Football has become the craze of the youth today just as cricket was 40 years ago. However, the availability of suitable grounds just does not match the thirst for the game. It’s no wonder, then, that lovers of the game would resort to any available space and design it to match the sporting needs of their community.We came across a superb example of such endeavour that reflects this passion for football on Emancipation Day. Led by John Knight of Enterprise, Christ Church, a few young men from the area set about, with much ingenuity and industry, to transform idle land into a temporary football arena over a year ago.One would never have imagined that such activity was taking place there if one glanced from the main road which leads from Oistins to Silver Sands. But a closer look proved otherwise.Directions to this spot are: “Take the road from Oistins to Silver Sands, pass Keizer Hill and the sign showing Lower Carter’s Gap, pass Bargain Motors on your left and make the second left turn into the housing development. The space between the lofty trees is where the action takes place.”Knight told us that they had cut down trees, dug out roots and inserted dirt into the holes to create a space for football. He noted that the field was about 100 feet wide and 109 feet long. Not by any means up to international football standard but good enough that the skills of the game could be demonstrated. On Emancipation Day, this miniature football field and its environs seemed to take on celebrity status. First of all, there was the large crowd from communities in Christ Church. As Knight explained, he had attracted teams from South Point and Carter’s Gap, Silver Sands, Sayes Court, Lodge Road, Pegwell Boggs, St Lawrence, Gall Hill, Wotton and Sargeants Village. Some of the players were no ordinary village players but were Premier League footballers.In this day/night 20-minutes-per-game competition organised by Knight and his neighbour Terry Bascombe with the help of Kemar Chase from Carters Gap, as well as Kevin Straker, Rommel Forde and referee Rodney Yarde from Silver Sands, the floodlights lit up the field as soon as the sun dipped beyond the horizon. For those who wanted to take in the action from close up, a 42-inch flat screen monitor displayed the action on the field. The camera man, who preferred to be called Ferb, coolly kept focus on the field except for occasional glances to the sidelines. He was doing a fantastic job!Meanwhile, a commentator was above, on a wooden seat in a tree. “Point”, as he called himself, was masterfully providing a running commentary on activity on and off the field via a public address system operated by deejay “Turkey”, who dropped some uptempo Caribbean tunes during the breaks.The many women, some with children in arms, enhanced the event with their fashion flair.Parliamentary representatives for the surrounding districts, Denis Lowe and John Boyce, also honoured these village folk with their presence. And former Member of Parliament Jerome Walcott, though not present, also added his stamp by donating a trophy for the winning team.To crown this village triumph off was the unexpected arrival of the Acting Prime Minister Freundel Stuart who presented the top prize money of $ 1 000 to winning team Red Square of Wotton. Meanwhile, Knight, the main man behind it all, could hardly contain his excitement. Hard work and dedication had won the day.
