Sports Snapshots of Hanover History

Soccer (Football)
 
The Lucea  Boys Brigade  27th Company became the first football team to win the inaugural all-island championship Willie Delisser football trophy in 1955, defeating the 31st Lionel Town BB 2-0, and next won it 2/05/1957 defeating May Pen BB 4-0.

Rusea's High School has won the DaCosta Cup 10 times for the rural area supremacy, and won and shared the all-island Oliver Shield 6six times.

The Royal Hampshire Regiment ‘B’ team in 1959 & the ‘A’ team on 11/19/1960, they were the first foreign team to play football in Lucea. The Hanover Parish team beat the ‘B’ team 4-3 at the Barracks field, and the ‘A’ team were beaten 3-2 at the opening of Watson Taylor Park.

Hanover Football League – List of teams that played  from 1954-1966: Rusea's High (with staff), Rusea's Old Boys, Big Well Lane, Town Team, Haughton Gardens, Boys Brigade Old Boys/Hot Spurs, Rectory, Johnson Town. Knockalva, Sandy Bay and Hopewell account for the other Hanover .

Lucea Corner League – Michael Kelly,  Rusea’s High School history teacher spearheaded a most impressive corner league football competition in the late 1970s. The competition was unique in many ways, one of which was the points system which scored points for throw-in (1 point), corner (3 points) and goal (9 points). This system eliminated the need for replays, and caused every match to end with a result.

Cricket
 
Charles McLarty Morales is the first Lucean to play cricket for Jamaica. Charlie partner with George Headley 211 Charlie 83 against Lord Tennyson's touring XI 2/10/1928. Bio: Oxford University Rhodes Scholar, Oriel College, WWI Vet Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery, wife Minna Isabel Heron (nee Walcott), sister Agnes Lynch.

Lucea Boys Brigade 97th Company won the all-island Fletchers Cup for cricket on 12/07/1957.

Alfred Valentine the Test cricketer, was the first coach to conduct a training clinic in Lucea at the Barracks field in the mid 50's.

Dickie Fuller came to Lucea in 1962, but the football season was under way already.  He returned to coach in the early 1970s.

J.K. Holt Jr. the Test cricketer conducted the second clinic at Watson Taylor Park in 1964.

Winston "Sat" Malcolm made the Jamaica Colts team in the mid 60's in the pace bowler role.

Rusea's were twice the holder of the Headley Cup.

Swimming
 
Cross-the-Harbor Swimming Race began in 1966 and became the second town in Jamaica to have a Cross the Harbour Swimming Race.

The idea for a cross-the-harbour race came about when, a Gleaner photographer by the name of Mr. Ivanhoe Williams was going around the island taking pictures in around 1962. One of the photos he submitted, was that of  young men diving and swimming from the DeLisser wharf, with the story line that a swimming club should be establish in Lucea. Members of the Lucea Youth Club spearhead the drive for a cross the harbour meet, which was backed by citizens of Lucea, and became a reality in the fall of 1966.

The Cross-the-Harbour event was revived in the early 2000 by a donation from socialite Nerris Hawthorne, and for a while it flourished once again, however, since then it has again ceased to take place.

Boxing

Edmond Stewart won the Jamaica Heavyweight Crown in 1964. He was also Muhammed Ali sparring partner in the late 60's.
Boxing shows were staged in Lucea in the early 60's.
Cecil Lloyd Allen was a former President of the Jamaica Boxing Board.

Track & Field

George Kerr – Olympics 1956, 1960 & 1964. Bronze 800 & 4x4 1960 Rome

Merlene Ottey:
Olympic Bronze 100 1984 Los Angeles,
Silver 100 1996 Atlanta,
Bronze 200 1980 Moscow,
Bronze 200  1984 Los Angeles,
Bronze 200 1992 Barcelona,
Silver 200 1996 Atlanta,
Bronze 4x100 1996 Atlanta,
Silver 4x100 2000 Sydney

Lansford Spencer – Olympian 2004

Vonette Dixon – Olympian 2008

Nickeshia Anderson - Olympian 2008 had a gym for weight lifting and was a member of the Boys Brigade Old Boys/Hot Spurs football team.

Lawn Tennis – Christopher Lawson