Two local football players have now taken up residency in Germany to play with the famed club 1. FCA Darmstadt in Gehmerweg, Germany, on 2nd October, 2019. The players are Raymel Niles, 18 and Rodondo Roach, 17 who play midfield and defense respectively.
1. FCA Darmstadt is a German association football club based in Darmstadt, Hesse. The club’s greatest success was in the Hessenliga, the highest football league in the state of Hesse and the Hessian football league system, from 1967 to 1981 and again from 2010 to 2013.
The players who have been transferred from the Diamond Football Club, a local club of the Anguilla Football Association will play their first season in Germany with the Academy for the U19 of Darmstadt. The move was invited by the Executive Board of Diamond FC, supported by Head Coach Mr. Kevin Hawley and Technical Director, Mr. Nigel Linton who travelled to Germany with the players.
After a two day trip from the warm Caribbean to an end of summer European chill, Raymel and Rodondo started their training with the U19 team at 1 FCA Darmstadt within 6 hours of arriving. The change in climate and the speed of training has been an adjustment but they are now more comfortable and ready to begin the season. When asked about the system in Germany on his return, Mr. Linton said, “The club is built with overseas players from The Americas and the Caribbean, which means they have realized the potential that players from this region have. It is a mix of cultures but all of the guys are fighting hard to make the best of the opportunity. Europe is known for having a higher level of game speed than what the players would have experienced in Anguilla. Any experience with a club such as 1. FCA Darmstadt can only serve to make them better.”
One of the major differences in training disciplines between the two regions are the varied turfs at the grounds. The players are required to be properly booted for both the Artificial and Firm Grounds. Both players have noted that the pitch at their new club is a lot smoother than our local ground so the ball moves quicker. The players also have to maintain a daily exercise regimen engaging in high performance training as fitness is major for this club. Both players have said that they would like to improve in their overall game and vision of the field.
Brief History of 1 FCA 4 Darmstadt
The Hessenliga is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football , the fifth tier of the German football league system.
The club was formed as Fußballclub Arheilgen on 10 September 1954 and has a deep rooted history. 1. FCA Darmstadt experienced a steady rise, culminating in 1967 in the promotion to the tier three Oberliga (upper league) Hessen.
In the Oberliga, FCA became a strong side, finishing in the top six in its first five seasons there, with a third place in 1969 and 1970 as its best results. After this, the club slipped into the lower half of the table before coming third once more in 1978. In 1981 however, the side was relegated and would not return to the Oberliga again for almost 30 years.
The club then played in the tier four Landesliga Hessen-Süd, where a second place in 1986 was its best result, but it was followed by relegation in 1987. The club returned to the Landesliga for one more season in 1988–89 but then made a more permanent exit from the league.
The club spent a lengthy amount of time in the lower amateur leagues of southern Hesse before a title in the tier seven Gruppenliga Darmstadt in 2009 returned it to the level below the Oberliga, now renamed Verbandsliga. In the following season the club, now renamed 1. FCA Darmstadt, won promotion to Hesses highest league once more courtesy to a second place in the Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd, behind local rival and champions Rot-Weiß Darmstadt, and played for three seasons in the Hessenliga before being relegated in 2013. A last-place finish in the Verbandsliga in 2015–16 relegated the club to the Gruppenliga.
