BON AIR FC took revenge for their loss to Parliament FC in last season's final with a 1-0 win over the league champions to take home the Community Shield at the opening of the 43rd edition of the Eddie Hart Football League (EHFL) at the Eddie Hart Savannah (EHS) last Sunday.
But before the action in the middle got started last weekend, Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation special adviser and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner promised to fix the inadequate lighting system at the EHS for the 2010 season.
"I will walk with Eddie (Hart) hand-in-hand, both locally and internationally, for him to get support to keep this league alive," stated Warner, who was again given another award by the EHFL, following the one he received earlier this year at the 2008 prizegiving function.
Referring to the present floodlights as "candle fly lights", Warner said the system will be overhauled for the 2010 season.
"What you have here is no good for football," he said. "It can hurt your eyes, it can cause damage to your legs, other parts of your bodies and by extension it can end your careers."
On the field, the clash between league champions Parliament and knockout champs Bon Air turned out to be an encouraging start to the new season.
Both clubs had a fair amount of time on the ball, but the KO champs looked slightly the better of the two sides in the wet and overcast conditions.
Bon Air missed a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot moments before they netted on the stroke of half-time.
In the third match-up, league champions in the under -20 category Trincity Nationals and KO winners Pacemakers played to a tame draw, while in the Women's Division, San Juan Jabloteh stopped Trincity Nationals 2-1 in a close outing.
In the day's opener, World Class showed why they have been dominating the age-group brackets of the league for the past two seasons as they outclassed and outplayed Trendsetters Hawks 1-0 in an Under-13 affair.
South East Port of Spain's Jabare Cummings netted for the impressive winners.
He received a pass from 12-year-old Fatima College player Matthew Wooling, who is certainly a player for the future, before blasting powerfully past the Hawks custodian.
Earlier on, Parliament won the march past ahead of Defence Force and Valtrin United, respectively. Valtrin United were winners of the queen competition.