Greaves believes in the power of prayer
The team has reached only two major finals previously — both in the Friendship — where they lost to PHC in 1987 and then beat Devonshire Colts in the ‘96 final.
World Cup cricketer Dean Minors, a former Colts striker who scored in both those finals (including the game’s only goal in ‘96) spoke to the players on Tuesday about nutrition and what he eats prior to competition. Greaves also asked the likes of Gregory Foggo, noted sailor and former club footballer Stevie Dickinson and Cup Match captain and Bermuda World Cup player, Lionel Cann, to speak to the players this week.
“I’m very serious about what I’m trying to achieve,” said Greaves who stressed the semi-final is more about the game itself but also about lifting the St. George’s community.
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to motivate them. I get spiritual speakers, inspirational speakers...anybody who can lift them and enhance their spirit and get their confidence up. All this is bigger than the team. It’s about bringing out the people who achieved things in our community and letting them express what took them to that level. That’s what the young people don’t know and don’t understand. All the footballers in Bermuda think it is in their feet but it’s in their minds. “I’m trying to develop a balance of what makes life work in general and use soccer as a tool to motivate them. The game will take care of itself if you develop the individual.”
Himself a former St. George’s player, Greaves remembers growing up at a time when the community supported the football team and came out in numbers on Sunday afternoons. He wants to bring that back and next season aims to get large numbers of fans rallying behind the team.
“If we don’t stay on top of what we’ve got we could fall to the gangs, the negativity that comes into communities and breaks down our children and takes away the positives,” said Greaves of the community’s young people.
“When I was going out to St. George’s Cricket Club when I was growing up, you couldn’t cuss, you couldn’t be rude and you couldn’t be disrespectful because too many of our elders were sitting around watching you. From the way my players act at the training sessions I know how they live at home.”
With a young, developing team, Greaves thinks FA Cup success could take the team and the community to new heights. ‘That’s what’s been hindering us over the years, not understanding the level of preparation and the level of commitment to reach something as prestigious as the FA Cup final,” said the coach.
“Once we find out what it takes to rise to that level and compete I think we will maintain it for years to come...for the under eights, the under-12s, under-15s. It will be a turning point for the community, for those who think there is no outlet in sports.”
St. George’s had a vocal following at Bernard Park in the last round when the support helped lift the team to a surprise 3-1 victory. Village, second in the Premier league, were humbled by a team in the bottom half of the First Division standings.
“We beat North Village with the 12th player,” said Greaves who believes in the power of prayer.
“We prayed and He shines the light and shows us the order that we have to walk in.”
Devonshire Colts, fresh off their Shield final victory over Southampton Rangers last weekend, will be aiming to finish off their successful promotion season with a third trophy. Losing in the Dudley Eve First Division final to Wolves was the only blemish in their season, but now they are two wins away from being the first First Division team to win three trophies in one season.
The main match will start at 2.30 and will follow the women’s FA semi-final between Prospect and Lady Cougars at 12.30.
