St George’s focused on long-term rebuild

St George’s College (STGC) technical director Andrew Price is refusing to dwell on his team’s heavy Roper Cup defeat to Kingston College (KC), insisting the 4-0 loss is merely a blip in an intense preparation cycle aimed at rebuilding the North Street school into a competitive force.

The result raised questions about STGC’s readiness for the upcoming Manning Cup season, but Price said the performance must be viewed within the context of a demanding stretch in which his young squad played seven matches over the past two weeks.

He explained that the workload was intentional, forming part of a six‑week periodisation plan designed to get his players physically and mentally ready for the season.

“It’s just a part of our periodisation plan. We had a six-week periodisation plan and within that plan, we said that we’re going to play a lot of practice games to get the students prepared for the season,” Price said.

As part of that preparation, STGC faced several top schoolboy teams, including daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical, Ben Francis Cup champions Clarendon College and Manning Cup champions Excelsior High.

Price admitted the schedule caught up with his players against KC, but believes the experience will prove valuable once the Manning Cup begins.

“We didn’t play particularly well today against KC in the Roper Cup game,” he said. “I understand why we were a little bit jaded. We were a little bit fatigued, a little tired. It’s expected, but we have to push through.

“When the season starts, there’s going to be occasions where games are going to come in quick succession because of postponements due to weather or whatever activity. So we are trying to simulate that and prepare them as best as possible.”

ONE MONTH LEFT

Although the Roper Cup traditionally serves as STGC’s final test before the Manning Cup, Price will have another month to fine‑tune his squad. With changes to the competition format, STGC will begin their campaign in round two as one of the seeded teams.

Price said he intends to use the remaining time to sharpen the group and address issues exposed in the Roper Cup.

“I think they have dealt with it well and we’re taking the learnings,” he said. “It’s a young team. They’re going to make mistakes.

“We’re going to get them sharp. We have about a month to prepare before we start the second round. So we’re just going to get them sharp and do some more tactical work and see if we can get them prepared for the season.”

STGC will meet KC again in the second round, with both teams drawn in Group Three alongside St Andrew Technical and Tivoli Gardens High.

LIFE IS CYCLICAL

Beyond immediate preparations, Price’s return to STGC carries a broader mission: restoring the football culture and winning mentality that once defined the institution. STGC, one of the most successful schools in schoolboy football history, have not lifted a title since 2015, when they won the ISSA/Flow Super Cup.

Price noted that both KC and STGC have experienced long droughts in the Manning Cup.

“I was just talking to a friend of mine from KC. I told him the last time that KC won the Manning Cup in over 28 years was when they beat us in the final 3-2 in 2018,” Price said.

“Everything in life is cyclical. We are going to have to work on getting back that football culture here and getting back that winning mentality. It’s going to take time, because it’s not going to happen overnight.”

He added, “The team is a young one. We are rebuilding and we’re just going to go out this season, play hard, attractive, competitive football, and we’ll see where it leads us.”