De F.O. Mason Cricket Stadium

MY GIRL LIE-ZA swears when she saw her Pry-mini-star on TV looking humble, meek and mild inviting sub-mis-shun to rename de Victoria Park, she remembers Aesop Fable wid Ole Brer Lion who was about to die from Star-fear-shun, so he invited all de animals whose families he had eaten, to apologise and say to dem “Sorry, ah beg allyo pardon” foh all de wicked deeds ah would have done yuh. And how one by one, dem “dumb” animals all, except Ole Brer Fox, went in Brer Lion’s Den and never returned.

She was upset and say to ask him who did he insult, sorry, consult when he named de Die-man Athletics Stay-dum after Sir Vincent Beache, ah man who was never big on sports, except when de PM Pull-it-to-kill pee-cong Beach, referring to him as ah “coconut bat”. But yes, Victoria Park is dear to us.

It has been and still is de Mukarramah (mecca) of sports and culture in SVG.

Dat’s way just about every nah-shun-all event culminates: “Sports, Religion, Polly-Takes, Culture, Carnival and Military parades.” But is ah good thing ah got sip Knee-Haul, foh when yuh see ah get me head “not-up”, Sip reminds me dat dem young people done drop Victoria from de name Victoria Park. Dey simply say Park, and when is Carnival, Kaisonians does say “ de BigYard.” So we start to list ah few of de many outstanding personalities who would have starred at Victoria Park. Dat list could full ah exercise book: “Alfie Roberts, Rabbit Warner, de four Bonadies- who all played foh Nah-shun-all.

Dey’s de Mike Findlay Pavilion already at Arnos Vale. Sip say de Olliverre brothers, Babbs and Zoopang Jones; de three Morris brothers, Pete, Luxie and Des; de Lowe brothers-Guy and Raltie. We were getting into trouble so we discontinued. We Stopped!

But dey are two names dat we lef’ foh last: Paul Boucher de Curator, de man who foh decades single handedly played de pivotal role ,sorry, de many roles whether as supervisor, groundsman, all foh de preservation of Victoria Park. But de name on de main entrance is none other dan “Frank O Mason Cricket Stadium.”

F.O was de complete sportsman but primarily cricket. I was blessed and lucky to have known and seen “F.O” at his best.

Yet ah would not, or dare not, attempt to write bout “F.O”, not when deys ah copy of “ A tribute to Frank Odel Mason,” published in de Searchlight dated June 1st, 2012, beautifully written by his school-mate Dr. Cecil Cyrus, another of SVG’s icons. It’s also published in Google. Here’s ah clip from Doc Cyrus’ tribute, I quote: “I was present also at Arnos Vale cricket field when the great Frank Worrell was at the peak of his performance and F.O. clean bowled him for a duck in the second ball, and again had him caught for 25 in the second innings. This was after Chic Cummings had dropped him in the second innings at slips for nought, off the bowler at the other end. It was reported that the great batsman locked himself in his hotel room and wept at the ignominy of this sporting cataclysm on the first day. Another piece from Doc Cyrus, quote: “By his (F.O) own account to me, his most impressive performance was in his last regional match against Dominica in 1962 at Victoria Park when he took 9 wickets for 13 runs in 13 overs, with 3 maidens. Lie-Za say dat any other name dey put dey, she will personally tek ah hammer and mas it up. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.