Keane/Crosskill football tournament set for Sunday

The annual Keane/Crosskill football festival between Jamaica College and Calabar High School is back on next Sunday at the Barbican playfield in Kingston after a one year absence.

The event is the final preparation match for both schools' Manning Cup teams but according to the organisers, this year's competition is being pitched as a football festival for the entire family. Action will start at 11:30 a.m.

David Miller, president of the Calabar Old Boys Association, says this year's tournament was moved to the Barbican playfield in order to make the event more family friendly.

"Hugh Crosskill (JC) and Basil Keane (Calabar) touched so many lives that we wanted to celebrate their memories by opening up the tournament to the entire family and not just the die-hard football or JC or Calabar fan," Miller said.

The tournament will see four games being played; the Under-14, Under-16, Manning Cup and the always entertaining, Old Boys and Celebrity match up.

Ian Forbes, vice president of the JC Old Boys Association and competition organiser, said his old boys are extremely excited at the prospect of getting one over their rivals.

"A number of old boys have been calling from overseas to reserve their spots on the team because this is the one chance they get each year to show Calabar a thing or two about football," he joked.

Some of the old boys who should be on show on Sunday are JC's former National players and Manning Cup standouts Andre Virtue, Donald Stewart, Kirk Kennedy and Ian Gage, as well as Stephen Dawkins of Wisynco, and Chris Williams of Proven Investments.

Calabar have invited former Manning Cup 'greats' Robert Doig and Geddes Alexander as well as national hurdler Maurice Wignall and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson formerly of dancehall group TOK.

Major Basil Jarrett, president of the JC Old Boys, while thanking sponsors Digicel, Hi-Lyte and Jamaica Money Market Brokers, said the Keane/Crosskill tournament is a fitting tribute to two giants.