Montserrat Championship Explained

Sport:Football
Founded:1974
Teams:10
Levels:1
Country: Montserrat
Champion:Police
Confed Cup:CFU Club Shield

The Montserrat Championship is the top association football division in Montserrat. It was created in 1974 but has been competed-for only sporadically, partially as a result of the Soufrière Hills eruption causing widespread devastation to the island in 1997. Between 2005 and 2015, no league was played. The league restarted in 2016, but has been stopped again in 2018.

History

Football was first brought to Montserrat during World War 2 and grew in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s at which time the championship and Football Association were established,[1] The first iteration of the national championship was held in 1974 and was won by the Police. A second season was played the following year, won by Bata Falcons, but following that there are no records of any form of organized competition until 1995, when the Police team again won the championship. Just as organized football on Montserrat was beginning to get going, a major eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano caused widespread destruction of large parts of the island, with many villages being abandoned.[2] As a result, the 1996 - 97 season was abandoned part way through and no formal competition was held on the island until 2000, when the competition was again won by the police team.[3] Further competitions were held each year until 2004, when Ideal became only the third team to win the championship in its history.[4] This was the last recorded season of formal competition on the island until 2016 when the competition occurred again.

Clubs

Source:[5]

Most league games take place at the 1,000-capacity Blakes Estate Stadium.

Previous clubs

Previous winners

scope=colSeasonscope=colWinner
scope=row1974Police
scope=row1975Bata Falcons
scope=row1976 - 1995not known
scope=row1995 - 96Royal Montserrat Police Force
scope=row1996 - 97abandoned
scope=row1998 - 99no championship
scope=row2000Royal Montserrat Police Force
scope=row2001Royal Montserrat Police Force
scope=row2002 - 03Royal Montserrat Police Force
scope=row2004Ideal
scope=row2005 - 15no championship
scope=row2016Royal Montserrat Police Force
scope=row2017 - 19not known
2020 - presentno championship

Topscorers

YearBest scorersTeamGoals
2001 Ottley Laborde 21[6]
2002/03 Ottley Laborde 8[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Montserrat — List of Champions . Schöggl . Hans . 18 December 2014 . . 12 November 2015.
  2. Web site: Montserrat 1996/97 . Schöggl . Hans . 18 December 2014 . . 12 November 2015.
  3. Web site: Montserrat 2000 . Schöggl . Hans . 22 July 2004 . . 12 November 2015.
  4. Web site: Montserrat 2004 . Schöggl . Hans . 18 December 2014 . . 12 November 2015.
  5. Web site: MONTSERRAT 2017-2018 . keltia.ch . 28 June 2019.
  6. Web site: Montserrat 2000 . Schöggl . Hans . 22 July 2004 . . 12 November 2015.
  7. Web site: Montserrat 2002/03 . Schöggl . Hans . 26 February 2014 . . 12 November 2015.