In a recent letter to the Sports Editor of , Recman made some significant observations about the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame. I agree with him and should like to add a few thoughts of my own.

With reference to Earl (Townsey ) Russell?s reported comments, I am in total sympathy with Earl. Nevertheless, when the time comes for his induction, I hope he will reconsider his decision not to accept the invitation. No Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame can be complete without Earl Russell.

Russell belonged to one of the great periods of Bermuda football. Play was of a surprisingly high standard for a small Island like Bermuda. A major component was the presence of British military units. They fielded teams in the local sports competitions, as did visiting Royal Navy ships. Recruits from Britain who joined the Bermuda Police Force played regularly for Bermuda teams as well. They all contributed much needed ?outside? competition.

It was a time of social segregation. Clubs with black players played in the Bermuda Football League (BFL). White players were in the Bermuda Football Combination (BFC ).

I had never seen a BFL match until I became a reporter for the Mid-Ocean News in 1947. The paper was an afternoon daily. I also drew an occasional BFC assignment. So I saw all the leading players regularly.

The top BFL clubs were Pembroke Juniors and Key West Rangers. Earl Russell played for Key West. Juniors had his equal in Cyril (Scorchy ) Baxter. They were inside forwards as featured in the former ?W? formation. Both were talented natural playmakers.

Russell was the deadlier goalscorer. Baxter was a skilled dribbler, whose deft touches were worthy of a full-time professional.

They were seen on the same side only in BFL representative games. I felt then that I was watching the two best inside forwards Bermuda ever produced. Sixty years later, my opinion remains the same.

I simply cannot believe that Shaun Goater , during his stellar professional career, ever had two players on either side of him superior to Cyril Baxter and Earl Russell. If they have not already been inducted into the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame, they should be.

I don?t think we should condemn the Hall of Fame committee. Whatever initial faults they may have could largely be due to a lack of experience.

Recman points to the apparent difficulty relatively young committee members have in considering performers from eras prior to their own. This is a major problem and must be solved satisfactorily if the Hall of Fame is to have the standing it deserves.

Research is the answer. Without an adequate amount of it, decisions will tend to be based on hearsay and/or personal observation. These factors can be of some value, but not to the exclusion of hard recorded facts, if they are available.

Don?t let the word ?research? frighten you. It?s vital. It?s necessary. It?s exciting. It?s fun! Sources are wherever you can find them. The most common and, therefore, the most productive include club and personal records, scrapbooks, especially newspaper reports which can be found in microfilmed reels at the Reference Section of the Bermuda Library.

Of course, the farther back you go sources become more scarce. We have to strike a balance between what is available and those who can corroborate hard written facts. The goal is to do an adequate job.

At the beginning, however, the grandfather clause should apply in the interest of getting started and have a sufficient number of inductees to provide a basic appearance that it really is a hall of fame. From then on qualification should be more thorough.

Here are a few names from farther back who surely will eventually be inducted: Gladys Hutchings (1920s) reached the quarter-finals of the US Ladies Championship. Heather (Nicholls) Brewer advanced to a later round at Wimbledon in the 1950s.Many prospective candidates. Arnold Woollard became the first Bermudian to play in the English Football League when he signed a contract with Newcastle United. Austin Hughes, Ralph Pengelly , Sam Seymour, Willie Mowbray and Larry Swain easily come to mind.Ford Hutchings, Mrs. Bobby Park (1950s).They could have a hall of fame to themselves. Neville and Reggie Conyers played in Bermuda?s first international in 1912 against one of the strongest Australian teams ever assembled. Neville had match bowling figures of 11 wickets for 92 runs. I believe Arthur West set a record of four catches in an innings for an international in the same 1912 match that still stands.Ellis White (1950s).Kenneth Gutteridge (1930s).Kenneth Trimingham, DeForest Trimingham, Bert Darrell, Archie Hooper, James Kempe , James Pearman and many others in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

A few more thoughts on research. You never know what you might discover. That?s what makes it exciting. Some years ago I was researching my way through reels of microfilm at the Library, seeking information on a specific cricketer.

By chance I came across two matches (several years apart) in which Clarence Parfitt had taken all 10 wickets in an innings. To my astonishment, his team lost one of them. Apparently, Clarence was unplayable at one end while, at the other end, the batsmen had thrashed the bowling for a winning margin. Without research, these gems in Parfitt?s brilliant career would have been lost to posterity.

Again, while collecting material from the library for the complete story of the 1912 visit to Bermuda of the Australians, I was startled to read a story on the front page of a edition of 1912. It was about a man who visited the doctor complaining of pain in his stomach. Upon examination, it was discovered he had swallowed a small live fish! I am not suggesting that this should be grounds for introducing a new category into the Hall of Fame - but it does deserve a home somewhere! The headline for the story was ?Jonah in Reverse?.

About the Hall?s initial intake. Last year?s inaugural number was 10. I believe it was the same this year. At this stage 20 is far too few. Sport in Bermuda goes back well over 100 years. Anything less than 200 to start with suggests it would take forever to catch up. For this group, minimal qualifications need only be required. I really can?t visualise anybody ?sneaking in? who shouldn?t.

Above all, we must create a hall of fame in keeping with the memory of Chummy Hayward, whose dream it was originally. He should be enshrined as Bermuda?s greatest sporting treasure of all time.

I wonder whatever happened to that magnificent office Chummy maintained in which to conduct his many business interests. It was a true Bermuda hall of fame, filled with memorabilia he had personally collected from around the world.

There was an incredible amount of correspondence, tributes and photographs.

All the present Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame really had to do at the beginning was build on Chummy?s . Where is it all now? Can I hope Chummy?s office has remained unchanged, and is exactly what it was when he presided over his lifetime?s sporting memories with such affection and pride. Let us bask in the glory of his vision and achievement. I doubt we shall ever see his like again.

I want to thank Recman for his flattering suggestion that I should become part of the Hall of Fame committee. Unfortunately, this no longer would be practical, as I no longer live in Bermuda. Even if I did, I think I could serve better in the area of research.