# 2023–24 Jamaica Premier League

The 2023–24 Jamaica Premier League was the 50th season of the top-tier football league in Jamaica. The season began on October 22, 2023, and concluded on May 19, 2024. 14 teams competed in the league, with Mount Pleasant F.A. being the defending champions. Wray and Nephew Group replaced Digicel as the new title sponsor at the start of the season. Cavalier won the league to earn their 3rd JPL title.

## Background

Two pre-season friendlies were announced by Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) prior to the start of the 2023–24 season. The friendlies would first see Mount Pleasant face Cavalier in the “Powerade Finals Rematch” on October 15, followed by Arnett Gardens vs Waterhouse in the second staging of the “Boom El Classico” on October 16.
While Mount Pleasant defeated Cavalier 3–1 in the Powerade Finals rematch held at the Drax Hall Sports Complex, there were uncertainties whether the Boom El Classico match would be allowed to be hosted at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex due to curfews in the surrounding areas. The match was later postponed to October 20 with the venue changed to the Drewsland Mini-Stadium. Arnett Gardens defeated Waterhouse 2–0 to retain the Boom El Classico trophy after also running out winners in the inaugural edition held in the 2022 preseason.

## Overview

The season kicked off on 22 October 2023, with 6 of the 7 scheduled match week one fixtures contested. Cavalier and Harbour View match week one and two fixtures were postponed due to both teams involvement in the knockout stage of the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.
In a late announcement by the PFJL, all 5 match week two fixtures on Sunday, 29 October 2023, were postponed due to Reggae Girls hosting Guatemala at home in the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualification competition.
Newly promoted premier league club Lime Hall parted ways with head coach David Pryce on November 20. Pryce walked away after guiding the team through three rounds of matches during which they garnered only a single point. Molynes United head coach, Alex Thomas, became the second managerial causality of the season. Thomas parted ways with Molynes on November 29 after a run of 4 consecutive losses, leaving the club sitting at the bottom of the table and winless after 7 match weeks.
Cavalier and Harbour View match week seven and eight fixtures were postponed due to both teams respective involvement in the finals and third place matches of the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.
All postponed matches were rescheduled as midweek fixtures leading up to the halfway point of the season, with each team playing 13 matches by the end of the first round. Defending champions, Mount Pleasant, led the table with 28 points after winning their first 6 matches. Portmore United, displaying strong form and the best defense, trailed closely with 27 points. Despite a shaky start, Cavalier rallied with 6 consecutive victories, tying with Portmore United. Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, and Dunbeholden secured the remaining playoff spots in the top six.

### Derbies
#### Match Week 4

Match week four was promoted as derby day, with two local derbies, the "Portmore Derby" and the "West Kingston Derby", scheduled on 12 November 2023. The Portmore Derby, the newer of the two, saw Dunbeholden square up against Portmore United at the Ferdi Neita Sports Complex. While the more established and historic West Kingston Derby between Arnett Gardens and Tivoli Gardens was hosted at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

##### Portmore Derby

Portmore United defeated Dunbeholden 2–0 in the Portmore Derby. The fiercely contested matchup saw both team go down to 10 players. Dunbeholden's Rohan Brown was shown a straight red card in the 12th minute and Portmore United's Emelio Rousseau shown a straight red card in the 70th minute for violent conduct.

##### West Kingston Derby

Tivoli Gardens defeated Arnett Gardens 3–1 in the West Kingston Derby to mark their first derby victory at their arch-nemesis home ground since 2019. Justin Dunn netted all 3 goals for Tivoli Gardens to earn the premier league's first hat-trick of season, he was rewarded with the man of the match award for his outstanding derby performance.

#### Match Week 17

Match week 17 featured the return fixtures of both local derbies. The Portmore Derby was hosted at the Fredi Neita Sports Complex again, while the West Kingston Derby was hosted at Stadium East Field.

##### Portmore Derby

The return leg of the Portmore Derby ended in a 1-1 draw. Dunbeholden took the lead with a 24th-minute goal from Chevoy Watkin, but Steven Young equalized for Portmore United in the 75th minute. Saneekie Burton was shown a red card in the 88th minute.

##### West Kingston Derby

Tivoli Gardens completed the double over Arnett Gardens with a 3-1 victory in their second encounter, cementing their dominance over their eternal rivals. Arnett Gardens seized the initiative when captain and talisman Fabian Reid lobbed the ball accurately from outside the 18-yard box, beating the onrushing Tivoli Gardens goalkeeper in the 57th minute to notch his 80th career goal for Arnett Gardens in the Jamaica Premier League.
However, Tivoli Gardens faced a setback when Howard Morris was shown a straight red card in the 62nd minute for deliberately striking an opponent in the face during a challenge for a loose ball. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Tivoli Gardens maintained their relentless pressure and were rewarded with a penalty in the 73rd minute, expertly converted by striker Justin Dunn, bringing his season tally to 10 goals.
Undeterred, Tivoli Gardens continued to press forward and eventually took the lead in the 76th minute through a goal by substitute Steven Clarke. Notably, Clarke, a former Arnett Gardens player, refrained from celebrating the goal as a sign of respect to his former club. Clarke then secured victory for Tivoli Gardens with another goal in the 80th minute, sealing a memorable win for his team.

## Teams

Fourteen teams competed in the league — the top twelve teams from the previous season and two promoted teams from the second division. The two promoted teams were Lime Hall and Treasure Beach. Lime Hall made a return to the league since the 2010-11 season in which they competed under the name Benfica. Treasure Beach made their debut in the Jamaica Premier League. They replaced Faulkland and Chapelton Maroons, both of whom previously made their debut in the league. They finished 13th and 14th, respectively, at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season and were relegated to the second division.

### Stadiums and locations

| Team | Location | Stadium | Stadium Capacity |
| Arnett Gardens | Kingston | Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex | 6,000 |
| Cavalier | Kingston | Stadium East | 3,000 |
| Dunbeholden | Portmore | Dunbeholden Sports Complex | 1,500 |
| Harbour View | Kingston | Harbour View Football Club Stadium | 7,000 |
| Humble Lion | May Pen | Effortville Community Centre | 1,500 |
| Lime Hall Academy | Brown’s Town | Draxhall Sports Complex | 3,500 |
| Molynes United | Kingston | Jasceria Park Recreational Center | 1,500 |
| Montego Bay United | Montego Bay | Wespow Park | 3,000 |
| Mount Pleasant Football Academy | Runaway Bay | Draxhall Sports Complex | 3,500 |
| Portmore United | Portmore | Ferdie Neita Sports Complex | 3,000 |
| Tivoli Gardens | Kingston | Edward Seaga Sports Complex | 5,000 |
| Treasure Beach | Treasure Beach | St. Elizabeth Technical High School | 3,000 |
| Vere United | Hayes | Wembley Centre of Excellence | 4,000 |
| Waterhouse | Kingston | Waterhouse Mini Stadium | 5,000 |
Source: Jamaica Premier League

### Personnel and kits

| Team | Manager | Captain | Shirt Sponsor (chest) | Kit Manufacturer |
| Arnett Gardens | Xavier Gilbert | Fabian Reid | Lasco iCool | Admiral Sportswear |
| Cavalier Football Club | Rudolph Speid | Kyle Ming | Foska Oats | Admiral Sportswear |
| Dunbeholden Football Club | Lenworth Hyde | Ricardo Thomas | Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited | Admiral Sportswear |
| Harbour View Football Club | Ludlow Bernard | TBC | VM Group Limited | Admiral Sportswear |
| Humble Lion Football Club | Vassell Reynolds | Andrew Vanzie | none | Admiral Sportswear |
| Lime Hall Academy Football Club | Valnie Clark | Damani Sewell | Lynk Digital Payments | Admiral Sportswear |
| Molynes United Football Club | Donald Stewart | Jason Wright | Konnexx Services Limited | Admiral Sportswear |
| Montego Bay United Football Club | Neider Dos Santos | Nevaun Turner | Mastercard | Admiral Sportswear |
| Mount Pleasant Football Academy | Theodore Whitmore | Sue-Lae McCalla | CONSERVE IT Limited | Admiral Sportswear |
| Portmore United Football Club | Phillip Williams | Seigle Knight | Kemtek Development & Construction Limited | Admiral Sportswear |
| Tivoli Gardens Football Club | Jerome Waite | Barrington Pryce | JN Money | Admiral Sportswear |
| Treasure Beach Football Club | TBC | Ramario Thompson | none | Admiral Sportswear |
| Vere United Football Club | Linval Dixon | Javier Brown | none | Admiral Sportswear |
| Waterhouse Football Club | Marcel Gayle | Kemar Foster | Bert's Auto Parts | Admiral Sportswear |
Source: Admiral - Jamaica Premier League Store
* All kits were exclusively manufactured by Admiral Sportswear from an agreement signed between the league and sport-ware company in 2022.
* Arnett Gardens, Humble Lions, Treasure Beach & Vere United began the season without front shirt sponsors.
* All kits (shirts and shorts) display logos of the league's title sponsor, Wray & Nephew, and affiliate sponsors Proven and JustBet.

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing Manager | Manner of Departure | Date of Vacancy | Incoming Manager | Date of Appointment |
| Arnett Gardens | Paul Davis | End of Contract | 11 July 2023 | Xavier Gilbert | 21 August 2023 |
| Dunbeholden | Harold Thomas | End of Contract | 11 July 2023 | Lenworth Hyde | August 2023 |
| Tivoli Gardens | Jermaine Johnson | Mutual Consent | 11 July 2023 | Jerome Waite | August 2023 |
| Lime Hall | David Pryce | Stepped Down | 20 November 2023 | Valnie Clark | 4 December 2023 |
| Molynes United | Alex Thomas | Sacked | 29 November 2023 | Donald Stewart | 4 December 2023 |
| Humble Lions | Andrew Price | Sacked | 27 December 2023 | Vassell Reynolds | 27 December 2023 |
| Treasure Beach | Omar Wedderburn | Stepped Down | 4 February 2023 | Victor Ebanks | TBC |

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Mount Pleasant | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 59 | Advanced to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 2 | Cavalier (C) | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 48 | 17 | +31 | 54 | Advanced to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 3 | Tivoli Gardens | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 23 | +28 | 51 | Advanced to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 4 | Portmore United | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 37 | 16 | +21 | 49 | Advanced to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 5 | Arnett Gardens | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 24 | +20 | 49 | Advanced to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 6 | Waterhouse | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 43 | Advanced to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 7 | Montego Bay United | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 43 | |
| 8 | Dunbeholden | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 37 | |
| 9 | Vere United | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 27 | |
| 10 | Humble Lions | 26 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 47 | −17 | 25 | |
| 11 | Molynes United | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 29 | 55 | −26 | 23 | |
| 12 | Harbour View | 26 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 32 | 39 | −7 | 22 | |
| 13 | Treasure Beach (R) | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 17 | 52 | −35 | 13 | Relegated to JFF Championship |
| 14 | Lime Hall (R) | 26 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 14 | 69 | −55 | 7 | Relegated to JFF Championship |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ARN | CAV | DUN | HAR | HUM | LIM | MBU | MOL | MTP | POR | TIV | TRE | VER | WAT |
| Arnett Gardens | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| Cavalier | 3–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Dunbeholden | 0–1 | 2–4 | — | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 |
| Harbour View | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | — | 2–2 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Humble Lions | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–4 | — | 6–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–5 |
| Lime Hall | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–6 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 1–3 |
| Montego Bay United | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Molynes United | 0–4 | 0–3 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–6 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 |
| Mount Pleasant | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 |
| Portmore United | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Tivoli Gardens | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| Treasure Beach | 1–4 | 0–5 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–5 | — | 0–2 | 2–4 |
| Vere United | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | — | 0–1 |
| Waterhouse | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | — |

## Playoffs
### Bracket

Source:
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | | | | | 6 | Waterhouse | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Waterhouse | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Mount Pleasant | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Tivoli Gardens | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | Mount Pleasant | 1 (3) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Cavalier (p) | 1 (4) |
| | | | | | 5 | Arnett Gardens | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Arnett Gardens | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Cavalier | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Portmore United | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | 3rd place match | 3rd place match | 3rd place match |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Waterhouse | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Arnett Gardens | 5 |

### Results
#### Quarter finals

Waterhouse won 3-1 on aggregate and advanced to the semi-finals.
Arnett Gardens won 2-1 on aggregate and advanced to semi-finals.

#### Semi-finals

Mount Pleasant won 3-2 on aggregate and advanced to JPL Finals.
Cavalier won 4-2 on aggregate and advanced to JPL Finals.

#### Jamaica Premier League Finals
## Champions

* Jamaica Premier League Champions
* Cavalier 3rd title

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Javane Bryan | Waterhouse | 17 |
| 2 | Justin Dunn | Tivoli Gardens | 16 |
| 3 | Jalmaro Calvin | Cavalier | 13 |
| 3 | Fabian Reid | Arnett Gardens | 13 |
| 5 | Andre Fletcher | Waterhouse | 12 |
| 5 | Jason Wright | Molynes United | 12 |
| 7 | Kemar Beckford | Vere United | 10 |
| 7 | Shaqueil Bradford | Mount Pleasant | 10 |
| 7 | Nicholas Nelson | Dunbeholden | 10 |
| 10 | Chevaugh Walsh | Portmore United | 9 |

### Hat-tricks

| Date | Player | Club | Match Result | Scored Against |
| 12 November 2023 | Justin Dunn | Tivoli Gardens | 3-1 | Arnett Gardens |
| 20 November 2023 | Javane Bryan | Waterhouse | 4-1 | Vere United |
| 22 January 2024 | Fabian Reid | Arnett Gardens | 4-1 | Molynes United |
| 25 February 2024 | Nicholas Nelson | Dunbeholden | 4-2 | Molynes United |
| 25 February 2024 | Kemar Beckford | Vere United | 6-2 | Lime Hall |
| 20 March 2024 | Andre Fletcher | Waterhouse | 4-2 | Treasure Beach |
| 20 March 2024 | Justin Dunn | Tivoli Gardens | 6-3 | Molynes United |
| 20 March 2024 | Jason Wright | Molynes United | 3-6 | Tivoli Gardens |
| 25 March 2024 | Cleo Clark | Humble Lions | 6-0 | Lime Hall |
| 7 April 2024 | Rojay Smith | Dunbeholden | 4-2 | Vere United |

## Awards
### Match Week Awards

Proven Player of the Week Award :
| Match Week | Player of the Week | Player of the Week |
| Match Week | Player | Club |
| 1 | none awarded | none awarded |
| 2 | Javane Bryan | Waterhouse |
| 3 | Alex Marshall | Portmore United |
| 4 | Justin Dunn | Tivoli Gardens |
| 5 | Javane Bryan | Waterhouse |
| 6 | Nicholas Nelson | Dunbeholden |
| 7 | Nicholas Nelson | Dunbeholden |
| 8 | Deonjay Brown | Montego Bay United |
| 9 | Justin Dunn | Tivoli Gardens |
| 10 | Andre Fletcher | Waterhouse |
| 11 | Daniel Hardy | Molynes United |
| 12 | none awarded | none awarded |
| 13 | Chevaughn Walsh | Portmore United |
| 14 | none awarded | none awarded |
| 15 | Fabian Reid | Arnett Gardens |
| 16 | none awarded | none awarded |
| 17 | Steven Clarke | Tivoli Gardens |