McIntosh has big boots to fill at Excelsior

Michael McIntosh has a big shoe to fill, now that Lebert Halliman is no longer head coach of the Excelsior High School football team.

Halliman, who led Excelsior High to back-to-back wins in the Manning Cup in 2003-04 and a hold on the Walker Cup title in 2008, has moved on to Hydel and declined to comment on the issue.

However, a source close to the Excelsior administration told The Gleaner that the coach wanted a break.

"He (Halliman) said he wanted a break and wanted to try a new environment and, given the long-standing cordial relationship between himself and the school, we decided to grant him his request.

"We wish him all the best and, again, given our long-standing relationship, the door may be open to him in the future," the source added.

long football record

McIntosh, who, like Halliman, attended Excelsior High, was the coach of the August Town team that came second behind Cavalier, which won the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association Claro Super League title last season.

Commenting on his new assignment, McIntosh, who is popularly known as 'Blacka Mikes' and who also represented the Mountain View Avenue-based school at varying levels in football through to the Manning Cup, reckons that given Halliman's successes, he has big boots to fill.

"Over the last decade, Excelsior has been one of the most consistent teams and having a few trophies to brag with. So it is definitely a big shoe to fill, continuing the legacy of what has been left," said McIntosh.

"Halliman has brought the team to a certain level of competitiveness and awareness, so it is now about continuity. We are not undermining any team, but we will be a force to reckon with," he added.

great training

"As it concerns training, it has been going well. We have done some sand training and a lot of ball work, etc, and we are now in camp leading up to the season, so the training has been good," said McIntosh.

Their top player is midfielder Delano Barnes, a national Under-17 representative at the recent FIFA Under-17 World Cup Finals in Mexico, where he scored for Jamaica against Argentina in the second game.

Other players returning to the team are defender Patrick Campbell, midfielders Ojai Bedward, Kevin Blackwood and Lorenzo Osborne, and forward Brian Richards.

The team has played a few practice matches, winning most of them. They beat Wolmer's Boy's 3-1 and won 2-0 over Mountain View (Super League), but lost 2-1 to Old Harbour and 3-0 to Harbour View's Under-21 team.