JC make plans to get back on top

IAN FORBES, manager of many-time champions Jamaica College (JC), says his team is determined to reclaim the Manning Cup title this season after their disappointing exit at the quarterfinal stage last year.

JC, one of the traditional powerhouses of schoolboy football, endured a frustrating 2024 campaign in the Manning Cup, but managed to reach the final of the Champions Cup Knockout competition, where they were beaten by Glenmuir.

“We were disappointed not winning the urban area title, but of course we were in the final of the Champions Cup Knockout competition and we stumbled in that final. But overall we acquitted ourselves well, and if we had a little more luck and if we had capitalised on our chances, then it would have been totally different,” Forbes said.

“So we are looking to go further this year and, of course, winning trophies,” he added.

JC, who won five straight Manning Cup titles between 2013 and 2017, last lifted the trophy in 2022. For the upcoming season, they have been drawn in Zone C alongside former champions St Andrew Technical High School, Edith Dalton James, Camperdown, Greater Portmore, Spanish Town, St Mary’s College, and Vauxhall.

Forbes explained that preparations have been encouraging, with the players showing strong commitment during preseason.

“I am satisfied with how the preseason preparations have been going so far. The boys are looking very enthusiastic, very serious, very focused, and I am satisfied with how they are looking and how they are pretty much developing for the upcoming season,” he said.

The JC manager acknowledged that the squad has undergone some changes, but remains optimistic.

“We would have retained a third of the squad from last year’s team so in a sense, we are rebuilding as well, but of course the youngsters are very enthusiastic and ready to go,” Forbes noted.

The 2024 Manning Cup season is scheduled to kick off on September 6.