CUTTERIDGE CUP WINNERS

THE COLLEGE 1St XI

Back Row : J. Dopson, McD. Baptiste, S. Phillip, C. Byron, W. Checkley.

Front Row: G. Edwards, C. Noel, P. Lloyd, M. Seeberan, W. Ashby, L. Walters.

1961

A high standard of football and the Presentation College Senior XI are two things that have always been closely associated together in the south, but what happened in 1961 ? Football, it seems with us, varies inversely as our academic success, for, as the latter improves year by year, our standard of football deteriorates. This year the biggest problem was the finding of six replacements for the Senior XI, and such was the difficulty experienced that it seemed like finding an entirely new team.

After several weeks of experimenting, our new team went down to Skinner Park to surprise the opposition. Generally, our play was good, the defence in particular withstanding much pressure, but the forwards, though they approached the goal well, lacked punch in their finish, and thus our new problem proved to be goal-scoring. In the inter-col preview against Naparima we won quite easily, and on the Monday before intercol our team gave its best display of the season in going under 2-1 I to Juniors F.C. in an F.A. Trophy game, the winning goal being scored in the 77th minute.

On inter-col day, though we were not rated as public favourites, we took the field confident of yet another victory. Within 5 m i n u t e S of the kick-off, left-back Ramberansingh was injured, and when he returned to the field of play some time later, he was shifted to left-wing. Both teams played spirited football, but at half time neither side had scored. On the resumption, the pattern remained much the same, with our forwards, particularly W. Ashby and L. Blades, muffing many scoring chances. About midway in this half Naparima got the winning score when centre-forward Ramnath pounced on a loose ball and raced through an opening in our defence to put the ball in the far corner of the net away from an outstretched Phillip. It was Naparima's first inter-col victory over us since 1954, and they deserved it too with their spirited play and sound teamwork - congratulation₅ Naparima Our Inter-col team was S. Phillip, A. Xavier, C. Ramberansingh, McD. Baptiste, J. Elias (Capt.) G. Edwards, C. Noel, P. Lloyd, L. Blades M. Seeberan and W. Ashby.

An interesting revelation of post-intercol play was that the goal-starved Presentation team, began scoring quite freely. This resulted from a few positional changes which brought the heavier Elias and Edwards up to the forward line where they were both very effective.

Two of our players, left-winger M. Seeberan and right-winger C. Noel, represented the S.A.F.A. in inter-league games, while Seeberan had the signal honour of representing South in the annual Red Cross classic.

Games were completed in all three divisions this year. St. Finbar won the Junior Cup, while St. Barnabas captured both Intermediate and Senior titles. Rivalry was keen in all divisions. The St. Barnabas intermediate team deserves special mention for finishing the season without dropping a point. The keenest competition was in the Senior division where St. Barnabas, St. Gregory and St. Finbar were locked in a close struggle. St. Gregory and St. Finbar battled to a draw, while St. Barnabas dropped a vital point by drawing with the lowly placed St. Winifred. However, St. Barnabas recovered to beat St. Finbar in a later game, thus putting Finbar boys out of the running. The last game between St. Barnabas and St. Gregory proved to be a virtual final. The favoured St. Gregory team, fielding M. Seeberan, MoD. Baptiste and B. Shepherd of the College side, went under 1-0, and so St. Barnabas emerged champions by two clear points.

Lastly, mention must be made of the annual Masters vs H S.C. game and the clash between the H.S.C's of Naparima and Presentation. The Masters taught their pupils yet another lesson in winning quite readily with goals by Mr. Raymond, Mr. McSween and Bro. Gabriel. The students failed to reply.

Jn the clash of the H.S.C.'s our boys went under to our arch-rivals by the wide margin of 3-0. However, the friendly get-together after the match, with much to eat and drink, more than compensated for our humiliating defeat.

Our football season got off to a late start this year since the cricket finals lingered on. However, we were fortunate in that only two of our '6i regulars had left school. The early tour of Grenada, where we won all our games, gave us a good indication of our strength. In fact, after only one week's practice we opened cur season in the SA.F.A. by holding Westham to a goalless draw.

As the weeks rolled by, the team played better and better, and indeed proved to be a stumbling block to many of the Senior clubs. Three weeks before inter-col. we held Lantern Giants, S.A.F.A. champions, to a I-I draw after 8o mins. of football in our F.A. Trophy game. In the replay one week later, we again extended the champions to 8o mins. but lost by I-c, the goal coming in the second half of extra time.

On October i8th the noise of bugles, of iron, and of hundreds of sore throats filled the air at Skinner Park as Skipper M. Seeberan led his team onto the field. The inter-col spirit of old was back as the Presentation team of S. Phillip, C. Byron, L. Walters, W. Checkley, McD. Baptiste, G. Edwards, C. Noel. P. Lloyd, W. Ashby, M. Seeberan (Capt.), and I. Dopson went out determined to salvage the prestige we had lost in '6o and '61. The field

COLLEGE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

THE COLLEGE 2nd XI

Back Row : L. Whitemin, P. Christian, G. Aerstin, R. Cardenas.

Second Row : W. Henekel, P. Athanas, C. Hayling, W. de Gourville, N. Devenish.

Front Row L. Henry, G. Wiggins;

was very heavy from early morning and midafternoon showers, and this limited our short passing style considerably. Nearing the end of the first half, the ball stopped in a pool of water, and as Baptiste and Byron hesitated, the quick thinking Ramnath at centre forward for Naparima slipped in and drove the ball into the back of the nets. On the resumption, our supporters in the stands made more noise than ever before, and spurred on by the cry ". . . we want a goal . . ." our forwards attacked relentlessly. Our reward came when. Dopson moving in from the left-side let loose a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area to completely beat the goalkeeper and level the scores. The team pressed with renewed vigour, but the stubborn Naparima defence held out for the remainder of the 6o minutes. We piled on even greater pressure during the extra 20 mins. but only scored once again. In the 63rd minute Lloyd crashed home the ball from a pass from the right wing after a brilliant movement which involved Seeberan, Dopson and Noel. Presentation were champions of the South again!

On the ₄th November we met Q.R.C., champions of the North for the coveted Cow & Gate Cup. the Secondary Schools' Soccer Championship Trophy. Again the heavy ground conditions were a set-back for us, but it posed little problem to the much heavier Q.R.C. team. Our 7-0 Win over Naparima in a Samaroo Cup game a week before, and our 4-2 victory over Sheffield earlier in the same week, gave us all the confidence we needed. We were able to match Q.R.C. in every aspect of mid-field play. However, our key forwards master-planner Seeberan and power-kicking Lloyd were most effectively policed and were unable to score. About mid-way in the first half Q.R.C. made a raid and an unmarked Howard raced through to put the city boys one goal up. After the resumption the Q.R.C. defence was subjected to much pressure but the few goal-scoring opportunities we had were wasted, the chief culprits being Edwards and the too timid Ashby. On the other hand our defence was spared no end of worry by the skilful Q.R.C. forwards, and only brilliant work by Baptiste at stopper, and some timely saves by Phillip in goal, kept the score at '-0. A few minutes before full time Edwards, running in from the left wing, headed the ball over the bar from a right side cross while the Q.R.C. goalkeeper was badly positioned. As if in answer to this Q.R.C. made a quick break-away and Raymond moving in from the right wing got a good left-footed shot away from Phillip who was unable to sight the ball. We were beaten, but not outplayed, and we offer our congratulations to skipper Carrington and the boys from Q.R.C.

In our remaining matches in the S.A.F.A. competition we were forced to field younger players since all but one of our senior footballers were scheduled to write the Cambridge exams. Nevertheless we salvaged a few points and for yet another year our tally reached double figures. The full senior team turned out for the Samaroo Cup semi-final against the rugged Police outfit and though we outplayed our heavier opponents we went under by 1-0 in one of the roughest games played in the S.A.F.A. this year.

For yet another year we congratulate our captain M. Seeberan on his selection for S.A.F.A.'s 1st Division Inter-League team and on his good display in the North- South clash for the Roy Joseph Cup. Our other goalscoring inside forward Peter Lloyd, must also be congratulated on his selection for the S.A.F.A. Senior Team, while McD. Baptiste, B. Shepherd, G. Edwards, W. Checkley, C. Noel, P. Lloyd and M. Seeberan must be commended for their selection on the S.A.F.A. team which played in the newly organised Inter-League College games.

This year Presentation fielded two teams in the College league competition. Presentation '4 A" was made up of the older boys and was captained by C. Hayling, while the under i6, captained by L. Blades, played as Presentation "B." Presentation '4 A" won the League after a very exciting finish involving Naparima, and our 4' B" team, which eventually had to be satisfied with second place although it was undefeated in the competition. Our '4 B " side later went on to win the K.O. competition, beating the favourites St. Aquinas High School who had earlier accounted for Naparima and Presentation "A." During the season the following boys played for the champion Presentation "A" side : G. Aerstin, G. Wiggins, W. Henckel, G. Als, C. Hayling (Capt.), N. Devenish, R. Cardenas, L. Henry, P. Athanas, L. Whiteman, C. Pollonais, P. Christian and W. de Gourville.

JUNIOR INTER-COL.

This year's junior team was as follows: J. McQuan, H. Bertrand, A. Reyes, D. Rondon, C. Morong, K. Bourgeois, R. Wyatt, L. Blades (Capt), A. Greene, D. Barzey and I. Mitchell. By the time the big junior inter- col encounter arrived the team had been streamlined into a fighting, fit and skilful outfit through its participation in the College League series, and through several other preparatory games including one against the St. Mary's junior team which was lost 3-2 after a 2-0 lead at half time.

On Wednesday 10th October, we took the field brimful of confidence, but within minutes of the kick-off found ourselves in the unenviable position of being One goal down. A. Greene got the equaliser for us, but the confident and enthusiastic Naparima team subjected us to attack after attack and only brilliant defence work by Bourgeois, Morong and Reyes prevented our rivals from scoring more than once again. Full time saw the score 2-I in favour of Naparima. This hitherto invincible team had lost, what was for it, the most important match of the season, and in going under, had given Naparima its first Victory over us in this series since 1956.

Several of our boys played on the S.A.F.A.'s 2nd XI in the College Inter-League series.

These were H. Bertrand (Capt), D. Barzey, I. Mitchell, R. Wyatt, 0. Joseph, A. Reyes, D. Rondon,K. Bourgeois, M. Brown and P. Andre, and we congratulate Skipper Bertrand and his boys for registering the first lien on the trophy.

INTER-HOU5E LEAGUE

This year only a few matches were played in the Senior Division of the inter-house league, when the competition had to be abandoned because of the tight schedule of the 1st XI in the S.A.F.A. competition. In the junior and intermediate divisions, however, the leagues were completed in good time. St. Bede, with probably the best house spirit in the College, won the junior division, while St. Andrew won the Intermediate Cup. Knockout matches were also completed in both divisions with St. Bede and St. Winifred emerging winners. Competition was keen in both divisions and several promising players were spotted, who, in a few years, should have the honour of wearing the coveted blue jersey and battling in true Presentation spirit to preserve our traditional prestige on the football field.