BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 5, 2016–The above picture was sent to us some months aback by a football fan, Mr. Lester Arnold of Church Street, Belize City, the uncle of present Amandala printer Kent Brooks. He called it, “Sports from the past – the Mighty Berger 404 from Lake Independence,” and asked if we could “please give some highlights of these powerful guys (smile).”
Today, September 5, marks 40 years since the passing of our brother, Michael Hyde, a.k.a. Toupi or Migale, who was a member of that first Berger 404 champion team. Berger 404 repeated as champions in 1975-76, but Migale had already left for Ghana, Africa in the summer of 1975, on a British Government scholarship. (Belize was still a colony, of course.)
Migale was an all-around super athletic talent. I recently met Harry “P” Pilgrim at a wedding in Belize City, and he said he is writing something about that memorable 400-meter race that he ran alone against Migale in the inter-secondary schools track meet in the 1960s, which I had recently referred to as 1969. That year has been proven wrong. It couldn’t have been that late. Harry P thinks it was more likely 1967, perhaps even 1968, but definitely not 1969.
Forgive me; I don’t know all the names in the picture, but Migale is in the middle of the back row standing, between “Jumping Jack” Sutherland on the left and Larry “Charro” Bennett on the right.
Lester “Bailar” Smith (late), whose memory will be honored at a Marathon at MCC on September 18, is standing, with his shirt front opened, on the far right.
The goalkeeper lying on the left is Karl “Bunu Cal” Robateau.
In uniform, kneeling in front, from left to right, are Eugene Guild (late), Eric “Kizzaro” Kisling (late), James Adderley and Emerson Guild. The masseur “Pice”, with the cap and shades on, is to the right of Emerson.
In uniform crouching in the second row are, from left to right, Harrison “Ile Man” Flowers, Cristobal Mayen, “Chicka” Staine, Albert “Pappy Cat” Cattouse, and (not sure).
In the back row standing, from left to right, are Fabian “Pharoah” Rivero, Mark “Kelo” Leslie, Sr., “Jumping Jack” Sutherland, Michael Hyde, Larry Bennett and (another player in uniform).
If you know the missing names in the picture, please contact us at Amandala or send us the information at amandalasports.com.
Peace and love to you all.