In the final round of the Red Stripe Premier League season, two more players have returned to the squad following international experiences.
DAMION ‘Stewpeas’ STEWART
Stewpeas returns home on a short-term contract until the end of this season from his victorious exploits in Britain and Asia.
Playing from his boyhood days with our HVFC Academy teams, the lanky aggressive defender would standout, even more at Ardenne High school in the Manning Cup.
He graduated quickly to the Craven ‘A’ Premier League, KSAFA Jackie Bell and JNBS All-island knockout teams, winning his first major title in 1997-98 as a rookie in defeating the then-marauding Waterhouse FC 1-0 at the National Stadium. Winning is his habit being a part of our first Premier League championship team in 2000 under Coach Peter Cargill. Even more success in knockouts and historic first-timer with Coach Donovan ‘DV’ Hayles copping the CFU Club Championship in December 2004 against Tivoli Gardens FC before our inaugural 2005 entry into the CONCACAF Champion Club League against DC United in a -15 degree snow-capped night in Washington DC, losing 1-2.
Just over eleven years ago the towering HVFC Captain and central defender who sometimes converted to be a striker, departed the island for a loan deal with British League One Club Darlington, which did not reap immediate success but he returned in the summer of 2005 to sign a loan deal with 11th placed Bradford City.
As he did with Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner before him, then Manager Colin Todd transferred him to Queens Park Rangers where he played 168 games scoring 13 times in a two-year spell, then on to Bristol City; He stayed there until 2012, scoring once.
Journeying to Notts County, for yet another 2 years secured another 2 goals before moving to Malaysia’s Super League Champions Pahang FA in 2013 as a leader, to win trophies not achieved by the club for 21 years, while notching 2 goals. He won again in 2014 alongside Charity Shields and FA Cups.
His Under-20 and Under-23 National selections transitioned to a thirteen-year Reggae Boyz senior team career from 1999 which was halted in 2012. He recorded 57 caps and scored 3 goals for his home country.
Welcome home Stewpeas.
KAVIN ‘Titalinho’ BRYAN
Born February 7, 1984, the 32 year old international made his return to the Premier League as a late substitute in the 0-1 loss to Cavalier SC and played 63 minutes in a 1-1 draw against Portmore United at the Juici Beef Complex in Clarendon.
The find of the 2006 pre-season at Jamaica College secondary field and Police National striker from Rae Town, walked in off the road to tryout for Coach Lenworth Hyde and his Assistant Max Straw who engaged him immediately before going on an international two-game winning tour to Toronto, Canada with the Serbian White Eagles and an All-Star Caribbean League Team.
An impactful forward, full of tricks, dribbles and goal celebrations, he joined forces with leading striker Fabian Taylor as the duo took charge of the Premier League with 11 and 14 goals respectively to lift the title for a second time. Both players dominated the 2007 CFU Club Championships scoring 6 and 5 goals each to win at the home of CFU President Austin ‘Jack’ Warner defeating his club Joe Public 2-1 on artificial turf in Trinidad. As was customary, both players also scored in the final.
The late bloomer followed his strike partner Taylor as well as Oniel ‘Bigga’ Thompson before him to Norway’s Notodden FC, scoring only once in the Premiership but blasted away the secondary Division the next year with 19 goals.
He was then drafted into the new horizons of the Vietnamese Premiership, where again he shone brightly winning the League in his first season at Song Lam Nghe Am with 7 goals from only 12 games in partnership with Jamaican strikers Devon Hodges (Rivoli United) and teammate Andre ‘Bullet’ Fagan (HVFC international).
Annual movements around the league to Hai Phong, Song Lam Nghe Am, Vissai Ninh Binh FC and Ha Noi FC resulted in goal scoring patches of 7, 5, 8, and 1 goal respectively up to the 2014 season when he returned home with an injury.
His five-year senior Reggae Boyz career yielded 10 caps and 1 goal and is highlighted with a starting position in the historic first ever 2-1 victory in FIFA World Cup Qualifier in the September 7, 2012 at the National Stadium.
Welcome back Kavin.