Footballers taking back Bishop’s

Three soccer enthusiasts from the Paul’s Avenue area have taken the initiative to get the Bishop’s College Playing Field back on track.

Sean Dopwell, Lamont “Dutchie” Hector and George Smith are currently using available manpower and their own funds to trim the area, which over the years has become overgrown with grass reaching as high as seven feet.{{more}}

Dopwell said they began the job of clearing the pasture last Monday and have been able to clear “a good amount of land” so far. However, the former national soccer player and member of the Avenues Football Team says help is needed if the job is to be done properly. The trio hopes to attract the attention of persons willing and capable of helping them get the field up and running.

“Every community has somewhere to play soccer except we,” said Dopwell, who commented on the rundown condition of Victoria Park.

“We taking back we park,” he added as he reminisced that a lot of national footballers, including himself, learnt to play on this patch of land.

Hector, also a member of the Avenues Football Team, said he would like the kids in the area to have somewhere to play like they did when they were younger. He made mention of persons, such as national midfielder Benford “Rudy” Joseph and other Vincentian soccer legends, Earl “Mazi” Alexander and Seymour “Rollit” Waldron, who learned “a thing or two” on this now rundown playing field.

Other local soccer legends including Andre “Spot-I” Dopwell, Ronald Conliffe, David “Blue” Oliver, Ken “Stump-I” Thomas, George “Fat Pants” Forbes and former national goalkeepers Winston Soso and Dorian Phillips, played on this park.

Hector also stated that the overgrown area is very dangerous. “Persons can drag our kids behind here,” he said.

The area behind the Bishop’s College has

been known for a number of sinister incidents. Criminals carry out acts of rape and at least one murder has occurred in the over-run area. Reports reaching SEARCHLIGHT also indicate that a school child was assaulted in this area about one month ago.