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‘Bertis’ confident STGC will rise again
November 14, 2022
St George's coach Neville 'Bertis' Bell is confident that they will be challenging again for the schoolboy football ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title after failing to win the trophy since 2012 and getting their last silverware in 2014 when they captured the Walker Cup knockout.
The North Street-based St George's, over the last two seasons, failed to keep pace with Jamaica College (JC) and defending champions Kingston College (KC), and have been on the receiving end of some uncharacteristic heavy defeats.
The 22-time Manning Cup champions and winners of the Walker Cup nine times finished second in the preliminary group and third in their quarter-final group after two defeats and a win.
Some observers believe the 'Light Blues' are slowly falling further behind their counterparts, however, Bell blames the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting vaccine mandate as well as youth for their recent dismal performances. He also believes they will rise again.
"It is a young team. Last year we didn't train at all. It was three days before the Manning Cup started that I knew we were going to play because the kids decided they weren't going to take the vaccine and then three days before they decided that they were going to take it and that is when I knew we were going to play the Manning Cup.
"When I tell people that we didn't prepare they think we had a week or two of training but we didn't prepare at all. So we forget last year. This year it is a young team most of these kids can play two to three years. So things are not receding, things are cyclical. So we are still there," Bell said.
He referred to the period between 2008-2012 when they won four titles in five years and reached the final in 2018 as proof they continue to challenge.
The 'Georgians' lost to rivals KC by three-goal margins twice this season, but Bell believes the maturity his young players gained for next season will put them back at the forefront of title contention.
"The last time we got to a final was 2018 and now it is 2022 and we never had one season.
"We have Adrian Reid who is 16 years old and plays for Cavalier. He is a young player in Manning Cup but it does not mean he is not a highly qualified player, but if you do not play good football you are going to lose.
"I am not looking any excuses but I don't think we did that. So we do have some work to do," Bell said.
In the meantime, however, St George's are still in the hunt for silverware this season, as they will play St Catherine High in the Walker Cup quarter-finals on Thursday at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
