Edwards challenges proposed APL playoff format

By Neto Baptiste
Coach of the reigning Antigua Premier League (APL) champions, Grenades FC, and former national striker Derrick “Pretty Boy” Edwards, is not in favour of a proposed format that will see the top-flight champions crowned based on the results of a four-team playoff.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Edwards outlined his issues with the new format while calling on the local governing body to retain the traditional league format.
“Last year, we go two rounds and it come down to the final game of the season to decide the champion so I don’t see what’s the reason to change the format. The year before, after your regular season, you end up with the most points but then you go into a group stage. The year after, they go with the same group stage but they didn’t seed the teams, they just put the match-ups so they keep changing and changing the format all the time. Why we want to go and change our format to another country’s format? We can have our own format and I think the two rounds is the best thing for me,” he said.
“The problem I have with that is that you play two rounds, you come out on top with points, leading the whole competition and then you find a team that come in like fourth place, can leap over you with all the points and come and win the whole thing,” he added.
According to reports, the new format will see the 10 teams competing at the top tier play a round-robin format for two rounds with the top fours teams advancing to the playoffs. The four teams will then face each other once with the teams finishing first and second in the playoffs advancing to the final.
Edwards said the proposed changes should have been discussed at a technical level, which should have included coaches attached to the 10 teams set to battle in the APL.
“I already contacted a couple of coaches, and they don’t even know the format so now those guys go to meetings, they don’t come back, they don’t tell their coach how the format is going but we are preparing teams so we’re supposed to have first-hand knowledge of how to prepare the team, not the manager, not the president. I think the discussion needs to happen with coaches when they’re going to make those decisions and that’s my point; you just can’t come and just change the format. Let us sit down, have a discussion, then we come back to the table but you can’t just force that down our throat like that,” the coach said.
The APL is scheduled to kick off in October with nine teams seeking to dethrone Grenades. The list includes the newly promoted Greenbay Hoppers FC after having spent one season in the First Division and Freeman’s Village FC who are back in the top flight after 16 years.
The other teams that will be competing in the APL are All Saints United, Pigotts Bullets, FC Aston Villa, Old Road, Potters Tigers, Garden Stars FC and Green City.