KINGSTON College (KC) and St George’s College shared the Roper Cup football title at the latest festival held last Saturday at North Street.

Although St George’s won the battle of the present boys (Manning Cup squads) 1-0, the other match that decided the aggregate score in the Roper Cup involving the players aged Under 35 ended in a similar margin of victory for KC, thus tying the series 1-1.

The schools also shared the George Thompson Cup, played in honour of the former KC, Jamaica Defence Force, Arnett Gardens and Jamaica coach.

KC’s Under-14 team beat St George’s 2-0 in the opening match of the day, but the neighbouring team bounced back with a similar margin of victory over the Purples in Under-16 action, thus levelling the series, 2-2.

St George’s did not leave empty-handed though, as their Over-35 team defeated their KC counterparts 1-0, through a first-half strike from Andrew “Cutty” Johnson, to win the Pancho Rankin KO Trophy.

Both schools appeared tentative heading into the main match of the day, as hundreds travelled turned out to see how the teams looked heading into the Manning Cup season which starts in two weeks.

St George’s dominated the first half and took the lead in the 16th minute through a header from Romario Jones, who profitted from a cross on the left side of the field.

Led by their inspirational captain Andre Lewis, St George’s continued to hold the territorial advantage, although KC at times kicked themselves for missing a handful of chances.

Fortunes swung from end to end in the second half and despite substitutions by both teams, it was the Georgians who went away with bragging rights when FIFA referee Dave Peterkin blew his whistle for the final time.

In the Under-35 match-up, Richardo Green scored a firsthalf goal for KC in a match which saw the hosts missing countless scoring opportunities that came back to haunt them.

KC honoured founding president of the Kingston & St Andrew Masters’ League and St George’s old boy Arnold “Dullo” McDonald for his work in fostering relations between the schools.

Former schoolboy stars from the two institutions participated in a celebrity penalty shoot-out before the start of the feature match, among them Neville Oxford, Trevor “Jumpy” Harris, Derrick Denniser, Ambassador Stewart Stephenson, Donald “Billy” Perkins, and former 400-metre champions at Boys’ Championship, Ian Stapleton of KC.

Dr Lascelve “Muggy” Graham, Vaughan “Bunny” Goodison, Undel Williams, ‘Granny’ Marshall, Russell Bell and Michael King of St George’s College also participated.