fKeith Noad founding president of the U16  Minor Laeague (Photo: Provided by The Jamaica Gleaner Company)

The competition originally started as the Minor league U16 in 1964 and marked the first of four youth competitions in which KSAFA clubs participated over the ensuing years.

The idea of a summer football competition, to gainfully occupy youths from the non traditional high schools and inner city communities in the Corporate area, was conceived by its founder and first President Keith Noad, a stalwart of Real Mona FC. Desnoes and Geddes was the competition’s first and longest sponsor and whose 214 Spanish Town Road headquarters hosted many of the competition’s final matches.

The competition which prided itself as the first community based football competition in the corporate area, embraced and expanded over the years to all the existing and emerging communities in the KSAFA Confederation. Attorney at law L H Bunny Mclean who had just returned from studies in London, assisted Keith Noad in crafting the constitution of the competition’s organizational expression- the Minor League Football Association (MLFA) in 1964. He succeeded Keith

Dickie Coke (left) president of Minor league U-16 and present patron of KSAFA U-17   presenting KSAFA Busines House trophy to Hughlet Dyght (right) manager of 1987 champions  Grace .(Photo: Provided by The Jamaica Gleaner Company)

 Noad as the president and then handed over the baton to Dickie Coke a Jamaica football icon in whose honour the competition was eventually named it 2005 when Blue Cross of Jamaica became the new title sponsor.

The competition age group was increased to U17 when it fell under the aegis of KSAFA in 2002. Carlton Spanner Dennis, under whose watch the MLFA became affiliated to the KSAFA, then demitted office and dissolved the Association following the handing over of the competition to the KSAFA . In 2007 Victoria Mutual Building Society came on board as the new title sponsor. Nestle under the Milo brand was an associate sponsor.

Chronology