Winning the LIME Pelican Football Challenge would be the perfect way to mark the first anniversary of David Thompson’s death and honour his memory.
His close friend for more than a decade a half, and personal driver, Kelvin “Dopey” Howell told SUNSPORT the late Thompson was an inspiration to him and all the footballers who played for his beloved Families First St John Sonnets side.
With the franchise, Scotty’s Combined Stars, which Howell owns, playing unbeaten in their five preliminary matches and qualifying for the quarter-finals, Howell said Thompson, an ardent football fan, would be proud if they could win the $100 000 first prize.
“Really and truly, I would like to capture this hundred grand ($100 000) just for him,” Howell said in a rare interview last Thursday night at the National Stadium.
“He gone but it is a different side (former Opposition Leader Mia Mottley) that holding the competition and I would still like to let his spirit go on,” an emotional Howell said.
“I would just like to win this money. I know he would be smiling if he knew that I could capture this first prize, really and truly,” added Howell.
The tournament, which is being organized by Mottley and Randy Harris under the banner of Pelican Creative Services Inc., is the richest in the history of football in Barbados with a price tag of close to half million dollars.
In fact, Howell said it was his wish to name his franchise, one of the ten teams participating in the tournament, after Thompson, Barbados’ sixth Prime Minister.
“I had wanted to name it ‘Thompie or the Boss Ballers’ but they told the owners that we have to come up with names from a more Bajan-like aspect so I arrived with Combined Stars because it was a St John team that used to do well in the St John League in his time too, so he would be familiar with that name and the players,” Howell noted.
Howell said Thompson played an integral part in the St John Sonnets football team.
“He played a lot of roles in Sonnets. He was part of management and part of the committee. Any help any of the guys needed, they weren’t shy to go to him; talk to him or ask him for anything because they knew he was down-to-earth. It was all good,” Howell said.
