Dear Editor,
The Thomas United Football Club (TUFC) was started by Mr Johnson, a teacher, on April 1, 1960 at Thomas Lands YMCA, Kingston, and is the second oldest club around after GFC. But let me take you back in time in regard to the brief history of football prior to that era. As usual there was a clash in the ’50s between the Association and the players. No more games were being played at the GFC ground, Bourda. Thus emerged the genesis of the Softshoe League – no boots with pegs. There were teams such as Wolves, Bourda Colts, Juventus, Juicee, Eastern United, Red Banners, Continental which was the precursor to Thomas United, and others of note. Matches were played at the Parade Ground, and an Ovaltine beverage tin was passed around for donations to offset expenses. Matches were of 60 minutes’ duration and no substitutions were allowed. If one of your men was injured, you simply played short. Out of this era came such greats as Compton Julian, ‘Beef’ Franscisco, Amigo Dyal, ‘Patsy’ Peters, Winston Callendar, Herby Jordan, whose shot was so thunderous it rocked the Northern goalpost and forced the keeper to decide to hastily opt out of goal. His power was matched only by Clement Henry. Daredevils in goal were such heroes as Birdet Marshall, Baije Devonish, Maurice Hicks and the ‘Black Octopus,’ Ted Nurse. This is not to say there were not many other brilliant players and household legends.
Things have a way of working themselves out, and so that crisis was soon resolved after some years. And so Continental morphed into Thomas United.
Over the years the club has had to face some challenges, among the strongest of which was the non-support of government and businesses for football, a grassroots sport. In all fairness, the sport was supported in the ’50s by businesses as the names of clubs would indicate. Today it is evidently different. Contrary to what took place in the ’60s with Thomas United ruling the roost in the Under 16 tournaments, over the last decade the club has not put enough emphasis on the development of young players, though members such as Gordon Henry, Haji and Ovis Fraser made it to the national u-20 teams. Worst of all was the dereliction of his duty as president by a senior member that set in train a series of declines from 2000.
One thing that did affect the club was when in 1999, after an attempt at fraudulent elections by the GFF, the club morally supported a court injunction against GFF President, Klass, and his executive. TUFC’s then president was banned from football activity allegedly by the infamous Jack Warner.
From Under-16 to Senior level TUFC has had many glorious achievements, winning the League last in 1992 with the stylish international winger Abdul Conteh from Sierra Leone and GT Cobras, and securing the runner-up spot in 1999 to Santos; the club won the Mayor’s Cup in1998 and was runner-up to Beacon in the 1995 K&S tournament. Prior to that TUFC has provided the most players to the national squad over time, with as many as seven in the starting lineup. With Deon Barnwell being the highest goal scorer in international tourneys, much can be said for the prowess of TUFC’s players. For those with updated nostalgia, mention must be made of stars like Earl O’Neil who holds the record for having played the most consecutive times for his country – 72 – Ken Gibbs, Richard Hing, Clement and Ovid Henry, Lloyd King, Ruddy Walcott, ‘Moneyman’ Forde, Philip Daniels, Ion ‘Lashman’ Williams, Dion and Chris Barnwell, Keith London, Shawn O’Neil, Colin McNicholl, Godfrey Poulis, Errol Solomon, Keith Goppy, Mark Ellis and the inimitable Jermaine Browne.
The club plans to start at the very beginning once again, combining some of the experienced old stagers with new blood that is currently in training. The style and method of play have changed drastically, and we tend to favour the short passes used by Spanish teams. It will take some time but we’ll get there; all the talent is available in the depressed localities.
We’ve always advocated that clubs need their own grounds to train on. We had refurbished D’Urban Park, and League games were actually played there. Poor drainage has plagued this facility, however. This means relocating to the National Park.
What is also important is a vibrant executive, and a well functioning one. Not to mention that discipline, which TUFC has always exhibited among its players, is a key and fundamental principle and ingredient which will be inculcated at all times on and off the field. Added to this Dion Barnwell and former national and GT Cobras’ Orin Agard will be involved in the coaching aspect of development along with myself. I have myself been trained as a FIFA coach thrice and as a sports administrator at the University of Guyana through Miss Seward of the UK.
Among activities planned for the 52nd Anniversary will be a church service to be held at halftime during the semifinal at GFC on February 22, and again at Linden at the MSC on March 8 at the final. During the break between the games at the finals the old stalwarts will be presented to the people. Then there will be the football tournament called the Mashramani Challenge Cup, hosted in conjunction with Winners Connection of Linden under the auspices of Mr Gerald Wittington. The old stalwarts are of the opinion that the virtual neglect of its nursery is the main reason for the decline of the club, along with officials not showing enough interest and not giving enough of their time towards the development of the youth. Also the club having moved from its main base in Lodge village in the ’70s to the Parade Ground and the National Park may very well have contributed significantly to the loss of interest on the part of the youth. The high cost of transportation was indeed a deterrent to membership. These are the views of O’Neil, who feels the club must go back to its roots and neighbourhood playing fields.
As for the present impasse between the GFF and the GFA, they wonder if a greed for money and a lust for power, coupled with political control, are not at the root of the problem. Members of either body should not belong as serving members to clubs, and should exhibit impartiality. The bickering and mutual attacks serve no useful or decent purpose, and at the end of the day it is the players who suffer in the long run. Let football play, they say, as they are totally fed up with things as they are at the moment. What they bemoan, as well, is the neglect of past superb players such as Birdet Marshall and Godfrey Poulis, both of whom are blind, and Compton Julian, now living as a derelict on the streets. A distinction must be made, though, between non-serving members and those who never had any involvement with the sport, as the latter tend to bring very little to the game.
Yours faithfully,
Oliver Hinckson
Acting President