The jersey of one of the greatest footballers Somerset Trojans has ever produced is to be officially retired during an entire day honouring his legacy.

The number three shirt, which was worn throughout his career by defender Rudy Minors, will be retired when Somerset Cricket Club host the Rudy Minors Memorial Football Festival Masters Tournament on Saturday.

“Our intention is to retire Rudy Minors’ jersey and we are going to take all day to celebrate his legacy,” said Somerset management committee member Michael Corday, himself a former winger.

“The day will start at 11am with an opening ceremony and Mr Clyde Best will be offering opening remarks, and then we have a masters tournament that involves PHC, North Village, St George’s and ourselves.

“That’s going to go through the day and we are also going to showcase our Peewee players midway through that. Then we are going to have the prize presentation to honour the club players who won the triple crown three years in a row, which is unprecedented.

“Rudy was also a coach when the Big Blue Machine won the Carifta gold medal so we are also going to honour the Somerset Bluebirds players who were on the national softball team. We are going to honour them and then our intention is to retire Rudy’s jersey in a ceremony immediately following that.”

Late Trojans captain Minors died in April 2012 at the age of 69 following a long illness.

He is best remembered as the man who captained Trojans to three successive triple crown championships (League, Friendship Trophy and FA Cup) in the late 1960s.

His football career began at West End Rovers but he eventually became a Trojan after Rovers and Somerset Colts amalgamated in the 1960s to become what is known today as Somerset Cricket Club.

“Rudy Minors is a legend,” Corday added. “He was captain for 27 years straight and he also coached Somerset’s senior football team and softball team.

“He holds so much respect up Somerset, he was just one of those guys that demanded respect. He didn’t have a big booming voice. He was quiet and soft-spoken, but when he spoke it was loud.

“Everybody, youth players and senior players had so much respect for Rudy.”

Minors’s former Trojans team-mate, Larry ‘Muscles’ Hunt, described the late player as a great leader at the time of his passing.

“Rudy could have skippered a world eleven, that’s how good he was,” Hunt said. “He was definitely a giant and well respected.

Minors left his mark on the international stage and was a member of the Bermuda national team that won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1967.

The player’s jersey was originally scheduled to be retired prior to the start of Trojans’ 2012-13 home opener with a framed jersey set to be put on display before plans were put on hold.

Saturday’s activities form part of Somerset Cricket Club’s Anniversary Week 2023, which kicked off with management and members attending a church service at Methodist Church last Sunday.

The week’s events include a Member’s Appreciation night, Sweetheart Bingo Night, Games Night, Seniors Tea, Happy Hour, President’s Dinner and culminates with Somerset Trojans’ Premier Division match against Hamilton Parish at Wellington Oval on Sunday.

“Every year on the anniversary of our club we have a week of celebration,” Corday said. “We put on a big week for the members of the community and it’s a lot of fun.”