New football coach at Knox

Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

Courtney Jackson, former coach of Spalding High, has made the move to neighbouring school Knox College to take up duties as the head coach for the 2013 daCosta Cup season.

An experienced coach, Jackson has 26 years of coaching at the schoolboy level under his belt. At Edwin Allen, he guided the career of former Reggae Boy Gregory Messam, which saw the Frankfield, Clarendon-based school rising as a big force in daCosta Cup football.

He moved on to Spalding High, where he worked hard in elevating the school in being one of the powerhouses in schoolboy football in central Jamaica.

The highlight of his seven years at Spalding was a historic berth for the school in the 2008 daCosta Cup final, where they went down 2-0 to St James High.

Commenting on his decision to leave Spalding, Jackson said,: "Leaving Spalding wasn't something planned, in a sense. One of the problems I had was that in the seven years I spent there, I have been through four principals and everyone has their own ideas of how to run a programme."

He added: "I just didn't see myself reaching anywhere in terms of the programme. So, I decided to move on to a more challenging thing. Knox approached me and I decided to take it up."

NEW CHAPTER

The science and sports lecturer at Knox Community College said he is looking forward to the new chapter in his coaching career at Knox College.

"It is something that I feel good about. We have a group of young players. So far, I have spent five weeks with them, and they have shown signs of improving. I have a two- to three-year plan, so I am putting it together."

Jackson named Gregory Messam as one of the most talented and successful players he has coached. Messam was a member of the historic 1998 Reggae Boyz squad that made it to the World Cup finals in France.