Vincentian football fraternity loses another former stalwart national player

The Vincentian sports fraternity was sent into mourning last Monday, on learning of the death of former national player, Keith “Slick” Bonadie (Clarke).{{more}}

A release from president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation Venold Coombs said that the football fraternity “has lost a great player and a humble person”.

Coombs described Bonadie as “a very good player and many rate him up there with the best and they would not be wrong in rating him that highly…I would say he was a player who showed the greatest of respect for players and officials and was always willing to get on the park to work on his game. He was a true servant of the sport.”

One of the better midfield players to have graced the national stage, Bonadie died in his adopted home of the USA at the age of 59, losing his battle with renal problems.

Known for his deft touches and skilful passing, Bonadie, before making his name on the national football scene in the 1980s, emerged from the local football competitions while representing Youths, Superstars, Tafari, as well as Travellers and Scorchers.

After establishing himself at the Under-19 level in the 1970s, Bonadie moved on to the senior team, and rose to the position of vice-captain.

He was part of the famed 1979 and 1981 teams, which placed second in the Caribbean Football Union’s competitions on both occasions, runner-up to Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, respectively.

Bonadie was selected among a team of Caribbean players for a tour of Central America.

Bonadie migrated to the USA in the mid-1980s, which effectively ended his national career.

Bonadie’s death follows that of another of his teammates, Tyrone “Tweety” Spence, last October and Sydney Mandeville, a few years ago.

The trio were members of the 1979 St Vincent and the Grenadines’ team which reached the final of the Caribbean Football Union Cup in Suriname.