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When 'Shorty' socked it to 'em
... Toluca triggers memories of brawling Boyz
HOWARD WALKER @ the MEN’S UNDER-17 WORLD CUP IN MEXICO
Friday, June 10, 2011
TOLUCA, Mexico — The Jamaican National Under-17 team is staying at an area known as Toluca, but to most of these players, it means nothing to them.
However, 14 years ago it might have been the unifying factor for the senior Reggae Boyz in their historic run to qualification to the 1998 World Cup in France.
Technical director Walter Gama (third left) assists with the training at the Exchacienda del Curmen field on Wednesday in Toluca. (Photo: Howard Walker)
Late Reggae Boy Stephen ‘Shorty’ Malcolm
Toluca is the state capital of Mexico State, as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the centre of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico.
It is located west-south-west of Mexico City and according to the 2005 census, the city of Toluca has a population of 467,713.
But in 1997, the senior Reggae Boyz, under the guidance of Brazilian technical director Rene Simoes, also chose Toluca as they prepared for the World Cup.
That team included Onandi Lowe, Peter Cargill, Steve 'Shorty' Malcolm, Aaron Lawrence, and Ian Goodison, and they were playing a practice match against local team Toros Neza, before all hell broke loose.
The game got very physical and one of the shortest players with the biggest heart, 'Shorty' Malcolm, clattered into an opponent and before he knew it, he was shoved all over the place by two players before his teammates went to his assistance. The rest is history.
Those memories still linger in the head of current technical director Walter Gama, who was a part of Simoes' coaching staff back then.
Gama was back on the same ground where the Jamaica Under-17 team trained on Wednesday evening and it jogged his memory.
"Hey, this is where we had the big fight. You remember," he asked?
Gama then held out his hands, about four feet high. "That short one... 'Shorty' Malcolm."
I answered, 'Yea'.
Replied Gama, "He went in," demonstrated how Malcolm had fouled the player.
"They pushed him," Gama continued, then showed the spot where first, Cargill, who was sitting in a small stand, sprang to his feet with his football boots in hand, and rained blows on Malcolm's attackers before it became an ugly free-for-all brawl.
During that uproar, even Simoes was hit as everyone bonded together and defended themselves against the locals.
Gama laughed as he reminisced and pointed to a spot where one particular Jamaican of the technical staff hid under a tree.
"Later, at the hotel, Simoes was angry. He said, 'where were you?'" as he reprimanded the person for what he deemed a cowardly act.
Fourteen years on, that fight of self- defence by the Reggae Boyz can still be seen on Youtube and at the end, it showed several players armed with stones, sticks and even a chair in a real moment of physical team bonding.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1OspnSInt
... Toluca triggers memories of brawling Boyz
HOWARD WALKER @ the MEN’S UNDER-17 WORLD CUP IN MEXICO
Friday, June 10, 2011
TOLUCA, Mexico — The Jamaican National Under-17 team is staying at an area known as Toluca, but to most of these players, it means nothing to them.
However, 14 years ago it might have been the unifying factor for the senior Reggae Boyz in their historic run to qualification to the 1998 World Cup in France.
Technical director Walter Gama (third left) assists with the training at the Exchacienda del Curmen field on Wednesday in Toluca. (Photo: Howard Walker)
Late Reggae Boy Stephen ‘Shorty’ Malcolm
Toluca is the state capital of Mexico State, as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the centre of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico.
It is located west-south-west of Mexico City and according to the 2005 census, the city of Toluca has a population of 467,713.
But in 1997, the senior Reggae Boyz, under the guidance of Brazilian technical director Rene Simoes, also chose Toluca as they prepared for the World Cup.
That team included Onandi Lowe, Peter Cargill, Steve 'Shorty' Malcolm, Aaron Lawrence, and Ian Goodison, and they were playing a practice match against local team Toros Neza, before all hell broke loose.
The game got very physical and one of the shortest players with the biggest heart, 'Shorty' Malcolm, clattered into an opponent and before he knew it, he was shoved all over the place by two players before his teammates went to his assistance. The rest is history.
Those memories still linger in the head of current technical director Walter Gama, who was a part of Simoes' coaching staff back then.
Gama was back on the same ground where the Jamaica Under-17 team trained on Wednesday evening and it jogged his memory.
"Hey, this is where we had the big fight. You remember," he asked?
Gama then held out his hands, about four feet high. "That short one... 'Shorty' Malcolm."
I answered, 'Yea'.
Replied Gama, "He went in," demonstrated how Malcolm had fouled the player.
"They pushed him," Gama continued, then showed the spot where first, Cargill, who was sitting in a small stand, sprang to his feet with his football boots in hand, and rained blows on Malcolm's attackers before it became an ugly free-for-all brawl.
During that uproar, even Simoes was hit as everyone bonded together and defended themselves against the locals.
Gama laughed as he reminisced and pointed to a spot where one particular Jamaican of the technical staff hid under a tree.
"Later, at the hotel, Simoes was angry. He said, 'where were you?'" as he reprimanded the person for what he deemed a cowardly act.
Fourteen years on, that fight of self- defence by the Reggae Boyz can still be seen on Youtube and at the end, it showed several players armed with stones, sticks and even a chair in a real moment of physical team bonding.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1OspnSInt
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