he Fortis spirit will have to be dominant on August 29 when our beloved alma mater attempts to regain both the Roper Cup and Pancho Rankine football titles from neighbours St George’s College.
Kingston College will face the defending champions St George’s College during the 45th staging of the event at Stadium East, the same venue that will also host action in the younger divisions for the George Thompson Cup, presently shared by both schools.
The announcement of the Roper Cup Festival was made on July 29 during a news conference at the National Stadium in Kingston. The Roper Cup Festival is hosted by Kingston College this year.
The relatively new George Thompson Cup is played in honour and memory of the legendary former Kingston College and Jamaica outstanding footballer, who was a member of KC’s historic Manning Cup winning team in 1949. Thompson, who died on July 8 last year, later returned to coach his alma mater and Jamaica, among other teams, with distinction.
The Under 14 teams of both schools will first meet at 9 o’clock, followed by their Under 16 teams at 10:30. The team with the superior aggregate score will gain the George Thompson Cup, which organisers see as a fitting tribute to the late Colombian-born who holds the distinction of being the first Jamaica national coach to beat Mexico in a match held at the National Stadium in Kingston in 1972. The final score was 1-0, courtesy of a goal by Leonard “Chicken” Mason.
Action in the Roper Cup will then begin at noon, with the Under 35 year-olds from St George’s and KC matching skills.
That match will be followed by the Pancho Rankine Cup decider involving the Over 35 old boys at 2 p.m. St. George’s are also defending champions of the Pancho Rankine Cup.
The much-anticipated meeting between the present boys of both schools at 4 o’clock will then close the on-field action, with the aggregate score deciding the winners.
St George’s defeated KC 2-1 and took the Roper Cup 3-2 on aggregate, following the 1-1 stalemate between the Under 35s of both institutions last year.
Both teams performed well in the 2008 schoolboy competitions, with St George’s going on to win the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles, while KC made it to the second round of the Manning Cup.
St George’s old boy, Catholic Church Deacon Clive Chambers will be honoured this year.
Among the sponsors are Fidelity Motors, through its Nissan brand, the Jamaica Observer, Juciful, the Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd, Rainbow Awnings, Mair Russell, Grant Thornton, Jennifer Messado & Company, BH Paints, Independence Park Ltd, Mivida Water, St John’s Ambulance, Laribo Marketing and Kaieteure Foods.
