Bell wants Walker Cup revived
Published:Wednesday | November 16, 2022 | 12:13 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
THE FORMAT of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Walker Cup knockout competition is once again becoming a heated topic of discussion.
The Walker Cup started in 1961 as a challenge trophy between the top four Manning Cup teams but blossomed into a tournament that incorporated all Manning Cup participants, a format which lasted more than than a decade, from the 1970s to late 1980s.
In 2018 and 2019 it was converted into a consolation tournament, which now makes it impossible for schools to win the coveted triple crown of Manning-Walker-Olivier Shield.
The increase in games due to the advent of the Champions Cup has also forced this change, further diminishing the prestige of the Walker Cup in the eyes of many.
One of ISSA’s orginal intention was to reduce the number of games the top teams played each season, and give less traditional teams a longer season and a chance at winning something.
However, St George’s College coach Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell recently called for a return to the arrangement that gives every school a shot at the title.
Bell thinks the competition should be opened to all and does not think it will burden the fixtures.
“I do not agree with the ‘losers cup’ (the label attached to the competition after it became a consolation title). But I think every team in the competition should have an opportunity to play for every single title. So I do not agree that all schools cannot play for the Walker Cup,” he said.
“Most teams you will only have two or three games (more). If there are 36 teams in the Walker Cup after the first game you will be down to 18, after the second game you will be down to 9. So you are just adding two or three (match) days. So everybody should play for the Walker Cup, not just the top eight.”
Mona High School coach Craig Butler has admitted his preference for the competition when it was all inclusive, although he has no issue with the new format.
“When I played Manning Cup, the Walker was a knockout competition. But now it gives people a second bite at the cherry. It is also an opportunity for schools who didn’t go through in the Manning Cup to actually bring something home for their school.
“But I would love to see it change to what it was before, because I think it is important for people to fight for what they want,” he told The Gleaner.
ISSA Presiden Keith Wellington has maintained, however, that there is no intention of changing the format at this time.
“We are pleased with the format and with the outcome we have seen, and we are pleased second-ranked teams have an opportunity to prolong their season,” he commented.