Leaving Belize this afternoon for New York City after a two-week visit to his old home town is Belizean football star of the mid ‘80’s, Evan “Chubby Checker” Jones, also called “Tigana” by friends and teammates during his playing days, Tigana being the French World Cup star midfielder at that time. Moving from Fort George United, Chubby then played along with midfield legend Gilroy “Coro” Usher on the ‘83/84 Belize City 1st Division champions Parra’s Milpros; and Chubby was himself chosen as Best Midfielder in the ‘85/86 season with undefeated City champions Coke Milpros, dubbed “Rest of the World” by then Radio Belize sports announcer James Adderley.
Chubby, who was a Rock of Gibraltar in midfield, first left Belize for New York in 1986, a couple weeks after Coke Milpros’ sensational 5-nil blowout of then national champions Verdes in the National Marathon (15-minute halves) at the MCC Grounds. He has been a regular visitor back home, making about a dozen trips over the years. Having moved from their original family home on Freetown Road, Chubby has been staying with his sister Mrs. Georgia Nicholson on St. Thomas Street, across from the Belize Medical Associates hospital and clinic.
We had an enjoyable chat on Sunday morning along with Chubby’s old teammate and training partner from their Fort George days, Winston “Mob” Humes. They recalled early teammates like Christopher “Greek” Luben, Oncell “Massive” Lopez, Maurice “Pocket” Matthews, Wayne “Waynas” Buckley, Jorge Espat and others; and reminisced on the tremendous amount of work they, Chubby and Mob, used to put into their training together, nearly eight hours a day sometimes, running, swimming at the Barracks, lifting home-made weights in their yard, morning, afternoon and evening. In the 84/85 National Stadium season when they both took a sabbatical from league competition, Chubby said they kept very busy with daily workouts and playing “park ball” at the Plaza park now named the Noel Ferguson Park. A prominent topic in the discussion was the ‘85’86 Coke Milpros team which holds a special place in their memories. Chubby fondly recalled some teammates on that team – Wayne “Minnie Man” Reynolds, Maurice “Magic” Francis, Turo “Goatman” Leslie, Leroy “Platini” Terry, Wayne “Bom” Jones, Benjamin “Don’t” Mejia (deceased), Carlton “Pa Rush” Rushford, Kenneth “Cap” Hoare and others, as well as manager “Smithy” (Ronald “Pirate” Smith, deceased), “Roy C” Williams, and “Tong” (Ruperto “Frogman” Alvarez) who assisted with coaching the team. Chubby promised to send us a picture of that ‘85/86 Coke Milpros team.
Yours truly was blessed through football to work with and gain the friendship of a few absolute gentlemen of the highest skill and integrity anywhere, and Evan “Chubby” Jones was one of them. It was indeed a pleasure meeting again, and we look forward to that reunion of remaining team members sometime not too far down the road. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Chubby Jones and family, to Mob Humes and family and to all our past teammates, friends, fans and opponents in football, and all sports, at home and abroad. Bring back the love in 2011, people.