MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — After months of uncertainty following storm damage to its primary venue, Montego Bay United is preparing to welcome top-flight football back to the heart of the city this Sunday — this time at the historic Jarrett Park.
The club’s upcoming Premier League clash with Waterhouse FC in round 13 will mark a symbolic homecoming for football in western Jamaica. With the Montego Bay Sports Complex still out of commission due to severe flooding from Hurricane Melissa, Jarrett Park has been tapped as the club’s new stronghold — and for many, its most authentic one.
Though not spared by the storm, Jarrett Park’s pitch remained mostly intact, unlike the Catherine Hall-based complex, which was left buried in layers of silt and rendered unusable. Restoration efforts at Jarrett Park have been swift. Downed floodlights and damaged fencing have been addressed. Cleanup crews, including units from the Jamaica Fire Brigade, have been working around the clock to ensure the venue is match-ready.
For Chairman Yoni Epstein, the decision wasn’t just logistical — it was cultural.
“Football belongs in the heart of the city,” one source close to the club shared. “This isn’t just a game. It’s part of the community’s identity. Jarrett Park represents that.”
Once a crown jewel of Jamaican sports infrastructure, Jarrett Park carries a legacy that stretches back decades. It has played host to everything from ISSA schoolboy finals to regional cricket showdowns. The stadium was the breeding ground of legends and the battlefield of fierce rivalries — the kind that filled the stands and lifted the spirit of St James.
Now, with Montego Bay United charting a new path forward, the return to this storied ground signals more than a change of venue. It’s a restoration of pride. A statement that despite weathering storms — literal and otherwise — the club, and the city it represents, remains unshaken.
Preparations continue to fine-tune the environment for Sunday’s showdown. Fans can expect a rejuvenated match-day experience — one shaped by grit, history, and the collective will of a community determined to rise.
Jarrett Park isn’t just being reopened. It’s being reborn.
