Football Lime at ‘Teesh’ funeral

IF one did not know the nature of the gathering at the Holy Trinity Cathedral yesterday, one could have easily mistaken the scene for another of those football limes at the PSA ground, Long Circular Road, St James in the 1970s. Occasion, however, was final tribute to the late Trinidad and Tobago football captain and Malvern stalwart defender Russell Tesheira, who died just under three weeks after celebrating his 53rd birthday and one day after Easter Monday.

Perhaps because the interior of the cathedral was packed beyond capacity, there were several ex-players and supporters of local football, Malvern in particular, liming on the perimeter. FIFA vice-president Jack Warner chucked his official duties at the UEFA Congress in far off Cyprus and flew back home especially to be part of the proceedings, along with Senator Roy Augustus; ex-teammate and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Eddie Hart; and Opposition Chief Whip and Member of Parliament Ganga Singh.

And there too were diehard Malvern supporters Duke and Janet Ifill and the boys from the Grissom Gang, a Sunday-morning football team which Tesheira led. Teammate and ex-Trinidad and Tobago skipper Ulric “Buggy” Haynes defied a slipped-disc, ex-national captain Selris Figaro, and ex-national half-back and Malvern coach Robbie Greenidge of course were there. “Natty” Pierre, Brian Bain, Anthony Smart and brother Wayne, Luciano Woodley and attorney Desmond Allum all attended Teshiera’s final tribute, to name just a few.

This prompted Duke to declare: “Like we back in PSA again boy!” There were programmes handed out to the congregation, in which was painted a “Portrait of a Friend... Russell Tesheira.” And it went on to describe  “Teesh” as he was popularly called by some as, “sunshine itself — and as the sun brightens all with its rays, so this gentle soul brought warmth and radiance to all around him.” The Football Lime all spoke of  “Teesh” and to a man alluded to his pleasant personality both on and off the field. To a fortunate few who played against and alongside “Teesh” he was known as “Last of the Redmen,” because of his “brown-skin” and his last-ditch tackles.

During matches, he wore a serious countenance, but still managed to flash that warming smile in the thick of combat. Many alluded to his warm-heartedness in his dealings with employees at CLICO where he grew from an underwriter to vice-president Sales and Agencies Administration over 30 years. Unpretentious, “Teesh” who grew up in tough Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain and the areas surrounding it, never let his meteoric rise in society to dull his thoughts for his boyhood friends with whom he played football and cricket “in de dry river.”

“Teesh” loved his culture and “beat pan” with All Stars Steelband and then played a big part in the Curepe steelband Sforzata. Go in peace “Teesh,” the “Last of the Redmen,” and as the portrait said, “today the sun that is Russell has set in this world but will continue to shine in our hearts.” Heartfelt condolences to his wife Karen, son Christopher and daughters Nicola and Coryse, brothers Emery and Ken, sisters Jessie and June and the rest of the Tesheira clan.