Today, March 4th we put aside annually to salute our elders who had the love, foresight and were bold enough to lead a new eastern Kingston community into a era that has taking on a life all of its own and made many families and a nation the better for it.
We herald the likes of, Ronald ‘Piggy’ Chung, Terrence Slater, Vin Blaine, Carvel Stewart, Sydney Masters, Ewan ‘Shanny’ Hayles, Derrick ‘Coach’ Golding, Roxy Williams, Michael Pennycoke, Glen ‘Smile Orange’ Morrison, Russell Bell, Neville Glanville, Mr Gilthrist, Mr Beswick, Brissett, John Bullock, Michael ‘Chico’ Jureidini, Neville ‘Half-a’man’ Jolly, ‘Ram Jam’, ‘Blackie’, Neville ‘Mally’ Malcolm, ‘Plastic’, Colour Red Coach, ‘Dicko’ Dixon, Policeman Gibbs, Kid Khully ‘To Bloodcla..’ the drunken master, Gene ‘Skattalite’ Wallace,’Lovey’, ‘Jean’, ‘Little’, Man Gene, ‘Bowling’, ‘Buxton’, ‘Saks’, Norwyn ‘The Delegate’, ”Jah Booker’, Soldjie’, Sandria, Carmen Stewart,David ‘Duffus’ Campbell, Cornel ‘Biggs’ Delisser, et al….apologies to all pioneers not mentioned here.
The early days of playing football on every street just built with barber-green (asphalt) or not covered at all, dust bowls, open spaces from the small triangular Aqua Park, Drive-Inn theatre grounds, Rocky Park, Harbour View school, between the Lignum Vitae trees at the seaside Park all day Saturdays and on Sundays before and after swimming, finally to Compound where we moved heaven and earth through wreckage and waste to create a stoney field in between bramble.
Playing football for breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyday of the week on Christmas Day and New Years eve, did not matter once a ball was available, scrimmage was played. JOS Bus route or Shopping Centre, bad dogs or miserable policemen wanting to sleep after long hours of duties, even mothers would cut-up balls or report children to parents for beatings or lectures…ball a run, same way.
Football culture had taken route from the mid 1960’s and many a High School coaches, could not understand why Harbour View players must play for their community more than school, whether you threaten or drop us. HVFC we seh, always.
The story of the late great Paul ‘Pablo’ Robinson playing the first half for KC at Kingston College against the first winning D& G Minor League HVFC Under 16 team of 1972, scoring a hatrick to lead 3-1 at halftime, then changing to score another hatrick for HVFC to win 4-3, says it all. Then KC Coach, Trevor ‘Jumpy’ Harris could not fathom it, until he came to HVFC a few years later to play and win the KSAFA Major League in 1976-77.
Featured photo: Our first senior team (1970s)