Williams enjoying life at Tivoli

While acknowledging that he still has much to learn coaching at a higher level, Tivoli Gardens head coach Philip Williams is pleased at the progress made by the team in his first full year in the role.

The club faced a difficult start to the 2019-20 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), losing their first three games and struggling near the relegation zones after the first round. Since the beginning of 2020, they have won six of the nine matches they played, gaining 20 out of a possible 27 points in that span. The last matched they played on March 8, before the season was suspended because of the coronavirus, resulted in a 5-1 win over relegation-threatened Vere United, putting the team into the top six for the first time this season. They are now in fifth place, with 43 points.

Williams, who was appointed to the position in 2019, said that he is grateful for the experience gained as one of the younger coaches in the league and has credited the team's renewed focus for their improved form in 2020.

"I'm still learning at this level," he said. "It has been a very good experience for me. I think at the start of the season, the problem was to keep the guys focused, and that is something that we have corrected as the season went on. For the latter part of the second round, everything started to come together where the team was concerned."

He says that the partnership with Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, who returned to the team as technical director last November, has been critical in allowing him more freedom to come into his own as a coach and the team's playoff position.

"He has created an environment where I can express myself better as a young coach and instil my philosophy more in the team," Williams said. "It was a good combination and hence the results putting us in the position."

Tivoli were on a three-game winning streak, which included wins against last season's runners-up Waterhouse and defending champions Portmore United before league play was halted.