The Bermuda Football Coaches Association held a special event inside the Clyde Best Centre of Excellence boardroom, making two significant presentations. First, Vance Brown was honored for his outstanding contributions to women’s football on the island, and Ray Jones was recognized as the Most Outstanding Coach of the Year.
Jones has been crowned the Bermuda Football Coaches Association's (BFCA) most outstanding coach for the 2024/25 season, capping off a remarkable two-year spell with Devonshire Colts.
Jones steered Devonshire Colts through their first Premier Division campaign since promotion, and remarkably, immediately established them as contenders in the title race. His team arrived in the top flight brimming with confidence after an unprecedented 16 wins and 0 losses in the First Division – the island's first "perfect" league season in recent memory.
By early January, Jones' men had climbed to an impressive third place in the Premier Division, just three points adrift of the summit. Despite the significant step up in quality, they remained fiercely competitive, earning widespread praise even in narrow defeats to eventual champions North Village.
The BFCA award considers both on-field performance and conduct, taking into account input from the Bermuda Referees Association. Jones' high-energy, youth-driven style, match-day professionalism, and calm rapport with officials ticked all the boxes, highlighting that "Fearless Football" and first-class character can indeed thrive at the Premier Division level.
The BFCA also recognized Brown for his sustained and significant contributions to women's football in Bermuda over the past two decades.
Brown has been the guiding force behind the growth of the women's game, nurturing it from scattered club sides to a vibrant league and national team structure. A national team coach and serial trophy winner with the Rude Girls in the early 2000s, Brown's commitment to raising standards was further demonstrated when he pursued his UEFA B license in England in 2004. This dedication ensured sustained service and regional recognition for local players.
Brown's impact is evident in numerous camps, Easter clinics, and age-group performance programmes. His tireless work culminated in Bermuda's Under-15 Girls earning a CONCACAF Women's Coach of the Year nomination for Brown in 2018.
Through 15 years of tireless coaching, mentoring, and advocacy, Vance Brown has laid the strong foundation upon which today's thriving women's football scene in Bermuda firmly rests. The present and future generations of female players on the island owe much to his vision and unwavering dedication.
