Sport

Manning Cup feeling heat from summer leagues

Action from a Manning Cup match between Calabar High and Excelsior High last year. - file

WHILE THIS YEAR'S Manning Cup promises to be one of the most open affairs that the competition has produced in recent years some coaches are worried about the quality being produced in schoolboy football's urban area showpiece.

A number of prominent schools have been affected by the number of age group club football leagues that are being played in the summer.

There is the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association's Under-17 football competition, and there is the Minor League that caters to the under-16 age group.

Normally the players that are involved in these competitions are merely fringe players, but the Manning Cup has seen the lowering of the average age of those playing the Under-19 competition and these players have now formed the core of many of the more prominent teams.

Strong measures

Kingston College's coach, Trevor 'Jumpy' Harris, has complained vehemently about the situation of club football versus schoolboy football and has had to take strong measures to make sure that he has a strong unit.

"As far as KC is concerned, any player that is going to play Manning Cup for us, we demand 100 percent commitment. We won't hinder him from playing for his club, but he won't be playing for KC," Harris, who has already left players out of his squad for that reason explained.

Camperdown High School suffered badly at the hands of the club league scene and principal of the school, Cynthia Cook made an even stronger gesture by pulling the team out of the schoolboy competition.

Yesterday, when the final of the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association's Under-17 competition was delayed because of island-wide demonstrations, Charlie Smith and Tivoli Comprehensive High schools suffered from having to do without some of their players for possibly an extra day.

These teams have talented players and could do well. However, playing as a team might prove a stretch for them and bring about their demise.

Charlie Smith will fare a little better because all their players play on the Arnett Gardens team and will thus be able to build team spirit before the Manning Cup starts. However, their coach Jerome Waite is still cognisant of the dangers of the club competitions to the quality of the Manning Cup.

"The competitions allow the players to gain some experience before the Manning Cup but some schools suffer the consequences of this because the level of training at Manning Cup is higher, so if they train with their clubs they won't improve," explained Waite.

Tivoli coach, Dave Clarke was also perturbed about the number of footballers that neglect school training because of club football.

"At one time many players would be in training before the summer begins but now you only get a handful because they are all playing for their clubs. That shouldn't be more important to them. What do you do when you have to put a team together at the last minute before the competition begins," Clarke said recently.