<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Green Island High withdraws from daCosta Cup</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>PAUL A REID, Observer writer
Friday, August 11, 2006
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>MONTEGO BAY - Green Island High yesterday became the seventh school to withdraw from the ISSA daCosta Cup rural schoolboy football competition.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The island's largest football competition is set to kick off on September 9 at Jarrett Park, but a number of schools have since withdrawn.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Green Island's withdrawal came as a surprise after they missed the last two stagings. In their most recent appearance in 2003, they finished third in Zone B, winning three of eight matches to finish way off the pace of eventual champions Frome Technical, and former champions Rusea's High who took the Inter-Zone qualifying spots.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Schools that have withdrawn from this year's competition so far are Morant Bay High, and Montpellier College - who were set to make their debut this season - Little London High, Kellits High, Brown's Town High and Ferncourt.
So far only one school, Vauxhall High, has withdrawn from the Corporate Area Mannings Cup.
The withdrawal of the schools will cause a slight delay in the release of the fixtures, according to George Forbes, ISSA's Competitions Officer.
While confirming the list of schools that have withdrawn so far, Forbes said ISSA would have to make some changes to the fixtures, but these should be confirmed by the middle of next week and sent to the printers.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It was not clear why most of the schools have withdrawn, but in at least one instance, Montpellier College, a private institution, had closed its doors, leaving over 50 students out in the cold.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The school, based in rural St James, took part in the schoolgirls football competition and western high school track and field competition and was slated to make their first appearance, along with Paul Bogle High, in the daCosta Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Morant Bay's withdrawal means last year's experiment with dividing Zone L into two sections will be scrapped.