George Oliver Thompson, arguably the greatest local schoolboy football coach, died yesterday morning on his way to the UWI hospital from his Hope Pastures home.

Thompson... never received a salary and the subsistence he got he invariably gave it to players for bus fares and lunch money

The passing of Thompson, 75, affectionately known as 'George T', closed the chapter on a remarkable sports personality.

He was born in Colombia in 1932 and came to Jamaica in 1945. He represented Kingston College at Manning Cup, winning the title in 1950 and 1952, along with the Olivier Shield.

A former captain of the national team (1960-62), Thompson earned the respect and admiration of influential individuals in the sport, having successfully coached Jamaica in the 1960s to early '70s, KC from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, and Arnett Gardens and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in the Premier League.

Thompson became famous for his cool demeanour on the bench during nerve-wracking moments. He quit coaching in 1988 due to illness. He suffered from Parkinson's disease and had his larynx removed in 2005 as a result of throat cancer. In his final days, his voice was no more than a whisper.

Persons close to football said during his years as national coach, Thompson never received a salary and the subsistence he got he invariably gave it to players for bus fares and lunch money.
It was his achievements coaching at his alma mater, however, that make him a legendary figure.

He won the Manning Cup on at least seven occasions - 1964, 1965, 1975, 1981, 1985 and 1986 - and was part of the backroom staff on the 1970 winning team.

He won four Walker Cup championships (1964, 1965, 1975 and 1987); and six Olivier Shield victories (1964, 1965, 1975, 1981, 1985 and 1986).

Thompson was said to be unlucky as he should have opened his account with a very good Excelsior team in 1963 before going to KC the following year.

Thompson also guided Trench Town Comprehensive to Walker Cup victory in 1969 and won the Major League crown with Arnett in 1977.

He guided arguably the best local schoolboy teams of all time, the 1964 and 1965 aggregations that won back-to-back 'triple crowns'.

Even more remarkably, he led KC to a 1-3 loss against a Brazilian Under-21 team in 1965 which included three players who went on to play on the 1970 World Cup championship team.

The Brazilians brushed aside everybody, including Jamaica's Senior team, on their tour of the Caribbean. The young Brazilians had not conceded a goal on their Caribbean tour until they came upon Thompson's boys.

Thompson again led Jamaica's All School team, consisting of 10 players from KC, including nine starters, to a 1-1 draw with the Brazilians.

Neville Oxford, a member of that KC and All Schools team, remembers George T as a player's coach.

"He was the type of person that thinks about others than himself, that's why people used to play for him. He would talk to you about life, your goals and objectives," Oxford said.

Trevor 'Jumpy' Harris, another member of that '64 and '65 teams and close friend of George T, was full of praise for his mentor, speaking on KLAS FM radio yesterday.

Said Harris: "I really don't know another individual like George Thompson. He dedicated his total life to sports and the number of young men that came through his hands.I don't know another individual in the world who has sacrificed his whole life to football," he said.

Former national player Milverton Brooks, who captained Jamaica for seven of his 12 playing years, said Thompson's coaching ability was second to none.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in a press release yesterday, saluted the life of Thompson, saying, "a soldier has gone home".

"The JFF salutes the life and work of George Oliver Thompson, considered by many to be the most successful schoolboy coach in the history of Jamaica's football.

"On behalf of the federation, president Captain Horace Burrell extends sincerest condolences to his immediate family, as well as all his peers, the players he coached who held him in the highest esteem, the entire football fraternity and the many caregivers who attended to him during the years of his illness," the release said.

Among Thompson's finest moments were Jamaica's 1-0 victory over Mexico in the 1974 World Cup campaign; the team's 0-0 draw with West Germany's B team and KC's performance against the visiting Brazilian team.

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