In the 1980s Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey was one of the most popular high-flying dancehall disk jockey in the country. Bailey was a top-class entertainer in those days and his versatility had him rated amongst the best entertainers in Jamaica as well.

But Bailey’s resourcefulness did not rest alone with a microphone in his hands. At the turn of the last decade of the 20^th century, Admiral Bailey, as he was better known, turned to football, where he coached several National Premier League (NPL) teams.

It didn’t took long for the Admiral to established himself as a knowledgeable student of the game and sooner rather later, he became one the most respected coaches on the local circuit.

Bailey has been consistently involved in coaching for the last 15 years. And in those 15 years the Admiral guided NPL club, Tivoli Gardens FC to national titles, an unattainable feat for many coaches due to the complexity that surrounds the Western Kingston-based community.

In the last decade and half of Bailey’s coaching, he twice conducted stints at Arnett Gardens FC, another crime-plague ghetto and bitter rivals of neighbors Tivoli.

His ability to get most of these players, who are mainly from tough communities, focused, was a hallmark of Bailey’s achievements.

Bailey is himself a product of the ghetto, raised in Waterhouse, before elevating from Kingston’s slums.

Well over six feet tall and 250 pounds, Bailey’s presence alone commanded respect. Nonetheless there was a gentler side to the ‘big man’, who could extract the best of most individual players who wanted to excel on the field of play. However, his success on the field was largely due to a persona that he exudes that somehow connect with the diverse personalities of these youths.

Bailey’s last stint at Arnett Gardens ended in 2006/07 NPL season when he resigned because an uncomfortable working environment created by an upsurge in violence in the war-torn community.

“The other day I was in training and some players were sleeping in training because they did not get to sleep the night before and you cannot win (matches) under such conditions," Bailey was quoted by the press on April 18, 2007.

And that time he hinted at taking a break from the game, but being such an indifferent character, Bailey returned for the second time to Tivoli – the club he has had the most success with.

In the 2003/04 Premier League, he led Tivoli Gardens to the national title, before guiding them, the following year, to the Red Stripe Champions Cup, which is the all-island KO competition, while finishing third in the league.

After winning the prestigious Premier League title, the Admiral achieved another high-point in his career, when his troops humiliated their arch rivals 5-0 on May 1, 2005 at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex in Arnett Gardens.

In his former years, Bailey also coached Rivoli United and Olympic Gardens FC, both situated violence-prone communities.

Not many local coaches would dear try to fill the boots of Bailey at any of these clubs.  Which means the Admiral could very well be the chief commander longer than even he would have anticipated.