The second staging of the two-day Green and Yellow Ali Cole Cup football tournament kicks off today on the school grounds of Excelsior High.

Named after former Manning Cup captain Allan Cole Jr, the pre-season schoolboy football tournament, which was first staged last year with eight teams from the Manning Cup competition. This year it has been expanded to 10 teams with half of those coming from the DaCosta Cup.

Following the draw at the launch, the teams were split into two groups. Group A will have defending champions Excelsior, Walker Cup champions Hydel High, losing finalists from last year Vauxhall High, Dinthill Technical, and Glenmuir High.

DaCosta Cup champions Clarendon College, Camperdown High, Holy Trinity High, Charlie Smith, and Manchester High make up Group B.

Up to the time of his sudden passing, Cole Jr played an important role in the football programme at Excelsior.

Allan Cole Sr, who attended the launch last Thursday, was emotional at the return of the tournament which honours his son.

“I am very overwhelmed and moved. I am satisfied in myself to know that his contribution to his alma mater was unbelievable. He loved his school, he loved his players; he was just an outstanding human being. People like what he has done for them and the appreciation for the sacrifices that he made is really something special to see what is happening,” said Cole Sr.

The elder Cole, popularly called “Skill Cole”, is also pleased with the growth of the tournament.

“The competition is getting bigger and bigger and I hope it will get even larger. I want to say special thanks to the committee who made all of this possible. Myself and the family were really moved by all of this; we just have to continue to give thanks.”

Principal of Excelsior Deanroy Bromfield said the tournament was an embodiment of who and what Cole Jr was to the institution.

“The tournament embodies what Ali was. He was about giving back, he was about being considerate of other persons, especially persons who didn’t have everything that they needed. He was selfless, he was about development. When he left school and became an adult, he came back and contributed so much to our students, especially the footballers,” he noted.

Dr O’Neil Ankle, ISSA’s chairman of the Manning Cup competition, spoke on matters related to the deportment of the boys and asked for help from team managers and coaches.

“Part of my concern and I may not be speaking on behalf of ISSA on this one, is we know our students are technically sound, we know they are skillful, but there is something that is lacking in our footballers and perhaps in the society in general. So I am calling on managers and coaches to help to build the social character of our students.

“Meaning they (boys) need to start respect themselves, they need to start respect law and order, respect the authority in their school, how they dress to come to school, how they look on the football field,” he said.

Zavier Gilbert, who coaches Dinthill Technical, valued being invited to be a part of the tournament.

“We are happy to be a part of it and the exposure that it will bring. I am looking forward to the challenge. We will probably split the team in two and allow them to play as many games as possible,” he stated.

— Dwayne Richards