Honouring Troumaca, Remembering Wilf Slack

Fri, Sept 30. 2011

Editor: The Parish of St. David was alive and humming with cricket activity over the last several weeks, with teams from all the villages taking part. It must have been the opportunity for tremendous socializing for the residents of those communities, continuing and enhancing their traditions, ties of almost a hundred years.{{more}}

Congratulations to the team, Carlos James United of Troumaca, led by Skipper Elroy Lewis. They won the competition, but all the teams performed creditably. Commendations to the Vinlec North Leeward T/20 Committee and its president, the indomitable Julius Anthony, who has been at the fore front of the sustaining of the spirit, the sporting spirit, in the parish of St. David for several decades.

Recognizing the preponderance of talent in these villages and the willingness of persons to give of their time to work in the harnessing and exposing of that talent, one cannot help but wonder at the functioning of the minds of those persons who had been given the privilege to handle matters in the interest of all the people.

Look at the playing fields in those villages, Troumaca, Rose Hall, Coulls Hill, Spring Village and Rose Bank. Could there be found ten persons in each of those villages who can, with a clean conscience say, that they are satisfied that our representatives have done a satisfactory job, with respect to the providing of sporting facilities for the younger citizens of our villages?

On the contrary, the politicians have been using the promises to provide such facilities, as “bait”, just before elections, to attract support for themselves and their party. How many times had the former representative Jerrol Thompson not brought information to Parliament concerning the construction of the Cumberland Playing Field. Did he not just prior to the last elections exhibit in the House of Parliament drawings which he claimed related to the completing of the aid for Cumberland Playing Field. How close to completion is the field today? The residents of these villages should see by now that they cannot rely on the spasms of concerned expressed by these fickle men. The people themselves will have to take control of this important area.

It is pertinent to note here, that the renowned WILF SLACK who played Test Cricket representing England was born in the village of Troumaca. He was the neighbour of Leo Anthony, who gave him tremendous encouragement in his tender years. It was to his honour and memory that the WILF SLACK nets at the Arnos Vale Playing Field were commissioned.

Some years ago I expressed the view / concern that the authorities had exhibited a lack of sensitivity, in not maintaining the WILF SLACK nets in a manner which demonstrated recognition/appreciation of a worthy contribution to our national pride and psyche.

What an inspiration it would have been if today these new cricket stars of Troumaca could have seen the evidence/demonstration of the nation’s appreciation of the contribution of one of their very own. What a motivation!

Leroy Providence