Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) secretariat today confirmed that two scheduled Premier Division matches for tomorrow—both involving Tobago schools, Signal Hill Secondary and Scarborough Secondary—have been postponed, as the 2025 season continues to reel from disruptions.
St Mary’s College were due to travel to Signal Hill tomorrow, while Scarborough were expected to face Trinity College East in Trincity.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
There were also two venue changes, with Malick Secondary moving their home match against Queen’s Royal College to QRC grounds and Carapichaima East Secondary shifting their contest with St Benedict’s College to the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.
The backlog of matches, undoubtedly, is the bigger problem though.
At present, the Premier Division has 13 rescheduled matches to be completed. Eight of them involve one of the two Tobago teams, with Signal Hill facing the brunt of it with six delayed games.
The Premier Division season is rostered to end on Tuesday 4 November, with the Coca Cola Intercol competition starting roughly three days later.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
If the SSFL attempts to maintain a rate of two games per week for teams, its marquee competition would end on 25 November—with the school term closing on Friday 12 December, and the Intercol competition (along with end of term exams) still to go.
And this is IF the postponements stop coming in.
The fact that more than half of the postponements involve a school asked to cross the seabridge is unlikely to be a coincidence. In previous years, the SSFL offered Trinidad schools between $8,000 and $10,000 for Tobago travel with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) generally supporting its own teams.
However, the SSFL’s loss of sponsorship revenue meant schools had to fend for themselves. And a combination of financial shortcomings and late planning (often also tied to finances) complicated inter-island travel for teams.
Photo: Nicholas Williams/ Wired868.
Incidentally, the cost of travel is felt disproportionately by Tobago schools. All Trinidad Premier Division schools must travel to the “Sister Isle” once this season. However, Tobago teams must make between seven to eight trips to Trinidad.
In previous seasons, there were the odd postponed game which would run off during the Intercol season and might just be abandoned entirely as it did not affect a title-chasing or relegation-threatened season.
Not in 2026, though. Of the 16 top flight schools, only two (QRC and Carapichaima East) do not have pending matches.
The “Royalians” eventually settled for a 2-2 draw.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
Thus far, the SSFL executive has not shared its plan for addressing the issue. Wired868 tried unsuccessfully to reach president Merere Gonzales for comment.
Naparima College lead the Premier Division standings at present with a perfect score of 27 points from nine games—five points more than second placed Fatima College, although the latter team played an additional game.
“Naps” host fourth-placed Presentation College (San Fernando) from 3.30pm tomorrow at Lewis Street, San Fernando in what is currently the SSFL’s biggest rivalry.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
Upcoming fixtures
(Wed 22 October)
Naparima College v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Lewis Street;
Fatima College v Arima North, 3.30pm, Mucurapo Road;
Malick Secondary v QRC, 3.30pm, QRC grounds;
Trinity College v St Augustine Secondary, 3.30pm, Moka;
St Anthony’s College v San Juan North, 3.30pm, Westmoorings;
Carapichaima East v St Benedict’s College, 3.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
Rescheduled fixtures
(Sat 25 October)
St Benedict’s College v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Mahaica Sporting Complex;
Fatima College v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Mucurapo Road;
2025 Premier Division
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Naparima | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 8 | 34 | 37 |
| 2 |  St Benedict's | 15 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 13 | 32 | 36 |
| 3 |  Signal Hill | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 17 | 31 | 34 |
| 4 |  Presentation | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 11 | 29 | 34 |
| 5 |  Fatima | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 48 | 24 | 24 | 32 |
| 6 |  St Anthony's | 15 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 25 |
| 7 |  Trinity Moka | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 23 |
| 8 |  Arima North | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 27 | 7 | 22 |
| 9 |  QRC | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 25 | -2 | 19 |
| 10 |  St Mary's | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 18 |
| 11 |  Trinity East | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 55 | -34 | 13 |
| 12 |  Malick | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 30 | 43 | -13 | 12 |
| 13 |  St Augustine | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 46 | -30 | 12 |
| 14 |  San Juan | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 26 | -4 | 11 |
| 15 |  Scarborough Sec | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 36 | -18 | 11 |
| 16 |  Carapichaima | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 72 | -65 | 0 |
Games to be rescheduled
San Juan North v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Bourg Mulatresse;
St Anthony’s College v Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Westmoorings;
Signal Hill Sec v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;
Naparima College v St Benedict’s College, 3.30pm, Lewis Street;
Malick Secondary v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, TBA;
Trinity College v Scarborough Secondary, 3.30pm, Moka;
Signal Hill Sec v St Augustine Sec, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;
Arima North v Trinity East, 3.30pm, Arima Velodrome;
San Juan North v Naparima College, 3.30pm, Bourg Mulatresse;
Signal Hill Sec v St Mary’s College, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;
Trinity East v Scarborough Secondary, 3.30pm, Trincity.
|
Wired868 has provided readers with solid, independent journalism since 2012. If you appreciate our work, please contribute to our efforts. Support Independent Journalism |
Scarborough Secondary were eliminated from the 2025 Intercol competition today, as the struggling Premier Division outfit fell 3-1 to Championship Read more
“[In] my job as a coach, you are judged by results,” said Naparima College coach Angus Eve. “I came back Read more
Leaders Naparima College will be fighting for their first Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division title since the pandemic Read more
Speyside Secondary secured the last promotion spot for the 2026 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division season yesterday afternoon, Read more
The North Zone Intercol final between defending champions Fatima College and St Anthony’s College, initially scheduled for this afternoon at Read more
St Augustine Secondary have paid the price for their failure to travel to Tobago to face Signal Hill Secondary in Read more
Meanwhile the North zone Championship which was keenly contested ended on the last day with Mucurapo West Secondary becoming first time champions after knocking at the door for 5 consecutive years. They finished emphatically with a 9-0 demolition of a tenacious Diego Martin Central Secondary , winning the North Zone Championship by a solitary but heart breaking point over perennial Premier League contenders Mucurapo East Secondary aka Compre.
Congratulations to Mucurapo West and good luck to them in the Big Five!