A schoolboy dem yah?

AS ANOTHER schoolboy football season comes to a close, we can say this one has been quite enjoyable.

We’ve seen the laughter, the tears, the controversies and some pretty good football at times, too. Of course, there are a few things that didn’t sit well with me. Some teams were hammered mercilessly by the bigger and more well-run programmes, including my poor Ardenne getting drubbed 12-1 by Kingston College.

Then there were the usual complaints about a few teams playing numerous games in a short window of time. Seems like no matter what they do to try to alleviate this, it always happens. There was a new format this year, too, which saw a home-and-away tie for teams after the first round. Didn’t like that change, but then, I’m not the greatest lover of changing things.

There was also my annual annoyance with the alumni talking smack at each other. I’m especially always irked by the ‘old girls’ who went to JC, KC and the other allboys’ schools. Even some of those fans who actually went to the schools can annoy me if they didn’t contribute anything to the school while they were there.

But the thing I’m still trying to get over is the look of some of the players. These aren’t schoolboys, they look like grown men with wives and children at home. They probably took time off from work to play. Seriously, these guys look like they’re about 27 years old. They look too old to be playing in college much less high school.

I remember high school and how long it took me to start growing facial hair. Not even sure if I had any before I left school. But these alleged ‘boys’ have more facial hair than a werewolf on a full moon. Maybe it’s the food they’re eating these days. Although patty and coco bread hasn’t changed much since I was in secondary school.

The haircuts are another matter. I don’t know what the grooming rules are for each school, but I’m pretty certain these boys are getting away with fashion murder. When I was in high school, the ‘Shabba Ranks hairstyle’ was among the many that boys would show up with at the school gate, and they would be promptly sent back. But these ballers are wearing mohawks, frohawks and fades with beards that look like they haven’t been shaved since birth.

But my biggest issue is with the bleaching. I cannot believe the number of boys I’ve seen this season who are obviously using the cake soap or whatever it is they use to whiten their skin these days. You know for sure they’re bleaching because the rest of their bodies (at least what we can see) is of a different shade. Last time I checked, you have to play in the sun at some point.

Guess it’s just a different way of doing things. The times, they are a-changing.