Ricketts, Jureidini hail late ‘Jumpy’ Harris as Jamaican football icon

TRIBUTES are pouring in for former Jamaica footballer Trevor “Jumpy” Harris, who passed away on Thursday morning, with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts and Harbour View FC General Manager Clyde Jureidini remembering him as a true icon of Jamaican football. Ricketts expressed deep sadness at Harris’s passing and extended condolence to his immediate family and close friends. “This is indeed very, very sad news.

I understand that former national player Trevor “Jumpy” Harris passed away. I must express my sincere condolences to Jumpy Harris’s immediate family members and, of course, his close friends,” Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer. He noted that Harris’s passing comes shortly after the loss of another former national player Keith Lattimore.

“We are deeply saddened, and recently we lost a former national player [Keith Lattimore]. Here again, we’re going through the same routine of mourning the passing of another truly great Jamaican past footballer,” Ricketts said. Reflecting on Harris’s influence, Ricketts recalled knowing of the former national player from his own school days and the impact he had on young footballers of that era.

“I would have known of Jumpy Harris from when I was a youngster in high school, and he would have impacted the minds and well-being of probably every young boy in that era who played, or wanted to play, the sport,” he said. “As I’ve said, we’re just deeply saddened, and of course, may the soul of an icon rest in peace.” Harris played on the Kingston College (KC) all-conquering teams of 1964 and 1965 that swept everything in front of them, winning the Triple Crown of schoolboy football — Manning Cup, Walker Cup and Olivier Shield — twice, as they went unbeaten over those two season. That team is considered by some as the greatest-ever Jamaican schoolboy team of all time.

As many as of those 10 players were selected for the All-Manning team and eight went on to represent Jamaica’s senior side while still at KC. Harris represented Harbour View FC as a player then player/coach. Jureidini, current general manager of the Harbour View who played as understudy to Harris as striker, highlighted his legacy.

For Jureidini, Harris’s passing marks the loss of a man who played a defining role in the early development and success of Harbour View. Jureidini reflected on his own playing days alongside Harris, recalli…