The Manning Cup is an annual secondary level schoolboy football competition for high school teams in Jamaica’s corporate area, which includes Kingston, St. Andrew, and St. Catherine parishes. Stemming from historic initiatives to create competitive opportunities for secondary school teams in 1909, the annual Manning Cup tournament has become one of the most popular sporting events in the country.
In 1914, the Manning Cup’s inaugural year, five schools registered for the contest at the start of the school year, with four ultimately competing in a total of 12 matches: Jamaica College, Wolmer’s Schools, Calabar High School, and St. George’s College. Over its history, four schools—Jamaica College, St. George’s College, Kingston College, and Wolmer’s Boys—have dominated the competition.
31 Wins – Jamaica College
Reigning champions Jamaica College (JC) has charted the most Manning Cup contest wins with 31 victories. Jamaica College were the inaugural winners of the Manning Cup in 1909 and 1910. After a prolific title run, Jamaica College went through a 33-year dry spell, having failed to secure the trophy since 1974. In 2007, they broke the spell by defeating the previous champions, Bridgeport High School.
1909, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1934, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946,1961, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1974, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022
22 Wins – St. George’s College
With 22 trophies under their belt, St. George’s College holds the number two spot for most Manning Cup wins. St. George’s College is one of Jamaica’s most prestigious and successful football institutions, and it has consistently been a formidable force in the Manning Cup Competition, amassing a remarkable collection of titles over the years.
1912, 1920, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
16 Wins – Kingston College
Kingston College holds the third spot for the most Manning Cup trophies, having won 16 since entering and winning the competition in 1949. The unbeaten 1964 Kingston College team, recognised as the all-time best Jamaican schoolboy football team ever, holds the distinction of being the first Manning Cup team to achieve triple champion status, having won the Manning and Walker Cups and the Oliver Shield.
1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1985, 1986, 2018, 2021
10 Wins – Wolmer’s Boys
Wolmer’s Boys is fourth on the list of schools with the most Manning Cup victories, having won 10 titles. In 1971, the Wolmer’s team won the Manning Cup schoolboy football competition in spectacular fashion with a 3-0 triumph over Kingston College in a play-off at the National Stadium. The last title win for Wolmer’s Boys was in 1994, when they beat Tivoli Gardens High School.
1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1971, 1994
Other Title Winners
Excelsior High school is 5th place with 7 titles won in 1953, 1969,1980, 1989, 1993, 2003 and 2004
Calabar (1943, 1977, 2005), Norman Manley (1996, 2000, 2002), Camperdown (1978, 1979, 1982) and Charlie Smith High School (1988, 1990, 1995) tie for 6th place with 3 titles each.
Bridgeport (2002, 2006) and Tivoli Gardens High School (1976, 1999) both tie for 7th place with two titles each.
St. Andrew Technical (1987), Ardenne (1991), Dunoon (1998) and Mona High (2023) tie for 8th place with one title each.
Years of no competition
Over its long history, the Manning Cup tournament has sometimes been impacted by local and world events that caused it to be canceled. World War II forced the cancellation of the competition in 1944, and a polio outbreak led to its abandonment in 1954. School violence incidents in 1960 and 1997, as well as a shooting in Montego Bay in 1972, prevented the contest from taking place.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Manning Cup competition from taking place in 2020. They also cancelled the competition in 1911, 1966, and 1973.
