Goater On Hamilton Parish’s Football Season
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Sergio Goater has reflected on Hamilton Parish’s “invincibles” season in which they clinched the First Division title without losing a match.
Parish won 14 of their 16 games, finishing ten points ahead of second-place Boulevard, ending their six-year absence from the top flight.
The only blemishes on Parish’s campaign came in the FA Cup first round, losing 2-1 away to Somerset Trojans, and the Shield semi-final, suffering a 2-1 loss away to eventual champions Wolves.
Goater has not lost a league match since taking charge of the club at the start of the 2020-21 season, which was cancelled in March last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Parish were top of the standings at the time.
Among those players leading the charge for Parish this term were forward Macquille Walker, who scored 12 goals, and wide man Jordan Outerbridge, who netted 11 times.
“The unbeaten run has carried on from last season,” Goater told Bernews. “I have a strong bunch of players, and we’re very organised. That can take you a long way in the First Division. It’s been a real team effort.”
Goater insists his title-winning heroes will have every chance to prove themselves in the top flight next season and believes his squad is already good enough to hold their own.
“I don’t want an influx of players coming in just because we’re in the Premier Division,” Goater added.
“I don’t want to upset the apple cart. We’re going to be very selective about the players we bring in.
“I have targets in mind, but I have to stick with guys who got us here. Plus, we have players with Premier Division experience.
“I certainly don’t want to discredit the Premier Division, but there isn’t a big gulf between the two leagues. It’s more of a level playing field these days.
“We respect the top-flight teams, but there’s an element of, ‘You know what, we can compete in this league.’”
Goater, a former North Village forward, said he had no complaints about Parish’s defeat to Wolves in the Shield semi-final earlier this month.
“I have to give credit to Wolves,” he said. “We had just beaten them in the league, but they were a different animal in the Shield. They really wanted it.
“It would have been nice to do the double, but winning promotion was our main goal.”
“Top flight” the FA doesn’t even recognize our football clubs, hence why you can’t bet on any Bermudian teams on any gambling platform. But you can bet on teams from literally third world countries. None of the games can be viewed on tv locally live. Players don’t get paid and have to pay the clubs, who also make money from the gate and bar. None of the fields are regulation size, none of them have been improved in decades. The saddest part is the island is full of talented men and women footballers who don’t get what they deserve. Which is to be paid and seen by the world