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Fri, Mar

Typography

Teba Mc Knight, Hayden Tinto, Gorean Highley, Micah Lewis, Chad De Freitas, Akeem Parris and Julien Landeau are some of the new faces that will be showcased by Joe Public this season.

The club has already acquired over 15 new players ahead of the 2009 season following the decision not to renew contracts of veteran players Dwarika, Gary Glasgow and Lyndon Andrews along with a host of other players inclusive of ace Jamaican forward Roen Nelson following last season.

"Joe Public had a very productive and arduous season in 2008," said Daryl Warner, managing director at Joe Public. "But the goal now for 2009 and 2010 is really a rebuilding period."

"We have had the Arnold Dwarikas and so forth that have gotten on in age and we want to focus more youthful team that will take us into the furture. We will of course have little experience in our squad now which means that we don't have any lofty aspirations for the next two years."

Coach Derek King, the youngest coach in the League at age 28, will see the Lions through the 2009 season as confirmed by Warner.

King, a former youth coach with the club, assisted Barbadian coach Keith Griffith before landing the role as caretaker at the end of last season.

The Eastern Lions finished fifth in the League, behind Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA (4th), North East Stars (3rd), W Connection (2nd) and champions CLICO San Juan Jabloteh.

Joe Public's lengthy season also saw them finished runners-up in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship behind Harbour View but went on to impress in the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions' League to dump (Major League Soccer)MLS giants New England Revolution 6:1 on aggregate to advance into the Group stage. However in the Champions' League Group stage the Pro League club slumped at the bottom of the group with just one away win against Mexican club Atlante FC finishing the group 1-0-5.

Domestically they faltered further failing to defend their 2007 Toyota Classic and FA Trophy titles—won under then head coach Michael McComie.

Warner blames the strenuous schedule and small roster for their disappointing results however holds satisfaction in what was accomplished at the CONCACAF level.

"There were obviously disappointments in not being able to defend our FA Trophy and Toyota Classic title last season," he said. "But I take great satisfaction and pride in serving the country as well as the Caribbean especially with the New England victory in the (CONCACAF) Champions' League as well as being the first local club to win on Mexican soil."

Now looking ahead for the 2009 season the Joe Public managing director said, "Our goals this season would be a top three finish in the League, out of the four knockout competitions we want the FA Trophy which has the most prestige and we also want to end W Connection's hold on the First Citizens Cup. If these goals are obtained I'll be a very happy man. If not, I'll still be a happy man because it's a very youthful team and full of exuberance but as I've said before I have no lofty aspirations."

Former Jabloteh number one Daurance Williams and Caledonia AIA goalie Michael Woods would accompany Colombian Alejandro Figueroa as goalkeepers.

Figueroa, Seon Power, Kerry Baptiste, Jason Springer, Keyeno Thomas, Carlyle Mitchell and newly appointed player/assistant coach Dale Saunders are the seven surviving players of last season.

Rasheed Griffith, Kareem Moses, Quincey Charles, John Stuart (North East Stars), Dorion Robinson, Keryn Navarro (North East Stars), Bevon Bass, Kareem Young and Shawn Cooper (North East Stars) are other players already listed with the Eastern Lions this season. The full squad is said to be contracted on two-year deals to cover the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

"We can safely say that players selected to represent Joe Public in 2009 are handpicked by King with the exception of the seven players that remain in the squad from last season. He got the full support of the board," added Warner.

"As I've said before...we are looking to players who have a long term future in the game as oppose to those who have a year or two left in the game. What we are also doing is looking after our players on an off the pitch, for example Derek King is now our head coach, our Super League assistant coach is Travis Mulraine (a former player at the club) and Dale Saunders will be doing  his first coaching course this March and he will be player/assistant coach for our senior team."