colombolions.com

[Mosquito]

FROM JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS TO ESPN AND THE FA CUP: THE HISTORY OF A FOOTBALL CLUB

On Saturday April 2, Colombo Lions FC will make history by becoming the first non-Sri Lankan team to play in the Holcim FA Cup. They will travel by team coach to Negombo to play their away match at New Rome SC. Win, lose or draw, the very fact of their admission to the competition is an acknowledgement by the Sri Lankan FA of the arrival of this new club on the block and of the contribution it has already made to football in and around Colombo, and not just on the pitch.

For on Thursday March 24th, ESPN's "Football Crazy" broadcast a 1 minute piece across Asia about Colombo Lions FC. The piece featured a Steve Ainsworth goal, information about the Charity Shield, the competition created by the Lions, and our website address. For members of the squad gathered in the POETS Bar at the British High Commission, it was a moment of tremendous pride and excitement. How far we have come since March 2003 when a bunch of lads from the British Council took a ball up to the Racecourse for an after work kickabout.

Rufus Nicholson, he of the bulging neck tendons and boot camp haircut, initiated it. In those first few weeks, he, James Claro, Dave Brining, Dave Collett, Rajeev Bakhshi, Amal, Anil, Haseen, Joe Iuliano and Adam Wattam played each other across the Racecourse pitch. We played in the burning sun, we played in the dark. We played in driving rain in April, getting soaked to the skin, sheltering in a tin hut, our cigarettes disintegrating in our fingers. We played a team of about 15 Singaporean kids on the running track behind the goal because the pitch was being used by Cosmos. It really was jumpers for goalposts, small boys in the park, dogs on the pitch and old folk walking through the goalmouth scrambles as they took their evening constitutionals.

Enter the High Commission. Around May 2003, Colin Hicks and Rufus made contact. The HC had a tennis court which they were keen to convert to a five-a-side pitch. A challenge was thrown down and so the famous, and much missed Monday five-a-sides were born. Colin, Mick Mitchell, Tony Mason and Sons, Paul Downing, Paul Brett and others took on the BC boys week after week. They wore red. We wore blue. Joe "Twinkle Toes" Iuliano popped in goals. Amal got his leg caught under the fence. Colin unleashed pile-driving shots. James went on mazy, Beckenbauer runs from defence to score wonderful solo goals, Hank chopped down Mick twice in as many minutes. Danny Mason danced through defenders. Dave C put balls into the American Embassy - it took weeks of diplomatic negotiation to persuade their Marine Colonel that it was just a football and weeks to persuade Amal he couldn't just climb over the wall and fetch it. Rajeev became The Puma and found himself a niche. Dave B signed up Cab Welch in the Cricket Club to become a regular goalkeeper and to coin a new phrase, "to be kicked in cabs", when he stopped a shot with his soft and danglies. The event grew. Mick had floodlights installed so we could play into the early evening. Tony had goals made. Games were fierce and competitive and there were times when respective bosses had to get involved to calm tempers. Colin sent his famous email. Tony O'Brien came to play. Dave C and Mick had face-to-face flare ups. We mixed up the teams, drank in the Ant and Gecko. Rufus and James left and new players joined - Stuart Wiffin, Lukas, Jake the American. There were days when we had 18 players and three five-a-side teams playing ten minute games. There were days when we had 3 - Dave B, Stuart and Paul Brett (and his kids). There were days when the rain lashed down and made the surface dangerous. More players came - Kevin Vernhout, Steve, Donaldhino, Raj Grewal, Karsten, Marlon, Matthew - and a bunch of raw young kids on vacation from university led by Johan Dias.

Matthew Lister arrived in April 2004 and was quickly brought into the fold. We said that Adam should ask potential Council employees two questions only in interview - are you from Yorkshire? and Do you play football? Matthew had played for Hanoi Capitals and felt that there was enough potential and enthusiasm among the Monday five-a-siders to form a similar club in Colombo. He asked if people would like to play an eleven-a-side on a Saturday at the Racecourse. He booked the pitch, got the opposition, and on August , the tentatively named Colombo Limes lined up against Old Anandians. We played in red. Rajeev and Rajeev collided on the edge of our penalty area and hospitalised each other, Puma with a cut under the chin, Raj with a dislocated shoulder from which he has still not recovered. Donalhino too did his shoulder. Karsten pulled a hamstring in the warm-up. We had more players at Apollo than on the pitch, but Colombo Casualties won the match 3-2, with Tony "Mad Dog" Mason, Mick "Sniffer" Mitchell and Johan Dias getting the goals and Mad Dog claiming the distinction of being the first player to score for the Lions. Paul Downing, at right back, was man of the match. We celebrated in style at POETS with Coronas and short eats prepared by the footballers' wives. It was an auspicious evening.

Before we knew it, we had a kit, regular Saturday night opposition, some great games and some great memories. Amal's ferocious tackling, Don getting booked for shouting "Spivey", a wonderful solo hat-trick by Seb Lawrence, Mosquito being clattered by Seaman in an aerial collision that left me winded, breathless, aching and bleeding yet still playing most of the second half - "Don't have a fag," said Matthew. "Your lungs'll seize up." "Have a fag," said Mick, "Your lungs'll get going again." Piling into a fleet of cars to drive back to POETs with "London Calling" on the cassette player. Trouncing Sangkar's XI 5-1 on a mud bath in the pouring rain. Stuart Wiffin, in his only game for the Lions, lashing home a penalty as we lost 3-1 (Mozzy's only game as captain ending in defeat). Lining up against the Referees' Association and realising there were suddenly twelve refs on the pitch - no arguing that day.

On a personal note, my top two games were last Saturday's win over Ratmalana (see Match Report), and the 2-2 draw with Moratuwa. This game ranks as my favourite. 2-1 down with a minute to play, darkness crowding in, playing in black shirts and day-glo orange shorts - a Hicks corner powered in by what has now become the trademark Lister header for 2-2 and the full-time whistle seconds later.

We lost the Racecourse - someone threw a grenade at a pop concert (Huh?) - and found a new home at the Hindu College in Layards Road. Monday night five-a-side stopped. It became 'Training' (basically 7-a-side on a full size pitch). We left the High Commission to play at the CR & FC. We abandoned our black and orange kits and adopted all white. We set up a website. We established a Charity Shield tournament with 6 invited teams and played at Royal College. The Lions fared badly but the tournament winners, Soccer Fans, in their vomit rainbow shirts, were worthy winners and paraded their trophy and gold medals with all the joy and pride that goes with winning any competition. We featured on Asia-wide television, and now the dream culminates in our date with destiny - the FA Cup First Round. If we could win it, what then?

How far we have come, and how far we could go. Who'd have thought it when, two years ago, Rufus Nicholson brought his football to work and invited us for a kickaround in the park?

Saturday night marked the last Lions' match for this club member. I'm leaving Sri Lanka in a few weeks' time and probably retiring (unless the Blacksmith's Arms in Newton-on-Ouse has a football team). I will close this brief history by saying simply "Thanks for the memories, the fun and, mostly, the companionship, and, in the time-honoured words of Mucky McManus, 'Break a few legs' on Saturday."


David "Mosquito" Brining

[Mucky]

Great review of our History so far but you could have mentioned at least one of Muckys goals?! :lol:

[Donaldinho]

Dave has done an excellent early history of the club but he has left out one tiny detail that explains a lot about us, and especially some of our results.

In order for any guest to understand our team properly they need to realise one thing. As an example, in the infamous FA Cup game against New Rome SC their oldest player was 24, and the average age was probably 21 across the team. Our starting back 5 ('keeper and flat back four) had a combined age of 200 years. We suffer a little when playing youngsters, but we probably have the best veteran's team in town.

[Mucky]

True you are all middle aged expanding mid-rift lager swilling ponses, but it's a privilege to play with you all! :lol:

[Leftback]

Would be interesting to see a weight ratio as well....