“The simple answer is ‘yes’”
Harbour View chairman backs Stars of the East to recover under Hyde
Published:Thursday | February 5, 2026 | 12:19 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Since winning the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) in the 2012-13 season, Harbour View Football Club, one of the traditional standard-bearers in top-flight football, has struggled to replicate their former glory, despite lifting the trophy again in 2022.
The east Kingston club remains one of the most decorated clubs locally with five national titles and a regional crown.
However, outside of their 2022 win, since the 2014-15 season, the Stars of the East’s highest finish in the regular season was fifth (2017-18), and even when they made the play-offs, they have not progressed past the first stage of the play-offs.
After Ludlow Bernard led them to the title in 2022, they returned to struggling, finishing 12th and 11th in 2023-24, and 2024-25, respectively. They are 13th, second from bottom in the standings this season.
Although Mount Pleasant Football Academy, Cavalier Soccer Club, and Montego Bay United have become the names associated with the top of football hierarchy these days, Harbour View Chairman Carvel Stewart is confident his club will regain its place amongst Jamaica’s elite organisations.
Stewart believes there are two main things that have led to their struggles.
He pointed to the lack of quality coaching and consistently losing their best young talent to other local teams as being the bane of the club’s existence.
Stewart believes the first step in addressing the coaching situation has been taken with the reappointment of Lenworth ‘Teacher’ Hyde, and he is confident they will not even be in a fight for relegation, but will be challenging the top six.
“Since Bernard, we have not been able to secure coaching of the quality we are accustomed to over the years. We have not paid that kind of attention to that kind of person. For persons, we have had some strong coaches, but in fact it is not so,” he declared.
He noted that their most successful coaches, Bernard, Vin Blain, Donovan ‘DV’ Hayles, Peter Cargill, and Hyde, all had a long history with the club, and said they are revisiting that formula for success.
“That is why Lenny Hyde is back. He played with us at the club and graduated into coaching at the club, and he won the Premier League (2006-07) and the Caribbean Championship.
“And immediately, the quality of play has stepped up. So when we would have had a few weeks’ training, I expect I will see the kind of football that we have prided ourselves on, which is the passing game,” he said.
The other strategy they have re-employed is keeping hold of their best young players and transitioning them into the senior set-up.
He said that over the years, they have produced some of the best local talent, most of whom move on to other clubs locally, after growing frustrated with their transition to the senior team.
He revealed that now he has insisted on the inclusion of the best youngsters to help them make the transition to senior football at the club.
“One of the best examples is Colorado Murray. He was with us from 12 years old and was waiting to be drafted into the seniors, and the next thing you hear, he is scoring a tonne of goals for Tivoli.
“We have had the unfortunate situation of drafting players who were not ready for the Premier League; but this year I have insisted that we maintain our youth programme players and don’t frustrate them into going elsewhere. So I am looking forward to them graduating into the senior programme,” he said.
He also believes Hyde is the ideal man to help the young players play the style of football they expect, and get the team to compete with the best domestically.
“He (Hyde) has already done it (transitioning young players and lifting the standard). Even in Sunday’s game (against Tivoli) there were complimentary remarks from our opponents.
“We are incorporating them. So we will be able to transition them. In the end, if we have too many, we will move some, and we have a tradition of getting people abroad. But we don’t want to lose them. So I prefer if they are incorporated.”
He added that despite sitting in the relegation zone currently, he has no doubt they will not be fighting the drop this season.
“We have no battle with relegation. That’s just in the minds of other people. We don’t have a battle with relegation. After the next three games you can call me and see.
“Will Harbour View retake its place of prominence in local football? The simple answer is ‘yes’, because we will be doing things to ensure our rise again, and we will do it based on merit, and don’t be surprise when you see us in the top six this season. And when you get in the top six anybody can win.”