About the Jamaican Premier League: Everything to Know About the League
The Jamaican Premier League, or the National Premier League, is the top division tournament for soccer in Jamaica. It consists of 12 teams fighting to win the ultimate championship at the end of the season. The league is available to bettors; just as you can make La Liga predictions, you can predict the league games.
The teams in the league have the chance to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, but they would have to go through the qualification process to get into the tournament. In addition, teams can relegate to the lower divisions. And the top teams from the lower division can take their spot in the Premier League.
The league is pretty exciting, and although it hasn’t gotten as big as the ones in Europe, it has some exciting moments. Keep reading to learn more about this league, the top teams, the best players, and more.
History of the League
The league was created in 1973 as Jamaica’s top-tier professional soccer league. The first season started on the 22nd of September, 1973. It was known as the Kingston Major League, and the first team to win the competition was Santos FC. Since that time, 13 teams have won the competition.
Of the 13 clubs, Portmore United is the team with the most titles, after winning the league seven times. Since the league was formed, two teams have won the Caribbean championships. And both teams have won it on two occasions. The first team to do that was Harbour View in 2004.
Portmore United followed Harbour View before View won it again in 2007. But, it wasn’t until 2019 before any team won the championship again. The league also has teams participating in the CONCACAF Champions League, but they are yet to produce a CCL winner.
Format
For instance, before making your La Liga picks, you must understand the format. It is the same with the Jamaican Premier League. It won’t be easy to predict if you don’t know how the league works. You should know that the JNPL is not your typical league format, although it has many similarities.
The competition typically starts in late August and ends in May of the following year. The clubs are put into a single-table format, with the competition divided into three different stages. After the third stage, when the teams have played around 33 matches, the teams are divided into two sections, depending on point totals, launching us into the fourth round.
In the fourth round, the top six clubs would fight for the championship trophy, with the top two getting automatic qualification into the semifinals of the round. The bottom six would have to battle to avoid relegation. In this case, the bottom two teams will have to play in the lower division.
Before the teams can qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, the top two finishers in the league would participate in the CFU Club Championship. In this Championship, the teams that finish in the top four would qualify for the CCL and CONCACAF League.
Top Teams
Over the years, some teams have dominated the league and won multiple titles. These teams continue to impress and represent the league on the biggest stages. In that case, we’ve listed four of the best teams to have participated in the league since its inception.
Portmore United
Portmore United is the team with the most National League championship wins. Since 1993, they’ve won seven championships, and in addition, they’ve finished second five times and won the Caribbean Championship twice. They’ve also represented the league in the CCL and reached the quarterfinal stages.
Arnett Gardens
Arnett Gardens is the team with the second most championship titles. They’ve won the league five times and finished second four times. Their first league win came in the 1977-78 season, with the most recent coming in the 2016-17 season.
Trivoli Gardens
Trivoli Gardens started their league championship win in 1983, having won five titles since then. And like Arnett Gardens, the team has finished second on the log four times. Their most recent win was in the 2010-11 season.
Harbour View
Harbour View wasn’t dominant in the 90s, but since the turn of the Millenium, they’ve won four titles. They’ve also won two Caribbean championships. Aside from their wins, they’ve finished second five times.
Best Players
The league has also seen some incredible players who have scored plenty of goals. These players usually top the predictions list, just like the top players in La Liga predictions today. The players have a lot to offer. Some top picks include Roen Nelson, Kirk Ramsey, Devon Hodges, Jermain Anderson, Owayne Omar Gordon, Irvino English, and Craig Foster.
These players have won the highest goalscorer awards while playing in the league. They remain in the history of the competition.
