When Aubrey Bishop, president of the then Guyana Football Association (GFA), and Ken Galt, then leader of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation met in Georgetown in 1970, the number one priority on the agenda was the resuscitation of the game in the region.
Coming out of that important meeting was the staging of the 1973 CARICOM Knockout Football Championship, with Guyana serving as the host nation. Invited to participate were Aruba, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, although only Barbados Jamaica, and Suriname participated in this historic tournament.
Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti withdrew because both nations were playing in the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, while Aruba was a no-show. Host Guyana and Jamaica opened the championship on November 5 at the Georgetown Football Club under floodlights.
After a goalless first half, Jamaica drew first blood when Peter Marston scored from close up. Guyana substituted Pele football club debutant, Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton for Godfrey ‘Poulis’ Norville and gained immediate reward, when the latter scored the equalizer in the 63rd minute.
The winning goal came 20 minutes from full time, when Rudolph ‘Chow’ Hunte penetrated the Jamaican defence in a solo run to bang the ball into the net. In the next preliminary game, Suriname qualified to meet Guyana in the finals by defeating Barbados 2-0 at the Guyana Sports Club (GSC) ground, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
In the championship match, Suriname defeated Guyana 2-0 at the GSC ground. Suriname’s first goal came in the 25th minute while the victory was sealed in the 63rd minute. The championship trophy was donated by B.W.I.A.
The Caribbean Football Union should honour the players from the historic 1973 tournament which helped to propel Caribbean football to its current state.
1973 Guyana National Team CARICOM Championship
1. Ken Gibbs – Captain (Thomas United)
2. Earl O’Neil (Thomas United)
3. Alvin Braithwaite (Malteenoes)
4. Desmond Marshall – Goalkeeper (Thomas United)
5. Ovid Henry (Malteenoes)
6. Maurice Enmore (Santos)
7. Clive Nedd (Santos)
8. Vibert Williams (Santos)
9. Sherlock Norville (Santos)
10. Simeon Andrews (GFC)
11. Rudolph Hunte (GFC)
12. Michael Shepherd – Goalkeeper (GFC)
13. Patrick Barton (Pele)
14. Robert Alleyne (Berbice)
15. Kenrick Bowery (Berbice)
16. Dennis Solomon (Linden)
17. Michael Rogers (Linden)
18. Godfrey Poulis Norville (Police)
19. George Green – Coach
Jamaican Team (1973)
1. Vester Constantine – Goalkeeper/Captain
2. Miguel Blair
3. Derrick Dennister
4. Devon Jeffrey
5. Jeffrey Maxwell
6. Roy Welsh
7. Derrick Plummer
8. Peter Marston
9. Carlton Smith
10. Harold Walker
11. Rennie Phillips Sr
12. Delroy Hinds
13. Michael Reid
14. Joseph McFarlane
15. Lloyd McLaren
16. Karl Largie
17. George Prescott – Manager
