SSFL 23: Fatima get dream draw, St Anthony’s unlucky; as draft Premier fixtures out

Defending Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) champions St Benedict’s College are due to start their title defence at home against visiting East Mucurapo Secondary on Wednesday 13 September, as the 2023 Premier Division draft fixtures were released this weekend.

The fixtures will be confirmed in August after final deliberations by the SSFL executive committee.

The 2023 season marks only the second time in the Premier Division era that Tobago will have two top flight participants, after Bishop’s High School won promotion to join Speyside High Secondary. The other promoted teams are 2022 SSFL Big 5 winners St Mary’s College and Arima North Secondary.

The remaining 10 Premier Division schools are: 2022 National Intercol champions Fatima College, East and Central Intercol winners Trinity College East and Chaguanas North Secondary respectively, Naparima College, Presentation College (San Fernando), Pleasantville Secondary, Queen’s Royal College, St Anthony’s College, San Juan North Secondary and Malick Secondary.

One school unlikely to have any issues with the draft fixtures is Fatima. Remarkably, Fatima, coached by Hutson “Baba” Charles, are set to play their first five matches on their home ground against: Speyside High, St Anthony’s, East Mucurapo, Pleasantville and St Benedict’s respectively.

Technically, Fatima are away to East Mucurapo in Round Three on Wednesday 20 September. However, the latter outfit use Fatima’s Mucurapo Road ground as its own home venue.

Chaguanas North, Pleasantville and St Anthony’s are not nearly so lucky.

The “Westmoorings Tigers” started their 2023 season with successive away fixtures to QRC (16 September) and Fatima (20 September). But even that pales to what lies in store for Chaguanas North and Pleasantville.

The Central champs start their campaign on the road to Bishop’s in Tobago on 13 September and then play two more away games against Naparima (16 September) and Malick (20 September) before their first home outings—which, incidentally, will see them host Presentation (23 September) and St Anthony’s (23 September) respectively.

And three of Pleasantville’s first four matches are away against: San Juan North (13 September), Naparima (20 September) and Fatima (23 September).

For Malick, the sting comes near the end of their league season. Three of their closing four fixtures are away from home to: San Juan North (21 October), Bishop’s (28 October) and St Benedict’s (3 November).

All three newly promoted teams will begin anew in the Premier Division on home turf on Wednesday 13 September.

Bishop’s host Chaguanas North, while St Mary’s host Naparima and Arima North invite Trinity College East to the Arima Velodrome.

2023 Premier Division draft fixtures

Round One

(Wednesday 13 September)

St Mary’s College vs Naparima College, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs East Mucurapo, TBA, 3.30pm;

Fatima College vs Speyside High, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs Trinity East, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

QRC vs St Anthony’s College, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs Malick Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Pleasantville Secondary, Bourg Mulatresse. 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs Chaguanas North, TBA, 3.30pm;

Round Two

(Saturday 16 September)

Arima North vs Presentation (San F’do), Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs St Benedict’s College, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs Bishop’s High, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

Fatima College vs St Anthony’s College, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs QRC, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Naparima College vs Chaguanas North, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs St Mary’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs East Mucurapo, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Round Three

(Wednesday 20 September)

East Mucurapo vs Fatima College, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs Chaguanas North, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

St Mary’s College vs Arima North, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs St Benedict’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Naparima College vs Pleasantville Secondary, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs San Juan North, TBA, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs Speyside High, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs QRC, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Round Four

(Saturday 23 September)

Bishop’s High vs Trinity East, TBA, 3.30pm;

QRC vs San Juan North, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs Arima North, TBA, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs St Mary’s College, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Fatima College vs Pleasantville Secondary, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs Presentation (San F’do), TBA, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs Naparima College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs Speyside High, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Round Five

(Wednesday 27 September)

Fatima College vs St Benedict’s College, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs San Juan North, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs St Anthony’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Naparima College vs Malick Secondary, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs Trinity East, TBA, 3.30pm;

QRC vs Bishop’s High, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs Presentation (San F’do), Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

St Mary’s College vs East Mucurapo, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Round Six

(Saturday 30 September)

St Mary’s College vs QRC, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs St Anthony’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Fatima College, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs Naparima College, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs Chaguanas North, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs Speyside High, TBA, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs Bishop’s High, TBA, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs Malick Secondary, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Round Seven

(Wednesday 4 October)

Naparima College vs St Benedict’s College, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Fatima College vs Presentation (San F’do), Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs Arima North, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs St Mary’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

QRC vs Chaguanas North, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Trinity East, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs East Mucurapo, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs Pleasantville Secondary, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Round Eight

(Saturday 7 October)

East Mucurapo vs St Anthony’s College, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs Fatima College, TBA, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs Speyside High, TBA, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs Arima North, TBA, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs St Mary’s College, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Naparima College vs Trinity East, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Bishop’s High, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs QRC, TBA, 3.30pm;

Round Nine

(Wednesday 11 October)

St Benedict’s College vs Presentation (San F’do), TBA, 3.30pm;

Fatima College vs QRC, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs East Mucurapo, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

Naparima College vs Bishop’s High, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs Chaguanas North, TBA, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs San Juan North, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs Malick Secondary, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs St Mary’s College, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Round Ten

(Saturday 14 October)

Fatima College vs Arima North, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs St Benedict’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Naparima College, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs St Anthony’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs Malick Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs Trinity East, TBA, 3.30pm;

QRC vs East Mucurapo, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

St Mary’s College vs Speyside High, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Round Eleven

(Wednesday 18 October)

Naparima College vs Presentation (San F’do), Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs St Mary’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs Fatima College, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs Bishop’s High, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Speyside Secondary vs Arima North, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

QRC vs Pleasantville Secondary, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs San Juan North, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs Chaguanas North, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Round Twelve

(Saturday 21 October)

San Juan North vs Malick Secondary, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs QRC, TBA, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs Fatima College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs Naparima College, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs Arima North, TBA, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs Pleasantville Secondary, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs Trinity East, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

St Mary’s College vs Presentation (San F’do), Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Round Thirteen

(Wednesday 25 October)

Fatima College vs Trinity East, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

QRC vs Naparima College, QRC Ground, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs Speyside High, TBA, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs Bishop’s High, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs St Anthony’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Pleasantville Secondary vs St Benedict’s College, TBA, 3.30pm;

Malick Secondary vs East Mucurapo, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs St Mary’s College, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.30pm;

Round Fourteen

(Saturday 28 October)

Naparima College vs Fatima College, Lewis Street, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs Pleasantville Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

Arima North vs St Anthony’s College, Arima Velodrome, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs St Benedict’s College, Trincity, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs Malick Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs San Juan North, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs QRC, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

St Mary’s College vs Chaguanas North, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

Round Fifteen

(Friday 3 November)

St Mary’s College vs Fatima College, Serpentine Road, 3.30pm;

St Benedict’s College vs Malick Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

St Anthony’s College vs Naparima College, Westmoorings, 3.30pm;

Presentation (San F’do) vs East Mucurapo, TBA, 3.30pm;

QRC vs Arima North, Queen’s Royal College Ground, 3.30pm;

Bishop’s High vs Pleasantville Secondary, TBA, 3.30pm;

Chaguanas North vs San Juan North, TBA, 3.30pm;

Trinity East vs Speyside High, Trincity, 3.30pm.