Remembering “SACRED HEARTS” and Barrouallie’s Early Entry into Kingstown Football Competition

FOR THE SECOND year around the Christmas/ New Year period, football legends as someone referred to them, that is top footballers of the past from Layou and Barrouallie, returned home from abroad to participate in what has become a kind of football ‘festival’ with Layou playing against Barrouallie.

I saw some footballers with whom I had played many years ago. One who is on the ground here,Wickham from Layou, was one of SVG’s outstanding players.

This has been organised by the Honourable Conroy Huggins, the parliamentary representative for Central Leeward. This is slated to become an annual event.

What prompted this article however, was the presence of DeGose from Barrouallie. He lives in the UK and returned home for the holiday season. Having had the opportunity to socialise with him, memories of early football in Barrouallie became a topic of conversation.

I had previously stated that football in Barrouallie started with Tom McIntosh, father of Frankie McIntosh when he was Revenue Officer in Barrouallie in the late 1950s. Not so, I was reminded of the SACRED HEARTS Football team that participated in football competitions in Kingstown in the mid-1950s.

The story of this team and its participation in the competition in Kingstown is well worth telling although I am still trying to get more information.

The team was managed by the Anglican priest at that time, a Father Todd.What was spellbinding about this was that Father Todd in his small car, a mini- that was probably licensed to carry four passengers – was able to take to Kingstown a team of twelve. How they were able to make this I did not get full information from DeGose who was the centre forward for the team. I know the car trunk had to be kept open to accommodate at least three of the players. How the others made it is a story yet to be told. But Fr Todd considered it his duty to carry the footballers to Kingstown whenever a game was being played. How and when football started in Barrouallie still remains a secret.

I have the names of some of the players on that team.There was John Garrick, brother of Lloyd Garrick who was an outstanding goalkeeper for the Geest Football team. John was a stalwart in the defence, and I believe later played for a team in Kingstown.The other names I have were Elford Morris, living now in Toronto, Ishmael Rodney aka Garyeau, Joe Wickham, Errie Wickham, Paul Rodney (brother of Ishmael), Leslie John, Leslie Soleyn, Edgar Cruickshank, (Lat) better known as a cricketer who died in an unfortunate incident when he was knocked down while attending a political meeting of the NDP at Clare Valley.

Vibert Bute had jokingly told me that Cruickshank was the only player he knew who made the team as a fielder. Cruickshank was a middle order batsman who made an occasional 40 and bowled some slow leg breaks but he was an excellent fielder who could throw the ball over the stumps to the wicketkeeper from any part of the field. Cruickshank, I am told was the goalkeeper.

When I started attending the Grammar School I was asked by football fans in Kingstown about Ishmael and Wickham. Ishmael was short but fast. He played as a right winger. Many remember him racing along the wing and letting the ball fly inside. Joe Wickham was a left winger, big and not as fast but with what someone described as a ‘wicked’ left foot. His son Joel Wickham, was also an outstanding footballer in Barrouallie.

Barrouallie since then had some outstanding footballers. One of my favourites was Delson Jackson, better known as ‘Sugarbomb” who played for the national team. He was to my mind, one of the best footballers to come out of Barrouallie. He was a very skilled player but had some health issues and now has to use crutches.

I actually saw him at that game at Keartons. Other players I can recall who played for the national team are Smoker, Meldon James and Essels Collis. Of course, the present captain of the National Team is Oalex Anderson who is from Barrouallie. Oalex was named National Sports Ambassador in 2024. He plays in the US for North Carolina FC and is among the team’s top scorers.Then there is of course from Layou Ezra Hendrickson who is the coach of the National Team.

An outstanding footballer from Barrouallie whom we know most as a cricketer is Vibert Bute. At the ‘legends’ game the goal keeper for Barrouallie was Michael Bailey (Wrong Beat). I think he was goal keeper for ‘Old Boys’ a team for which I played. Another player who played for ‘Old Boys’ was Raymond Trimmingham who was actually from Kingstown. Later I partnered with Gideon Exeter from Layou as we managed a Central Leeward league.

But it all started with the mystery team SACRED HEARTS and Father Todd.

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian