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Friday 13th November will be the coronation day for the champions of the 2026 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Sportt Premiership Division, as well the end of the road for the four schools that remain at the bottom of the standings when the music stops.
SSFL general secretary Laurence Seepersad confirmed this morning that the schools body had postponed the climax of the Premiership competition, “to ensure fairness and uphold the principle of fair play among the three leading teams in the current standings”.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Although the release did not give an explicit reason, the decision was almost certainly made due to the postponed clash between then first place team, St Mary’s College, and third place Signal Hill Secondary.
The two schools met at Serpentine Road in St Clair on Saturday. However, the heavy weather prompted match officials to suspend kickoff.
Naparima College, the defending champions, leapfrogged the “Saints” to first position—at least temporarily—with a 1-0 win over St Benedict’s College at Marabella, on the weekend, courtesy of a decisive strike by winger Arron Raymond.
The Premiership was due to end on Tuesday 10 November. But the SSFL executive committee opted to play the postponed match on that day instead, while the other fixtures are pushed back to Friday.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
So, Signal Hill return to Serpentine Road on Tuesday while the weekend’s other rained out fixture, St Anthony’s College versus Presentation College (San Fernando) in Westmoorings, will also play in two days’ time.
“This adjustment is intended to ensure that the outcome of the competition is determined on an equitable basis,” stated a SSFL release, “consistent with the approach adopted by the League in previous years.”
The executive committee also opted to allow Malick Secondary to fulfil their originally scheduled match away to Speyside Secondary on Tuesday, with plane tickets already confirmed for the outing.
Both Malick and Speyside are clear of the relegation zone. Trinity College East and Mucurapo West Secondary are sure to go down.
Photo: Ire Charles/ Wired868.
The other two teams to be demoted will come from the quartet of Queen’s Royal College (12 points), San Juan North Secondary (11 points), St Augustine Secondary (11 points), and Trinity College (Moka) (10 points).
QRC and San Juan North are away to Arima North Secondary and St Mary’s College respectively on Friday. They can both remain in the top flight, even with defeats—provided that St Augustine lose at home against visiting Fatima College and Trinity (Moka) do no better than draw away to doomed Mucurapo West.
Should the “Moka Lions” defeat Mucurapo West, San Juan North will be relegated if they do not muster at least a point from St Mary’s.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
For QRC to be relegated from the Premiership for the first time, however, they would need to lose to out-of-sorts Arima North while two schools from either Trinity (Moka), St Augustine and San Juan North must produce final day victories.
Friday 13th, therefore, will be a day of triumph for some, and torture for others in the schools football fraternity.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
SSFL Premiership fixtures
(Tue 10 Nov)
St Mary’s College vs Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;
St Anthony’s College vs Presentation College (San F’do), 3.30pm, St Anthony’s;
Speyside Secondary vs Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Speyside;
2026 Premiership Standings
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Naparima | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 10 | 36 | 37 |
| 2 |  St Mary's | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 9 | 28 | 36 |
| 3 |  Signal Hill | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 13 | 20 | 34 |
| 4 |  St Benedict's | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 12 | 29 | 31 |
| 5 |  Fatima | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 29 |
| 6 |  Hillview | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 29 |
| 7 |  Presentation | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| 8 |  St Anthony's | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 21 |
| 9 |  Speyside | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 37 | -14 | 20 |
| 10 |  Arima North | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 19 |
| 11 |  Malick | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 34 | 35 | -1 | 16 |
| 12 |  QRC | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 12 |
| 13 |  San Juan | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 36 | -19 | 11 |
| 14 |  St Augustine | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 23 | 48 | -25 | 11 |
| 15 |  Trinity College | 15 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 53 | -27 | 10 |
| 16 |  Mucurapo W | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 50 | -35 | 8 |
| 17 |  Trinity East | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 52 | -34 | 6 |
(Fri 13 Nov)
Naparima College vs St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Lewis Street;
St Augustine Secondary vs Fatima College, 3.30pm, St Augustine;
Trinity College East vs Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Trinity East;
Presentation (San F’do) vs Hillview College, 3.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;
Arima North Secondary vs Queen’s Royal College, 3.30pm, TBA;
Mucurapo West Secondary vs Trinity College, 3.30pm, TBA;
St Mary’s College vs San Juan North Secondary, 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;
St Benedict’s College are on a bye.
Naparima College took advantage of soggy weather conditions at the St Mary’s College grounds on Serpentine Road in St Clair Read more
“[…] San Juan North Secondary are away to Fatima College, not likely to get points here. Queen’s Royal College (QRC) Read more
St Mary’s College moved within 180 minutes of their first Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Sportt Premiership crown today, after Read more
Four Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Sportt Premiership teams will be relegated to the Championship Division at the end of Read more
The chase for the 2026 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Sportt Premiership Division title is a three-horse race now. Fatima Read more
“[…] My Pres Lions, on the day they were facing the top of the table team, showed a resilience and Read more
