Jamaica Soccer Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts has paid heartfelt tribute to Boysie Nicholson, the veteran Nationwide participant and Reno FC stalwart, following his passing earlier this week after a protracted battle with Parkinson’s Illness.
Ricketts hailed Nicholson as a “tower of energy” in Jamaica’s soccer historical past, recognizing his vital contributions to each membership and nation.
“Boysie had a robust character, which labored effectively for each membership and nation. He was a tower of energy in midfield,” Ricketts stated in his assertion. “He has been ailing for some years, and the Father has known as him dwelling. We hope he’ll discover everlasting relaxation.”
An iconic determine in Westmoreland’s soccer scene
Nicholson, affectionately generally known as ‘Bengeleng,’ was an iconic determine in Westmoreland’s soccer scene and performed a vital position in Reno FC’s golden period within the Nineties. His contributions helped the membership safe three Nationwide Premier League titles, and his affect prolonged past the sphere as he transitioned from participant to teach, mentoring a era of footballers who would later signify Jamaica on the nationwide stage.
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Reno FC’s former goalkeeper and present Westmoreland Soccer Affiliation President, Everton Tomlinson, fondly remembered his teammate as a fearless and combative participant. “He was a kind of combative midfielders who was prepared to present 100 per cent each time,” Tomlinson advised the Jamaican media. “No matter how hostile the crowds have been in a few of our away video games, he was not one to again down. He was a kind of never-say-die gamers.”
Nicholson’s legacy lives on by means of the gamers he impressed, together with former nationwide stars Caple ‘Corntail’ Donaldson, Michael ‘Jim Dandy’ Graham, and Aaron ‘Wild Boy’ Lawrence, lots of whom seemed as much as him throughout their early days with Reno FC. Tomlinson emphasised that Nicholson was instrumental in shaping the soccer expertise of western Jamaica, which contributed to Jamaica’s historic qualification for the 1998 World Cup.
An enduring mark in schoolboy soccer
Past his contributions on the membership stage, Nicholson made a long-lasting mark in schoolboy soccer, guiding Frome Technical Excessive College to victory within the 2003 daCosta Cup, a coveted title in rural Jamaican soccer. Even in his later years, his ardour for the sport remained undiminished as he continued to play and coach, sharing his wealth of data with younger gamers.
Nicholson’s passing marks the fifth lack of a Reno FC stalwart lately, following the deaths of fellow nationwide gamers Caple Donaldson, Calvin ‘Wappy’ Valentine, and the Pringle brothers, Desmond ‘Massive Head’ Pringle and Cecil ‘Silla’ Pringle.
As Jamaica mourns the lack of a real soccer legend, Nicholson’s enduring legacy as a mentor, participant, and coach will eternally stay a cornerstone of Jamaican soccer.
