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The SKNFA Premier League begins on Friday with two matches at the Sandy Point field starting at 6pm. The SKNFA followed through on its plan to host matches in various football venues across St. Kitts as a way of growing the sport within the Federation.

Every week, there will be two matches on each match day from Friday to Sunday. Let’s preview the matches this weekend, starting with Friday. The first match up is between S-Krave Newtown United versus the only Nevisian team in the Premier League: Hotsprings Bath United. The last time these two teams met, Bath won, an achievement that their coach Alex Claxton listed as one of the highpoints for their season last year. “We were able to defeat Newtown, which is a champion team, that would have done extremely well over the years in terms of Premier League football. And it was a proud moment for us as a team,” Claxton said.

But with a new administration in Newtown, this is the beginning of a new era and Friday’s match might just be the revelation of that. “Players that have been here, they understand what we’ve been going through over the last few years,” said President of the club Kevin Welsh. “I can say kudos to them for holding it strong; there’s been a lot of internal things that have affected the performance on the pitch…they have healed enough we appeal enough to the point where the community will now see the real side of the players as to their technical abilities,” Welsh said. That match starts at 6pm.

Then at 8:15pm, home side and newly promoted E and K Mini Mart Sandy Point FC will face off against Hobson Enterprises Garden Hotspurs. The home side is looking to make some noise in the Premier League, starting at home Friday night. Kadeem Govia, a defender with Sandy Point, said the team won a few practices matches in preparation for the Premier League.  “I think that we are making the right steps toward remaining in the premier division,” he said.

With the departure of coach Austin Dico Huggins, Spurs’ former assistant coaches have been promoted. They are looking to improve on the team’s performances over last season. Friday night is the beginning of this new journey. “I’ve been working with the guys for the past two or three years, so I know them pretty well. The transition should be easy enough because…they know me and we have mutual respect,” said Steven Brown, head coach of the team. Stay tuned for preview of the other matches the opening weekend of the SKNFA Premier League.

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Caption: Bath United will be one of the first teams to bow into action this Friday in Sandy Point, starting at 6pm.