Schoolboy football to begin with full slate on September 6

Photo: Carlo Redwood, Vice-President Marketing Manager at LIME receives a copy of the Schoolboy Football schedule from Dr. Walton Small President of ISSA at the launch of the schoolboy football season for 2014 at the Terra Nova Hotel on Thursday.

Lovers of Jamaican schoolboy football will have their appetites satisfied beginning Saturday September 7th when the 2014-2015 edition of the ISSA/LIME Manning Cup and DaCosta Cup competitions kick off with a full slate of games. In addition to the usual three televised encounters, there will be games across all zones in both competitions on opening day. With the 2013-2014 edition hailed as one of the most exciting seasons in a very long time, anticipation is high that this season will be just as competitive and just as exciting from a spectators stand point.

Dr. Walton Small, President if ISSA thanked the sponsors of the competition, LIME, Bigga, Burger King and TVJ for their continued support of schoolboy football. “It is going to be difficult to pick a winner for the competitions this year. Based on the pre-season friendlies that I have seen I can tell it will be very competitive again.”

Small also commended the behaviour of all those involved last year. “We want to thank all the stakeholders for their behaviour last year and we want that to continue, welcome to the best football competition in the Caribbean,” he concluded.

Competitions officer at ISSA, Mr. George Forbes indicated that 113 schools would be participating in the competitions this year and announced that the Olivier Shield would be a one leg event instead of the usual two games.

Captain Horace Burrell, President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) lauded ISSA for the role they played in developing talent for the national programme. “Schoolboy football is important to the JFF, it is a nursery from which the technical staff can choose for the national team.”

Discussions are on-going as to the return of the All-Manning vs All DaCosta Cup game.

The games to be seen on television on the opening day are, Jamaica College vs Jonathan Grant at 2:00pm, St. Elizabeth Technical vs BB Coke at 4:00pm and St. James vs Green Pond at 6:00pm.