something close to a 'Godfather' to the community, but Bruce Bicknell, Vice Chairman of Waterhouse Football Club strongly down plays the billing and sees his selfless contribution to the community as purely an 'obligation'. When Sports Globe sat down with the key figure in the rise of the club, he much preferred to talk about the community rather than himself.
  The Hillel and Texas A&M University graduate shies away from the spotlight but grabs any chance he gets to interact with the people regardedc as thevless fortunate. he is insistent that the large scale contributions made by himself and the his company Tank Weld Ltd. which has been in the community for 40 years, should not be measured in dollars and cents. Instead the countless hours and physical energy spent in voluntary service should be judged for what it really is - an act of human sincerity.
  Questioned as to why hye got involved with Waterhouse 'Bruce' as he is preferred to be called, responded with typical humility. "I was approached by executive members of the club to assist in the construction of the mini stadium and ..... it just came naturally", he uttered as if to say what else?.
  However he actually started his administrative involvement at Olympic Gardens 13 years ago, and has made his presence felt in all aspects of the development process- whether in community projects; football or basketball - another sport in which he has a very keen interest.
  "You have to see and feel how people live to gain a real understanding of how bo help the community. You need to earn their respectas well as they need to earn mine. But you cannot gain respect if you are not genuine."