SHAYNE FAIRMAN, STAR Writer

Twenty-nine years without a trophy at the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Manning Cup schoolboy football level, and newly appointed Kingston College (KC) coach, Ludlow Bernard, said his charges will be working hard, despite limitations, to represent the school well this season.

The North Street-based school last claimed schoolboy football's top prize in back-to back seasons in 1985 and 1986.

KC won their first title 40 years after the Manning Cup began in 1909, and amassed a total of 14 titles overall.

Now with Bernard, a man from within the institution's walls, KC's hopes might be high again this year, especially following their 1-0 Roper Cup win over neighbours and rivals St George's College at Sabina Park on Saturday.

"It is a good win irrespective of whether St George's would have fielded one of their strongest teams, but at the end of the day that's not my concern. My concern is for my players to get good quality playing time; I can't afford to do what St George's did (resting key players) because I do not have the wealth of talent, Bernard said following his team's Roper Cup win on Saturday.

The coach noted, however, his team has to hit the ground running irrespective of who they play, while maintaining he has no pressure to deliver results.

"The extent of the pressure is the extent to which I absorb and take it," he reasoned.

"I am not pressuring myself. I know what I have in front of me. I know the limitations, I know the abilities of the team. I'm not gonna pressure myself and I'm not gonna transmit any pressure to the youngsters as well," he warned.

Bernard warns ahead of the season: "The person who I report to is not pressuring me, so I really don't have an interest in anybody else."