Jarrett Park homecoming free for all

As the western end of the island continues to recover from hurricane devastation, Montego Bay United F.C (MBU) will turn today’s first Jamaica Premier League (JPL) home game into a moment of togetherness, making general admission free for fans.

The highly anticipated encounter, will see league leaders MBU faceoff with Waterhouse FC at Jarrett Park at 3 p.m.

According to Yoni Epstein, Chairman of MBU, the club wanted to reconnect with the fans.

“We felt it necessary to give back to our patrons and our city of Montego Bay by allowing general admission for free. We are bringing back football to Western Jamaica and to an iconic Jarrett Park,” said Epstein, who is urging fans to come out.

“This is how we are going to be one team, one United, and one city to bring the championship back to Montego Bay,” added Epstein.

In addition to general admission being free, VIP tickets are $1000 and VVIP $1500.

Last month, MBU announced they would temporarily be using Jarrett Park as their official home.

The decision was made necessary after Catherine Hall Sports Complex, which is the team’s official home, was severely damaged by flood waters during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The league leaders, MBU were forced to play a home game at Stadium East in Kingston against Harbour View FC, which ended in 4-4 draw.

The team played their last home game at Catherine Hall in October against Racing United.

Like Epstein, Germaine Spencer, president of MBU said opening the gates freely, is about harmony and football.

“It is about community, unity, spirit of the game and giving back in love. This is our way of giving back to the supporters who have stood by MBU over the past two seasons. Their support has been unwavering, and this is simply an expression of gratitude and love,” said Spencer.

“This is about restoring a sense of relief, pride, and hope to Montego Bay. At a time when so many have been affected, we want to give our fans something to smile about and look forward to through football,” added Spencer.

As for returning home after seven weeks, Spencer said that Jarrett Park’s rich history over the years, makes it an iconic venue.

“This is where stars were born, where generations of players and fans created lasting memories under different eras of ownership and leadership,” said Spencer.

He added, “returning to this historic ground represents a return to our roots and the foundation of football in Montego Bay.”

MBU have been having one if their best seasons since new management took over in 2023.

The move to open the gates free makes longtime MBU supporter Kevin Dunkley grateful.

“This is really a class act move by MBU. It feels like customer appreciation day, we feel good about it. After the hurricane upstage our lives in the west, we just glad football is back in the city,” said Dunkley.