With the aim to improve lives and instil character, unity and sportsmanship among young men in the community via football, Devonshire Colts paid tribute to former players who personify those values during an inaugural Hall of Fame ceremony at CedarBridge Academy last Saturday.

Amid all the glitz and glamour of the gala banquet proudly stood members of Colts' very first team ? a nucleus of players that ultimately paved the way for future generations to follow.

Leroy (Nibs) Lewis, Walter Stevens, Calvin (Bum) Simmons, Raymond Morgan, Arnold Todd, Charles Phipps, Phillip Pearson, Kenneth Richardson, Alexander Romeo, Cecil Durham, Lionel Darrell, Delwyn Trott, Onslow Grant, Earl (Gabby) Hart, Clarence Richardson, Edward Fox, the late Braxton Burgess (assistant coach) and the late Edward De Jean (coach) were each honoured for past achievements ? both on and off the pitch ? and forever enshrined in Colts' proud history.

Devonshire Colts Football Club officially joined the former Bermuda Football League (BFL) in the mid-1960s.

The late De Jean was responsible for establishing Colts in the late 1950s with a team comprised of players from Howard Academy and Berkeley Institute.

Colts disbanded in the early 60s when many of the club's players travelled abroad for studies but later joined the BFL in 1965 ? the same year they clinched the Second Division championship.

Devonshire captured a first domestic major title in 1971/72 when they won the First Division (Premier) championship and first cup title (Martonmere Cup) in 1972/73.

Since then Colts have continued to produce some of the best footballers ever to grace these shores and successful men in local society.

Hall of Fame inaugural inductee, Stevens, 65, is just one of many success stories at Colts.

"Those were good days in the sense it was fun football," he recalled. "Everyone had joy playing the game and it was really fun and we all had great moments."

Stevens, a former Colts left full back, is also a past deputy principal at Sandy's Secondary School where he taught mathematics for over a quarter of a century.

"Mr. De Jean (former principal of Howard Academy) really inspired me. I actually decided to become a teacher because of him," he added.

Hart, 63, described last Saturday's gala event as "touching".

"It was really a humbling experience for me to be honoured by Devonshire Colts," he said. "I wasn't a founding father . . . I was a founding son. The founding fathers were Mr.De Jean and Mr.Burgess."

Hart previously suited up for Colts as a winger and the all-conquering Social Club Bluebirds team that dominated the local football scene in the 1960s.

"It was great just to be associated with that quality of player and the camaraderie was always there even though I came from Berkeley," Hart continued. "Howard Academy was the opposition then but just to be in the midst of such quality players gave me a great sense of satisfaction.

"From the time we were in training to the time we went on to the pitch, we always aimed for perfection. Not just on the field of play, but also off it and Mr. De Jean was very instrumental in that and he was a very good role model for the entire community."

After enjoying a successful playing career, Hart went on to become principal of the former Warwick Secondary School and he also taught at Berkeley Institute and the Robert Crawford school.

"Mr. De Jean was a good mentor. It wasn't all about learning how to play soccer but how to become a well-rounded citizen," added Hart. "He taught us much about life and we all benefited from that. We were a great family of players and we all fed off each other."