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Alright massive, I hate to just criticize so I think that I may have found the solution to drive some energy into our youth (Schoolboy) football in Jamaica. I don't know it all, therefore, I welcome the I dem input in order to fine tune this new format I am proposing.
The Olivier Shield as the top prize for the all-island champions, which will be just one game between the D'Cup Champions and the Manning Cup Champions. This will be similar to an East vs West Showdown as I would decrease the number of schools in the D'Cup and include them in the Manning Cup. The teams that would move from D'Cup to Manning Cup are the St. Catherine teams such as Old Harbour High, Dinthill, Charliemount, and possibly teams from St. Thomas and Clarendon. In moving these teams I would be very careful to keep certain traditions and rivalries intact, as I believe they would enrich this new format tremendously. These rivalries I speak of will be vibrant throughout the league as I would emphasize them by creating a rivalry week similar to USA college sports.
During this rivalry week we would see matchups similar to past ones such as KC vs St.GC, XLCR vs C-Down, Munro vs Cornwall College, Vere vs Clarendon College, and all the others we know of big or small. I would achieve this by creating preliminary round groups comprised of teams in close proximity to each other, however, the odd team here and there would have to treck across town. Examples of some of the groups are: Bridgeport, Cumberland, Greater Portmore, Waterford, and perhaps a Jose Marti as the team to make the treck across town. Also together would be KC, St.GC, KT, Kingston High, Holy Trinity and in another group would be St. Jago, St Catherine, Eltham, Spanish Twn, Johnathan Grant, Innswood. There would be the group stage where only the top two teams advance to the next round which I aim to make only 16 teams. From there on will be two game aggregate winners similar to the Champions League, until the Manning and DaCosta Cup winners emerge to contest the Olivier Shield for all-island supremacy. To keep with tradition so we can still have a triple champion, the top three teams from each zone will contest the Walker Cup and Ben Francis Cup in a straight knockout. In the group stage the teams will play each other only once, as the main aim would be to limit boring walkover games and have more competative games between the best teams which we'll get from the round of 16 onwards. Supporters would be able to get involved by picking their brackets similar to march madness...maybe our version could be called November to Remember. There would be designated fields where all the games would be played as double headers to try and maximise control and profitability, eg. Harbour View, Tony Spaulding, Tivoli complex, Prison Oval, Portmore, Emmett Park for Round of 16 games and Q-finals, Sabina Park and Stadium east for Simi-finals and finals. The Olivier Shield will be played at alternate fields every year in a big winner take all contest.
Now massive I don't know most of the teams in the D'Cup bracket of the Olivier Shield, and so I did not mention possible rivalries and groupings or potential game venues. The format would be the same for both Manning and DaCosta Cup brackets, and from the first day of the schoolboy football season teams will start fighting to position themselves in a bid to win the Shield. With these designated match venues and new groupings, there should be less expense for the teams and spectators alike and better competition on better quality fields. There would also be better media coverage and better scouting by the JFF for national duties. Furthermore, with ISSA and JFF working together we would be able to achieve the mandatory certified coaches for every school. With better control by ISSA, the schools would be able to spend more on their football program which would ultimately benefit everyone involved.
The Olivier Shield as the top prize for the all-island champions, which will be just one game between the D'Cup Champions and the Manning Cup Champions. This will be similar to an East vs West Showdown as I would decrease the number of schools in the D'Cup and include them in the Manning Cup. The teams that would move from D'Cup to Manning Cup are the St. Catherine teams such as Old Harbour High, Dinthill, Charliemount, and possibly teams from St. Thomas and Clarendon. In moving these teams I would be very careful to keep certain traditions and rivalries intact, as I believe they would enrich this new format tremendously. These rivalries I speak of will be vibrant throughout the league as I would emphasize them by creating a rivalry week similar to USA college sports.
During this rivalry week we would see matchups similar to past ones such as KC vs St.GC, XLCR vs C-Down, Munro vs Cornwall College, Vere vs Clarendon College, and all the others we know of big or small. I would achieve this by creating preliminary round groups comprised of teams in close proximity to each other, however, the odd team here and there would have to treck across town. Examples of some of the groups are: Bridgeport, Cumberland, Greater Portmore, Waterford, and perhaps a Jose Marti as the team to make the treck across town. Also together would be KC, St.GC, KT, Kingston High, Holy Trinity and in another group would be St. Jago, St Catherine, Eltham, Spanish Twn, Johnathan Grant, Innswood. There would be the group stage where only the top two teams advance to the next round which I aim to make only 16 teams. From there on will be two game aggregate winners similar to the Champions League, until the Manning and DaCosta Cup winners emerge to contest the Olivier Shield for all-island supremacy. To keep with tradition so we can still have a triple champion, the top three teams from each zone will contest the Walker Cup and Ben Francis Cup in a straight knockout. In the group stage the teams will play each other only once, as the main aim would be to limit boring walkover games and have more competative games between the best teams which we'll get from the round of 16 onwards. Supporters would be able to get involved by picking their brackets similar to march madness...maybe our version could be called November to Remember. There would be designated fields where all the games would be played as double headers to try and maximise control and profitability, eg. Harbour View, Tony Spaulding, Tivoli complex, Prison Oval, Portmore, Emmett Park for Round of 16 games and Q-finals, Sabina Park and Stadium east for Simi-finals and finals. The Olivier Shield will be played at alternate fields every year in a big winner take all contest.
Now massive I don't know most of the teams in the D'Cup bracket of the Olivier Shield, and so I did not mention possible rivalries and groupings or potential game venues. The format would be the same for both Manning and DaCosta Cup brackets, and from the first day of the schoolboy football season teams will start fighting to position themselves in a bid to win the Shield. With these designated match venues and new groupings, there should be less expense for the teams and spectators alike and better competition on better quality fields. There would also be better media coverage and better scouting by the JFF for national duties. Furthermore, with ISSA and JFF working together we would be able to achieve the mandatory certified coaches for every school. With better control by ISSA, the schools would be able to spend more on their football program which would ultimately benefit everyone involved.