Local football is mourning the loss of former Devonshire Colts, North Village and Devonshire Cougars midfielder Clevie Campbell whose body was discovered on a construction site on the corner of Angle and Brunswick Streets over the weekend.

Campbell, 42, began his career playing for North Village Red Devils in the former Bermuda Football Association Bantam League and represented the Island at the youth level in the early 1970s.

The long-time Khyber Pass, Warwick, resident also played for Devonshire Colts in the late 1970s and for Conquering Lions in the former Eastern Soccer League before enjoying two playing stints at Devonshire Cougars in the ?80s and early ?90s.

Campbell, the second former Cougars player to pass away this year, last played for Devonshire in the BFA Premier Division.

Earlier this year Cougars bade farewell to another club stalwart, Heys Johnson, father of current Cougars striker Heys Wolfe and brother of former PHC Zebras player Kallan Johnson.

An imposing figure, standing over six feet tall and once rated as one of the Island?s brightest prospects, Campbell would later link up with another towering Cougars forward, Phillip Clarke, to form a lethal combination in attack.

?He (Campbell) liked to joke around. But when it came down to playing football he took things very seriously because he always wanted to win,? recalled Clarke yesterday.

?He would always put his best foot forward when it came to playing the game and it was nice to play alongside him because at the time we (Cougars) had two big strikers and we worked pretty well together.?

Clarke said Campbell had stunned many by returning to the sport at a time when several of his former team-mates had retired.

?He surprised many people when he returned to play in his mid thirties . . . and he did very well,? said Clarke.

?He was rated as one of the Island?s most talented youth players during his time along with Owen Amory (deceased Cougars striker) and Charlie Emery (deceased Village striker).?

Coach saved

by cycle helmet

The importance of wearing a helmet was driven home on the eve of last week?s CD&P Grand Prix when junior triathlon coach and cyclist Christopher Harkness escaped major injuries after toppling from his bike on Thursday morning.

Harkness said he ?shuddered to think? what condition he would have been left in had he not been wearing the protective headgear.

Harkness was on an an early morning training session near Spittal Pond in Smith?s when he hit an unknown object in the road and was catapulted over the handle bars landing on the back of his head.

But his helmet did exactly what it was designed to do ? cracking in numerous places and absorbing much of the impact.

Left dazed and confused, the rider was offered a lift to hospital from where he was later released suffering only from a headache, road rash and bruising.

?My helmet saved me from what could have been extremely serious head injuries. I shudder to think what state I would be in if I wasn?t wearing it,? said Harkness.

Karate kid shines

Twelve-year-old brown belt Malachi Darrell created a stir in Mesa, Italy over the weekend when he captured the boys? ten to 12 age group Zenji-Ryu World Championship title.

Darrell, who attends Spicelands Middle School in Warwick, has been involved in the martial arts since the age of seven and currently trains under sensi Roots Phillips at the Zenji-Ryu Karate School located in St.Paul?s AME Church auditorium in Paget.

The youngster was part of a local contingent that travelled to Europe to compete in the international event.