Striker ‘Putty’ Lewis dies

TRINIDAD and Tobago have lost another stalwart sporting personality. This time it is ex-national footballer Carlton “Putty” Lewis who died in the United States, where he migrated several years ago. The 78-year-old “Putty” was buried in New York last Friday. “Putty” as Lewis was popularly called, was a member of Malvern, known in the 1940s until the late 1970s as the Woodbrook “Glamour Boys” who swept most of the trophies in the then Trinidad Amateur Football Association (TAFA). Fans of that era will remember “Putty” either speeding down the right wing to send some pin-point centres to team-mates Fedo Blake or Carlton “Squeakie” Hinds. Or cutting in himself from the right to deliver one of his power-packed right-foot shots on goal.

He was also a member of the “Fabulous Five” Malvern forward line which was selected and played together against Guyana and Jamaica in a triangular series in front the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain in 1947. The quintet was “Putty,” Hinds, Blake, Phil Douglin and Lio Lynch. This bunch led Malvern to win the Best Dark Virginia (BDV) Cup in 1946 while still campaigning in the TAFA Second Division. For this remarkable feat, Malvern beat arch-rivals Maple, the FA Trophy winners of that year in the semi-final and then hammered 1946 league champions Sporting Club in the final. Following their 1946 campaign in the Second Division which they won, Malvern were promptly promoted to the top First Division bracket and thrilled fans for several years before falling on hard times recently.