The TOP 5 ALL TIME best soccer players of Gros-Morne Haiti

Growing up in Gros-Morne Haiti, soccer competition was a huge source of distraction/entertainment. Who can forget the rivalry "Criminal versus Union" of the mid to late 1970's, or a specific game in the small soccer field (we called it then "ti-terrain") like Criminal-ColoColo that ended with a manifestation with a chant that is still in my mind "Criminal ou pa bezouin cryé, ColoColo kalé'w", like a nice victory of Gros-Morne over Bassin Bleu, a surprise victory of Bolide over Criminal 3-1, when Juventud took anybody by surprise and won a tournament with its key players (Ariole Jacques, Rest In Peace (RIP), and Barrieto, and Roland RIP), or teams like Flamand Noirs or Eteincelle. We can't forget the endless discussions before and after a match, the small fights (Ricot Telfort vs Abdallah (RIP), A guy named "Lequel" who was at his best when he plays barefoot, the interschool competition (kay frè, national, industriel). We are still investigating how soccer started in Gros-morne and myself being out of Gros-Morne since Summer 1977, then Haiti since 1993, I may have missed key milestones in this movement. In fact, We may have been unfair to the post 1986, new/actual generations.

My memory of guys that keep the soccer story alive then was:

-"Maitre Jean Claude Richard, with a great knowledge of the game, great technician in the middle field, great organizer and coach,

-Roland Toussaint (FIFA) of course, this guy has worked hard with no money and resources to help soccer in Gros-Morne

-Maitre Reynald Jacques (Ti Ré), Great guy, Great teacher/motivator, Great recruiter (had a smart way to recruit the best players (Guys living in Gros-Morne, Living in port-au-prince or overseas but spending vacation time in Gros-Morne...you named it, If a guy can play, that guy will be in Ti Ré's radar and will wear the criminal jersey. He was always in the field every day (rain or shy) coaching/motivating others (including players from all other teams); If my memory served me right, Ti Ré was in the field a day when he was getting married...lol...sorry Ti Ré...I had to get that out of my guts....smile

-The various coaches, player-coaches, organizers, referees a la Maitre Loris (RIP), a la maitre Reynold Fragé (RIP), Alfred Jean, Maitre Louis Belfort, Anniset Richard, Gerard Dubousquet etc.. who fueled this machine that soccer was for us.

My sincere apologies if I forgot some key names in this blog. As I said, I am still calling people regarding this great story in Gros-Morne's life. It will be your turn to post your own story and anything that has an impact on you in your own way.

I have conducted a survey over the past few weeks of who some think will make the list of the TOP best 5 soccer players of all time of Gros-Morne. The range of answers I had was overwhelming. You will agree it is generation based, but what's the heck, you have the rights to name who you know or who you feel like.

The survey is being populated in an excel spreadsheet. At the end we will publish the 5 guys who appear the most in everybody's best 5. I will print a nice T-shirt with their names and preferred number in the back and Gros-morne All time TOP 5 around a soccer ball in the front and ship it to them wherever they are. In case of a dead person, their family will have it.

Just a glimpse of the answers I had from the 80+ people I surveyed already:

Ricot Casimir (NJ, USA) picks: Francilot Moise, Rony Belmar, Pepito, Bazelais Telemaque, Jean-Rubin jeannot

Luc Herve Fragé (FL, USA) picks: Shoubert Dauphin, Francilot Moise, Jean-Rubin, Rony Belmar, Pradel (remember Pradel....He plays for Bolide he says)

Marc Antoine ST-Louis (FL, USA) picks: Francilot Moise, Gilbert Audigé, Marco Laboni (boss marco/Imaco), Rony Belmar, and Pepito.

Frantz Henry (NJ, USA) picks: Bazelais Telemaque, Dany Altiné, Jacques Cadet/Abel Richard, Francilo Moise, Wilfrid Metus.....he (Frantz henry) almost put himself in the list as you can remember he played for Eteincelle then Criminal back then...smile.

Lucner Archelus (Gros-Morne Haiti) picks: Timothé Lucien, ZaZi, Shoubert Dauphin (ti Chou), Francelot Moise, Ariole jacques

Blain Casimir (GA, USA) picks: Francilot Moise, Pepito, Bazelais Telemaque, Jean-Rubin Jeannot, Ariole Jacques.

Getro Jesse (montreal Canada) picks: Francilot Moise, Bazelais Telemaque, Jean-Rubin Jeannot, Ariole Jacques, Pepito

Max Vilfort, yours truly (GA USA) picks: Francilot Moise, Shoubert Dauphin (ti Chou), Ariole Jacques, Jacques Richard, Bazelais Telemaque

Maitre Louis Belfort (Montreal CA) picks: Loris, Jacques Richard, Salnave Belmar, Manno Isaac, Ariole Jacques

As you can see, the picks are wide open. Just use the comments link to add your name, your email address (optional), where you live now, and tell us your best 5 (5 only). We understand it might be a guy you saw play very little like Abdallah, Dany Altiné, Koyi, Loris, Butler, or Barrieto. Due to your age you might not remember seeing Francilot, Shoubert Dauphin or Rony Belmar, or Ti Gomez play, so feel free to name people of your age, people you saw playing or did something in a game or a tournament that you still remember to this day. If anybody remembers the right spelling of a name, the last name of a guy named here, any little story regarding a player, feel free to share this with us.

Enjoy and let's have some fun until we move to another subject like the teachers who influenced us growing up, any love story (the girls/boys you could not get out of your mind when you were still 9 till 14+ years old), the mentors you shape your life after, how we can help Gros-morne in our own ways etc....

Email this link http://grosmorneconnection.blogspot.com/ to your friends, encourage them to participate. The survey is open till End of November, we are hoping to have 500+ answers.

Be well and let's keep the faith

Max Vilfort
mvilfort@gmail.com