HISTORY
A number or the teams and participants in the Tampa Albion Masters Soccer events played soccer together with beginnings in preparatory and elementary school, through high school and college. Others participated in the Albion League, a soccer tournament for midgrade high schoolers in Kingston Jamaica during the seventies.
Many players migrated to the United States and attended various colleges and universities on soccer scholarships. Rich in cultural diversity and soccer talents, New York City, Washington DC and South Florida yielded a number of strong soccer teams like Santos of NY, founded in 1974, Real Caribe, Sons of Negus, Tafari, Mandela United, Kandia, Midlanders, Menelik and Jamaica Nationals to name a few.
Albion league in Jamaica was fairly well run by its organizer,
Teddy Mowatt, and evoked all our competitive spirits. Among the many
good teams in the league, the primary rivalry existed between Benefica, a
star studded team with talent from all the top schools, Kingston College, Jamaica College , Wolmers, Calabar and Campion College. The other team was Mona, a
truly cohesive neighborhood team. Mona always seemed to have upper hand
in that rivalry, thanks to local residents who supported them well and after all, the battlefield was their home field, Buttercup Park. ......Continued below.
Nonetheless, it was a healthy rivalry and out of it many lifetime friendships were
born. Those of us, myself included, who played with Benefica wonder how
Mona managed to beat us in one particular game. The answer to that is
known by a few, the likes of Roger Gordon-Martin, Dennis Jenkins and Gregory
"Peggo" Reid who witnessed some neighborhood girl, name unknown, or
rather, not to be mentioned here, that kicked a Benefica free kick out of
the net to deny us a goal. Unfortunately, the referee did not see it and
Benefica went on to lose the match. Oh well, that's life as they say.
Let us see how we do 35 to 40 years later in the Tampa Albion Masters FRIENDLY round robins. Whatever the outcome, we are certain to have fun, laughter and great camaraderie.
Benefica 1975 Team Picture: Back Row L- R. C Fisher (Wol), J. Sinclair (JC All Manning, Ja Juveniles), McPherson McP( CBar AM JJ), Bobby Lue (STGC AM), P.Rhoden Manager, H. (stitch) Fisher, Coach.
Middle Row: ??? (Wol), L. Allen (Wol), B. Watson (KC), Michael. (Ratty) Edwards(KC, AM JJ), Berry (Wol), Linwall "Chukko" "Far I" Tucker (STGC); Andrew "Banjo" Reid(Campion C.)
Front Row: G. Peggo Reid(JC), Billy Perkins(Wol), ???, Earl "chimpy Markes(JC), Peter pedro Grant (CBar / Wol AM), Martin "Woody" Woodstock (JC, AM JJ) N. Pennycooke (JC AM)
Benefica Players Missing from Team picture: Deswick "Ranny Bop" Wallace RIP (KC, Wol) '74 , Denny Brodber, Greg "Otto" Phillips (KC)'74 , Leroy " Barnabus Collins" Dias (KC, Vere, JJ) '74 , Junior " Ska" Hilton (KC); Deryck Minto (JC)'74 ; Courtney " Mouse" Griffiths (KC)'74, Colin Williams (Wol)
Benefica Brazil Style Photo 1975 Benefica bench crew watching the match 1975
"Brodber in the picture with his
back to the camera."Dat
f***er probably deh pon a red card suspension as usual." -
Banjo 2011
| BENEFICA MASTERS | MONA ALBION MASTERS |
| Basil Watson | Graham Boothe |
| Derrick Minto | Roger Martin |
| Courtney Fisher | Richard (Slick) Lawson |
| Hugh Fisher | Paul Farr |
| Larry Allen | Leslie Farr |
| Berrie | Monty Brown |
| Peter Grant | Douglas Stiebel |
| Martin Woodstock | Herbert Philp |
| Richie Stephenson | David Griffiths |
| Gregory Reid (Peggo) | Richard Nix |
| Andrew Reid | Stephen Bond |
| Leroy Dias | Dennis Jenkins |
| Haniff Ludford | Ian Gage |
| Courtney Griffiths ( Mouse) | Junior Henry |
| Linky | David Robotham |
| Gregory Phillips | John(Pinny) Lawson |
| Linwall "Fari" Tucker | Robert Lawson |
| Michael "Ratty" Edwards | Errol McDonald |
| Mac P Bobby Lue |
Jimmy Sinclair |
| Carlyle Holder | |
| Deswick "Ranny" Wallace RIP | Pat Chin, RIP |
| Junior "Ska" Hilton RIP | Paxton Rose, RIP |
| Haniff Ludford RIP 11/24/2022 | John Deeks, RIP |