2 weeks ago
7
PHOENIX ACADEMY’S acquisition of the Chapelton Maroons Football Club has turned some heads and begged the question of what happened to the partnership the Cragi Butler-led organisation had with Vere United, who were relegated from the Jamaica Pemier League (JPL) under its watch last year.
The move, led by Kaycie Butler, the daughter of Craig Butler, gives Phoenix operational and developmental rights over Chapelton for the next 10 years but has not meant a complete severance of ties with Vere.
“Vere is a good club with good people, and we will be forever grateful to [owner] Lothian Cousins and his family for giving us that opportunity.
“I would have loved to have helped them to come back up [to the Jamaica Premier League], but this time, we will not be on the same path. We have the same vision and goals and no love will be lost.
“We will continue to work together. Continue to do the best for Clarendon. Clarendon has been a developmental talent pool for years. Many great players have come out of Clarendon, and we want to continue to benefit from that,” said the senior Butler.
Butler said Phoenix will assist Vere by providing players and opportunities for exposure.
“I will always be willing to help them. We will actually give them players. But you can’t have two sets of coaches coaching two teams. So we will give them players and help them come back up.
“But it will be in their hands. That is the decision, and it’s a decision with respect and love and appreciation. So there is no form of enmity between us,” he continued.
“When we have our clinics, have clubs or top coaches come from overseas, we are always going to invite Vere and Vere players because we are respectful of the club and what they did for us.
“I will be more than willing to help. Any support they need, they can call on me, and I will be there for them because I want a unified Clarendon so we can get football together.”
Meanwhile, Butler said he learned a lot from his debut season in the JPL with Vere last season, and although playing under a different banner this term, he said those lessons will serve them well.
According to Butler, Chapelton coach Donovan Duckie mirrors his philosophy.
“Sometimes you do not get it right the first time. So you know you have to work to get it right the second time around.
“Duckie has been here. He has worked with Phoenix before. I have a lot of respect for him. We have similar coaching styles and mentality. And it’s important to have a singular message and not two different philosophies that you are trying to merge. So it’s just one philosophy shared by two people,” he said.
“But one of the things that I have learned from the league is to take it one step at a time. To remain humble. Sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubts.
“We are not going to go down that road of boasting and bigging up our chest before the time.
“We are going to earn each win, each game, each kick of the football, one step at a time, and we are going to remain unified.”
He said the aim is to merge the emerging talents of Chapelton and Phoenix such as Donahue Mitchell, Robinho Gordon, Nathaniel Howe, and Christopher Hull, with experienced players such as Andrew Vanzie and Levaughn Williams.
In Vanzie, he also believes he has a great leader and footballer to assist with the transition of young players.
“We want to coordinate them and get the best, and we want to keep the players in an environment where they can be professional and focused.
“Vanzie is an exceptional player and leader. He was with me when I worked at Humble Lion, and we kept that relationship over the years.
He has been a really good conduit for the transition of these young boys, and we will see how it goes.”
He also believes that club president and daughter Kaycie, who has been managing from a tender age, has come of age, and he is confident that she will do an excellent job leading the club.
“This club was invested in by Kaycie. This really is her fortay. I am in support, but I will be doing work otherwise.
“But Kaycie is the one really leading this. She is coming of age. I am happy to see leadership from the youth. People will say it’s Craig Butler’s daughter, but she has been in this business for a long time, and she has earned it.”
English (US) ·