Belizean football legend Donald Gilbert “Pine” Hernandez, who captained the Dunlop and B.E.C. champion teams of the late 1950’s and early ‘60’s in Belize, is here on a short visit to his old home town, during which he travelled to Belmopan to receive an M.B.E. for his services to sport and athletics in Belize. He joined seven other recipients in the ceremony for the Queen’s New Year’s honors for 2011.
Pine, along with his wife, Gilda (daughter of Gilbert “Bertie” Ellis, and sister of “Chico”), took the time to drop by the Zinc Fence last Thursday to share a chat with a good friend from way back, the X.
He also loaned us some old records of football competitions in that long gone era of football, before the Belizean exodus to the U.S. following hurricane Hattie of 1961 started the accelerated transformation of Belize. The records, actually a collection of team management notes given to him by Jim Murphy, who had recruited Pine to his B.E.C. team around 1960, included a particularly interesting entry – a note about the suspension of four Independence players. The handwritten note said: “Four of Independence Team suspended in pre-season game (therefore) team did not enter competition. Suspension elapses in early November, and cream of team start playing for Arsenal (in) 1st game vs BEC 11/11/64.” Another note said: “BEC – Brodies tie for 1st place – playoff 30/1/65. BEC 3 – Brodies 2. (goals) Ellis 1, Staine 1, own goal.” By that time, of course, Pine had already left Belize for the U.S.
We had heard, and recalled in Amandala once, about a sensational series of tie-games between the young Dunlop team, up from juniors, against then senior champions Diamond A around 1957 or ’58. Pine was then Dunlop captain, but he, along with a few others, afterwards moved over to B.E.C., which offered employment. Apparently, there was then another sensational series between B.E.C. and Dunlop.
The notes Pine loaned us described the Knockout Competition of 1962, which was apparently played at the end of the 1961/62 season. Football seasons in those days usually began in September or October, and finished around February or March, when cricket would take the field. The Knockout was always exciting, but it is not clear if all teams were eligible or only the top few from the previous regular season.
According to Jim Murphy’s notes, the 1962 Knockout Competition involved 6 teams – B.E.C., Police, Landivar, P.R.Y.C., Army, and Dunlop (Pine had switched from Dunlop to B.E. C. by this time). The Army and Dunlop got the bye in the first knockout round. B.E.C. beat Police, 6-1, with E. “Reds” Wilson scoring 2 and G. “Pine” Hernandez netting 4 for B.E.C. (B.E.C. manager Jim Murphy didn’t record the scorers of the opponents.) Landivar got over P.R.Y.C.; and then B.E.C. beat Landivar, 4-3, with 2 goals each from “Reds” Wilson and Everett Staine. Meanwhile the Army (British) beat Dunlop, 2-1, and went directly into the final against B.E.C.
Murphy’s notes (in italics below) on the finals between B.E.C. and the Army were in the form of a souvenir program:
“B.E.C. red and white shirts, white shorts; (in goal) W. (Palmer) Davis; (right defence) F. (Frankie) Clarke, E. Phillips; (right defence) A. Bent, R. (Reuben) Crawford; (center half) G. (Pine) Hernandez; (inside right) D. (Sharkie) Fairweather; (inside left) G. (Chico) Ellis; (right wing) M. (Mike) Rosado; (center forward) E. (Reds) Wilson; (left wing) E. (Everett) Staine.
“Army amber shirts, black shorts; (in goal) D. Seavers; (left defence) D. Figgins, C. Abbott; (right defence) M. Wylde, J. Johnson; (center half) J. Morris; (inside left) P. Simmonds; (inside right) C. Penny; (left wing) B. Bedford; (center forward) B. Bevis; (right wing) B. Martin.
“His Excellency The Governor and Commander in Chief of British Honduras, Sir. Peter Stallard KCMG CVO MBE will be present for the game and will meet the two teams, before the kick-off, together with officials of the Football Association.
“Sir Peter Stallard will also present the trophy and medals to the winning side.
“Referee: T. (TUT) Usher; Linesmen: W. Smiling, F. Staine.
“B.E.C. NOTES
“B.E.C. reached the final in 1959-60 season and were defeated by the WORC Regt. 2-1. They also reached the final 1960-61 season and were joint winners of the trophy with Dunlop after playing three games without reaching a decision. In the first round this season, they defeated Police 6-1 and went on to defeat Landivar 4-3 to reach the final for the third time.
“ARMY NOTES
“Army won the trophy in 1959-60 season, but this is the first final for The Royal Hampshire Regiment.
“In the first round this season, they beat the favoured Dunlop side in a hard fought game by 2-1. Then were lucky in drawing a bye to reach the final.”
Thus, in the brochure type pamphlet for the 1961-62 Knockout Championship final, the stage was set for B.E.C. versus the Army. In fact, the front page read: “BRITISH HONDURAS FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION SOUVENIER (sic) PROGRAMME, KNOCKOUT COMPETITION 1962 FOR THE HOFIUS HARDWARE CUP, ARMY versus B.E.C., MCC GROUND, 4:15 pm, MARCH 4th, Price 5¢ (cents).”
It would seem that in those days, at the end of the regular season, when the top teams squared off in a World Cup style Knockout, it was really a climactic event. There must have also been a regular season champion, but the do-or-die Knockout always had more drama. In fact, another entry in Murphy’s notes listed 8 teams – “Army, B.E.C., Diamond A, Dunlop, Landivar, Police, P.R.Y.C., and San Luis” but remarks on the same page: “1961/1962 No winner. Season broken up by Hurricane Hattie”. So that, for that season at least, the winner of the Knockout was really the Champion.
According to Murphy’s notes, the result of the final was B.E.C. 3-1 over the Army. The 3 goals for B.E.C. came by an “Army own goal”, and a goal each by (Pine) “Hernandez” and (Reds) “Wilson”. I can still remember “The Hawk,” who during weekdays delivered lumber from B.E.C sawmill with his “mule and cart” , bellowing on the sidelines at the MCC, with his already booming voice aided by a makeshift megaphone, “THE INTER-CONTINENTAL, BALLISTIC MISSILES!!”, as he called his B.E.C. team.
Pine returns to the U.S. on Tuesday of next week. Thanks to Mr. Jim Murphy for preserving and sharing the records, and thanks for the memories, Mr. Donald Gilbert “Pine” Hernandez, M.B.E.