BY HOWARD WALKER

Observer senior reporter

walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com

THE football community is in mourning following the sudden death yesterday of Tivoli Gardens FC head coach Alvin Shaw.

Shaw, 45, who also coached at Campion College, was pronounced dead at hospital after his 2011 two-door white Honda Accord crashed into a palm tree on Michigan Avenue in the Chancery Hall community in St Andrew.

The Constant Spring police confirmed to the Jamaica Observer that Shaw’s passing was deemed a sudden death and not necessarily caused by the accident.

The report stated that Shaw, who had a fainting illness, collided into the palm tree, was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

When the Observer visited the accident scene, the palm tree appeared to have minor damage and was tied to a retaining wall, just in front of a house.

Wayne Shaw, who is no relation to Alvin, but was a close friend and who lived in the same community, said he was surprised at the coach’s passing.

“My wife called me and told me my friend met in an accident down the road and I passed by and saw the damage and couldn’t believe he would have died from that,” noted Wayne Shaw, who is also general secretary of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association.

“Looking at the vehicle, the impact was not so bad. It must be something else. It could be a seizure or heart attack or something,” he theorised.

Alvin Shaw was a member of the 1987 winning St Andrew Technical High School Manning Cup team that defeated Excelsior High 6-1 in the final under the guidance of coach Leebert Halliman.

He was assistant coach to Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey for three years before taking over the head coaching role last season and led Tivoli Gardens to sixth spot on 47 points, inclusive of 14 wins, five draws and 14 defeats from 33 games in the Premier League.

Yesterday, club president Edward Seaga was shocked at the news of Shaw’s passing. “It’s a bit of a shock to me. I didn’t expect it at all because he looked like a very healthy man. But it appeared his death is some other factor,” Seaga said.

“He was trained at the JFF ( Jamaica Football Federation) programme and received the appropriate certificate. He tried to apply what he learnt in terms of strategies and so on,” said Seaga.

Tivoli Gardens team manager Brian Rose, who is Shaw’s uncle, was inconsolable and lost for words. He revealed that Shaw had “seizure attacks and blackouts” every now and then over the last few years.

Rose remembered him as a very straightforward and strict person who loved sports. “He was trying to get tickets to go to cricket tomorrow (Saturday),” Rose pointed out.

The JFF released a statement expressing sadness at the passing of the coach.

“Alvin, an Advance Level II certified coach, was not only amongst the first set of coaches to do our courses at the JMMB/JFF/UTech Coaching School in 2009, but was also a top performer in his cohort. He always expressed a desire to learn more and develop his craft. He was a promising coach who had much to give the sport,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, Andrew Price, manager of the Premier League Clubs Association and head coach of Boys’ Town, said: “Alvin was a very astute coach, very affable and really an up-and-coming coach with a big future in the game.”

“I would refer to him as a student of the game as I attended several courses with him in getting certification. The last course we attended together was in Brazil about three years ago. He was definitely someone who had a lot to offer and he will be sorely missed,” Price added.