Billy Griffith, one of Cavalier FC outstanding footballers of the early 1960’s passed away recently in Florida.

A former Cornwall College , All Schools, and Jamaica representative of Jorge Penna selections, Griffith is rated one of the best schoolboy footballers of all time.

He was a member of the Cornwall College team that won the DaCosta Cup and shared the Oliver Shield with St George’s College in 1959. He also represented his school at cricket and won the long jump class 2 at Boys Champs 1960.

With limited opportunity for topflight senior football in western Jamaica, Leighton Duncan recruited Griffith who responded to ‘the call of the ball’ and ran out for the Kingston based Cavalier FC In KSAFA division 2 in 1964. Despite the long distance of travel from Montego Bay to Kingston ,he was part of a team that carried the ‘Duncan Destroyers’ to their first ever titles –the All island Ovaltine KO and KSAFA Division 11 championship. At the club, he played alongside the likes of Mutty Scott, the Welsh and Pearce twins, ‘Big Win’ Smith, Neville Oxford ,Peter Crooks and Errol Chen. Although playing on an off because of transportation problem ,Griffith assisted Cavalier to the KSAFA division 1 title with a 7-2 victory over Real Mona in 1965.

Griffith went off the island to play in one of the first US professional leagues in St Louis in the latter part of the 60’s.

He returned to the island in the 1970’s and donned the colours of Santos ,a team which was dominating the JFF National League at that time.

A memorial service for Billy Griffith was held at Trinity Church, Westgate, St James on Thursday, July 15.