The Val Turton Carl Osborne Foundation

If anyone can help us identify any of the individuals in the above photographs or if they have photographs that would be appropriate for this collection please send to: KEN DAVIS Chairman 253 Front Road L’Orginal, On. Canada K0B 1K0 613-675-4414 e-mail [email protected] Back to the Top Old Articles FOOTBALL. 1953 By R. R. from THE OLYMPIAN IT IS a source of great pleasure and joy to record from the citadel of time over the panorama of the past, the achievements and events of 'yester-year'. It was truly a memorable year for Naparima in the field of 'Sport'. Before doing so, however, I wish to pay tribute to some of 'our 'Football Greats' who are still in 'Active Service'. Such players as Noel Daniel, lan Seale, Bertrand Hills, Sam Joseph, Toy Amarali and Son Ramroop have all had their muddy baths on 'Naparima Swamp' at Broadway. Despite such adverse conditions, they have gained selection on 'Representative Sides'. Since they have played under such conditions, why can't you? Boys of Naparima and friends of our football team, I write not to praise our victorious team but to record in our worthy magazine the achievement of 'Captain' Carl Osborne and his band of footballers who brought HONOUR. FAME, AND THE CUTTERIDGE CUP to good 'Old Naps' after a lapse of ten years. By a process of deduction our team can be regarded as the 'Team Of The Year' in inter-College soccer in Trinidad. Naparima defeated Presentation and Q.R.C. in no uncertain manner. St. Mary's defeated Q.R.C.; Q.R.C. defeated Fatima; but in an unofficial match Presentation defeated St. 'Mary's. THEREFORE - WHAT? - Q.E.D. In 1953. Presentation and Naparima made Soccer History at Skinner Park. Four games were played to decide the winners of the coveted Cutteridge Cup. It was finally captured by Naparima after four thrilling and gruelling games. The figures were 1-1, 2-2, 2-2 and 1-0. By winning this coveted trophy, Naparima qualified to meet St. Mary's for the COW AND GATE CUP - EMBLEM OF SOCCER SUPREMACY IN TRINIDAD. We are happy to record that although we lost the game by a very wide margin, yet we were not disgraced. The year 1953 proved to be the best year ever within the last decade in the history of football at Naparima. In addition to a win over Presentation, we beat Q.R.C. by one goal to nil in our annual fixture. In our first game against Presentation we played very good football by adopting the third back system. Carl Osborne proved to be the undoubted hero of the game; he scored with a penalty kick in the first half. Presentation equalised with a shot from Crawford late in the second half. It was hard luck for our boys; they should have won easily, but poor shooting caused many goals to go abegging. Our second game ended in a deadlock. Presentation dominated for almost an hour; they gave indication of coming out winners, but a very timely bullet from 'SONO'-"Dry foot" Rambarransingh found the nets almost at full time. Presentation led by one goal up to the 59th minute; the game ended in dramatic fashion: Rambarransingh was truly the hero of the game: Such ending reminded me of the saying - There's many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip. Hats off to 'Ramber'. The third game ended like the second. OUR VICTORY FLAG WAS BROUGHT OUT IN THE 58th MINUTE; OUR MINIATURE COFFIN WAS SHOWN'TO PRESENTATION; NAPARIMA HAD THE GAME IN THE BIG 'BAG': Naparima led 2 to nil, according to a familiar latin quotation 'Sed spec non fracta. est'. Presentation fought back. In an instant there was a roar; Presentation scored: SPECTATORS SCREAMED : Naparima's defence cracked; Presentation scored again: More roaring and screaming; the whistle was blown with the score at 2-2. THE SHOUT WAS, NAPARIMA: 'GO HOME'. NAPARIMA WENT HOME WITH HEADS BOWED. In our fourth and final game we captured the Cutteridge Cup by a 1-0 victory. Clever play at centre-half by Carl Osborne; good goal-keeping by Fred Thornhill, and a fine combination by Barrow, Maharaj and G. Ballah helped to bring victory to us. It was definitely and truly a beautiful header by 'BIG HEAD GEORGE BALLAH' which gave Naparima a well deserved victory, a WHOLE DAY HOLIDAY; and a RIGHT TO MEET ST. MARY'S COLLEGE FOR THE COW AND GATE CUP AT PORT-OF-SPAIN. In our League games, we gave a good account of ourselves. We gained a convincing victory over a strong Oxford combination in a Samaroo Memorial Fixture at. Skinner Park; the score was 3-0; George Ballah, V. Henry and R. Rambarransingh scored one each. Our Intermediate side won two and drew two games R. Grant, Zackoor, .Junior Ward, Wright, Edgar McDonald and McDonald showed great promise. We are not unmindful of the juniors who were given every kind of encouragement and advice by the Games Master. We hopefully look forward to see such youngsters as the Kemkeran Brothers, R. Shah, A. Dymally, against very strong combinations. Parris, Ramnath and Raffic-ali on our future College eleven. Among the Junior teams, Hotspurs was the most outstanding. They won the Master's Shield with a very good record. A report by F. Kemkeran states in part: Hotspurs was formed by an enthusiastic group of footballers from form 3B. The team gained entry in the Junior League Competition. Although they were newcomers they achieved an unbeaten record for that season. In conclusion our boys wish to thank the Old Boys Association for the medals presented to the footballers of 1953. Our present players hope that the same thing will be done in 1954. Football Colours were also presented to the members of the football team. VICTORS—1953 Fred Thornhill, V. Henry, M. Byam, J. Barrow, H. Baptiste, S. Maharaj, H. Bobb, R. Rambarransingh, Carl Osborne, G. Ballah, S. Ramsankar, D. Chadee