George `T’ created the centerpiece of one of the greatest eras in the history of Kingston College sports. It’s as simple as that!
Some might even go further and say – the greatest era in all of Caribbean schoolboy sports. But regardless, a grand time was had by all in Jamaica, in those glory days of 1964 and 1965.
At the same time when Kingston College football was in its heyday, the school was in the midst of its celebrated extended winning runs in track & field and in cricket as well. One hand, they say, washes the other. But George `T’ held the soap. He and his charges lifted all boats.
No schoolboy who represented Kingston College at anything during that era – from the Debating Society to the relatively obscure Gymnastics Program, wanted to be tagged as the one who let things down.
Scholars and management gurus are always eager to suggest - probably for the sake of lining their pockets – that leaders are made. But George `T’ with his quiet command, loudly debunked that theory. Leaders are born.
In the book Cricket’s Brightest Summer where L.D. `Strebor’ Roberts chronicled the historic 1960-61 West Indies cricket tour of Australia, Wes Hall, in talking about his skipper the late Sir Frank Worrell said: “we would have walked on water for him.” And on learning of Thompson’s passing, Neville Oxford, his star right-winger, said as much about his beloved coach: “He was the type (of coach) that players would give their all for; you would do anything he asked.” Such was the power of his leadership: He got them to do what he wanted them to do.
No doubt, all of George `T’s players, particularly those who played for him in the 1964 and 65 KC football teams were very highly skilled. But they came from varied backgrounds, and some were touchier than others.
Michael Vernon (center), a protege of George "T."
They needed to be honed. Skill’ alone (no pun intended), could not do it. And that’s where George `T’ came in.
Winning breeds happiness, and as exemplified by the close-knittedness of the group of men who played for him in those glory days, not even dynamite can blast them asunder: even to this day. Thompson had built something to stay.
Fittingly, he is revered far and beyond North Street and so are the men who played for him. Fellows like Michael Vernon (center): One of George `T’s protégés.
Derrick Bryan, Bunny Fisher, Trevor Harris, Dennis Johnson, Tony Keyes, `Patu’ Kirkwood, Lloyd McLean, Marley Miller, Frank Morant, Neville Oxford and Michael Vernon, to name a few, helped to galvanize Kingston’s society in their time. And one would not be far-fetched in singling out George Thompson as the leader – the one who set the tone, the one who stirred the drink.
George instilled a solid work ethic, compassion, comradeship, discipline, fun, generosity, humility, punctuality, selflessness, self-sacrifice, serenity, smartness, stick-to-itiveness, and ruthlessness, ie:- all of the components vital for success. George T was `born’, not `made’.
And how can I forget Missa `T’? On August 26, 1970, he chaperoned me on my first airplane ride, to Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. to attend the wedding of his closest protégé – Tony Keyes. And again, a grand time was had by all.
