KC-Calabar Old Boys Stage David “Wagga” Hunt Memorial Football Classic
By Everton Bailey
Celebrating the Win
T
he Florida chapters of the Kingston College Old Boys Association and the Calabar Old Boys Association jointly hosted the Florida leg of the inaugural David Hunt Memorial Classic on Saturday, August 22nd at the Miramar Regional Park.
The event is the counterpart to the successful first leg staged in Jamaica on August 8th at the UWI Mona Bowl.
In the curtain-raiser, David “Buggo” Haughton Trophy match, a solid Cornwall College Old Boys team spearheaded by Chris Gordon and Sertan “Pele” Thompson defeated Munro Old Boys 3-0. The late David Haughton, who attended both KC and Cornwall and was actively involved in football administration in Jamaica, along with David Hunt and Dr. Alvin Lue, was a co-founder of Meadhaven Football Club which, under the guidance of Hunt, later dominated youth soccer in Jamaica. All three attended UWI together in the mid-1970s.
In the feature game, the David “Wagga” Hunt Trophy match, despite the wizardry of midfield maestro, Robert Doig, and the presence of veterans Richard “Bumpy” Henlon, Peter “Nuts” Bolton, and Peter Grant, Calabar succumbed 4-0 to a strong KC team. Led by former KC Manning Cup and Campbellsville University stand-outs Rodrick Brown and Machelle Goodison, and featuring the legendary Tino Ventura, KC used superior team speed to secure an early lead, and despite Calabar’s spirited efforts to get back in the game, steady defending by veterans Frank Marshall and Dean “Beenie” Panton, along with technically sound goal-keeping from the agile and ageless Mark “Soupbone” Johnson, ensured a comfortable victory. Several members on both teams were formerly coached by Hunt either at the school, club or national youth team level.
David Hunt trophy presentation
But on this day, at this event, the scores were insignificant.
Instead, in keeping with the values which were at the core of Hunt’s character and life’s work, a spirit of unity, camaraderie and sportsmanship was palpable throughout the day, and there was a general outpouring of affection toward the families, and respect and appreciation for the for the lives of the two men. Indeed, the conception, planning and execution of the event was marked by strong teamwork and coordination between the Florida chapters of the KC and Calabar Old Boys Associations with the central goal of honoring and memorializing Hunt’s contribution to Jamaican soccer in general and to KC and Calabar in particular. The event also generated solid support from the South Florida community which augers well for the coming years.
David Haughton trophy presentation
Both the extended Hunt family and the immediate family of David Haughton were in attendance.
"On the heels of a successful Jamaica leg, I must say I am equally pleased with the outcome and support garnered from the Florida leg. For an inaugural event, I must applaud both KC and C-BAR Florida Old Boys Associations for their dedication in planning and staging such a wonderful event. With the goal of helping two students (at KC and C-BAR) each year with a scholarship, David's name and legacy will be remembered," said Christopher Hunt, the youngest brother of David Hunt.
Tina Haughton, the wife of David Haughton, had this to say: “The tournament was indeed a special tribute to David who had spearheaded and implemented numerous soccer tournaments. He would have proudly represented his alma mater Cornwall College, an institution that was close to his heart. It was indeed an honor for our children Malik and Makeda to present the David ‘Buggo’ Haughton trophy to Cornwall College. David particularly enjoyed spending time with family and friends and would certainly have enjoyed the camaraderie of the day. We express our gratitude to our friends, the Hunt family, for including David in this memorial as we pay tribute to our loved ones David ‘Buggo’ Haughton and David ‘Wagga’ Hunt. Special thanks also to the organizers of this event.”
A common sentiment among attendees is that, if nothing else, the appreciation of the families made the event all the more gratifying and fulfilling.
The event was a success due primarily to the hard work of the joint organizing committee comprised of Dougie Streete, Michael Schloss, Ricky Harding, Kirk Ennis, Dwight Robinson, Freddy Mills, and Everton Bailey.
Corporate donor, Publix Supermarket, provided food for the event and Ronnie Burke of WAVS, along with Peter Webley of Caribbean Today, were instrumental in helping to promote the event.
Proceeds from both events will go toward establishing a scholarship at KC and Calabar, respectively, to commemorate the memory of David “Wagga” Hunt.
Hunt, a KC Old Boy, had a passion for football and dedicated his life to the sport and was deeply committed to his players’ well-being both on and off the field. He was a former Jamaica National Under-17 coach, a KC, Calabar, and Meadowbrook Manning Cup coach, and led Calabar to both Manning and Oliver Shield titles before his untimely passing in October 2007 from a heart attack.
