The following is a lightly edited version of an interview with Lloyd Lindbergh “Lindy” Delapenha in 2006 which was published in the 150th anniversary edition of Munro College’s school magazine, The Munronian:

The words ‘maestro, sportsman extraordinaire, prodigy’ describe Lloyd Lindbergh “Lindy” Delapenha. Those of us who are old enough to know will nod in agreement. Those not in the know will soon utter oohs and aahs.

Alcia Morgan Bromfield (AMB): During what years were you a student here at Munro College?

Lloyd “Lindy” Delapenha (LD): 1941 – 1945

AMB: I know you are from Kingston, North Street to be exact, and there are several schools there of equal status as Munro. What led you here? Was it your decision?

LD: You’re right. I was a student at Wolmer’s Boys’, but left there in third form. I did not want to leave town, but my mother insisted. She said I was wasting my time and Munro would do me good.

AMB: What was your first impression of Munro College?

LD: It was a very lonely place at first. The loneliness disappeared quite quickly, though, as I adapted easily to my new home. I also developed friendships easily, as among the 150 to 160 population, most of the students were from Kingston and the Cayman Islands. There were a few from Malvern. Local boys were few in those days.

AMB: A number of parents whose sons will be in boarding in September may feel some trepidation at the idea. What was your main concern as a new student?

LD: I did not give it much thought. I never had the time. Munro provided an excellent home-away-from-home situation. We felt like a large family. What I failed to learn at home all my life I learnt at Munro in my four years there. I learnt independence and discipline. Those are key ingredients for success at any level.

AMB: What was your typical day at Munro?

LD: Between 5:30 to 5:45 we washed, changed, dressed, and got out of the dorms. We also walked the barbecue before classes.

AMB: Walked the barbecue?

LD: Yes. Just walked up and down its length while we talked to each other. It was a well-established procedure. Then we’d head on to classes. At the end of the day we’d play until 5:30 pm, then shower in freezing water. We’d have dinner at six o’clock followed by prep. We had no day boys then, and there were four houses: Calder (pink/red), Harrison (blue), Sangster (yellow), and Pearman (green). We also had to attend chapel every evening and on Sundays with Rev Frazer.

AMB: Did you ever break bounds, get suspended or detention?

LD: Never had to. I did not want to risk being caned by Mr Dunleavey. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caned by him could

not play sports for a few weeks and was confined to the classroom. Additionally, I did cross-country running, and that got me out of school. I also played cricket in Malvern. Boys would sneak out to buy bun from the shops in the village, though, as the “purro” meat gave them diarrhoea. They would leave as soon as they smelt it.

AMB: Were you as prolific a performer in academics as you were in sports?

LD: I was not much of an academic person. Also, I knew I was there for sports. I lived for sports. However, I was an outstanding student in language and literature. [I] did these at Senior Cambridge, along with geography and biology. Algebra, Latin and physics were not my cup of tea. I learnt maths, but only later at the racetrack.

AMB: What inspired you to become involved in sports?

LD: As far back as I can remember, my gifts have been sport-oriented. For birthdays and Christmas my presents were associated with sports. I would get things like swim trunks and a cricket bat and ball. I lived at Ocean View Avenue (Rae Town). Sometimes I’d spend the whole day at Barnett Beach in my trunks. Also, Bournemouth Gardens had a pool but it was fenced in. That did not keep me out. (He chuckles.) I also had some friends, the Alexanders, who had a sail boat. Sadly, though, there was no swimming at Munro. One or two boys got expelled for swimming in the drinking water.

AMB: What do you think made you the excellent player that you were?

LD: I have always had the inclination and the aptitude for sport [but] it wasn’t until I got to Munro that I found a mentor in the form of the sports master Ken Dunleavey. He had played professional football in England and he had a passion for sports and seeing us excel. He was feared, but highly respected. He drove us to excellence but we were never driven to the ruthless exhaustion that some coaches do to their young talents. Our skills, under Ken Dunleavey, were honed until they shone. The fact that I had a natural ability in any game I played was an added bonus for me. When I later played professional football, I did it for the sheer love of the game. Sadly, the megalomaniac attitude of some sportsmen today is the cause of the downfall of many teams.

AMB: I have heard and read glowing reviews of your prowess. Trace your career in sports for me.

LD: I went to St Aloysius Primary School. There I played cricket. At Wolmer’s I played both cricket and football and entered the Endowed Schools Championships (now Boys’ and Girls’ Champs) in my first year. At Munro, I was in athletics and played cricket, football, hockey, tennis, and also did gymnastics and boxing. I excelled in all and won school colours for all of these. And when I went on to England, I earned the Oxford Blues in these sports too. However, football was my favourite.

AMB: Because of you, a ruling was made that no entrant in the national championships for schools should enter more than four events. Tell us about this.

LD: In 1945 I ran in 16 events — eight heats and eight finals. I was on the track from 4:00 pm Friday to 6:00 pm Saturday. Granted, I did not win all my events, but I came no less than third. In retrospect, if I [had] concentrated on fewer events I could easily have won all of them. That year I set a record of 10.1 in the 100m. I did this same time several times after. At the end of my performance, I was examined by a doctor and his diagnosis of my muscles led to that ruling.

AMB: I understand that a certain medical doctor bows to you every time he sees you. Even if he is driving, he stops his car and showers accolades on you. Is this the same doctor? What is responsible for this?

LD: Oh, my word! (He laughs.) No. That would be Dr Cleo Taylor. He is responsible for those stories. I know he thinks highly of me and he often speaks of this feat with something akin to reverence. That stems from a football match played at Munro. We were down 4-1 to Calabar with ten minutes to go, and one of our players had been sent off. When the final whistle was blown, Munro won the match 5-4. It was the most talked of game in many years to come.

AMB: What was your contribution to that game?

LD: I scored the first goal, but there were also key players like Johnny Taylor (captain), A B Cowans of the Cayman Islands, and Keifa, the goalkeeper. The Calabar team had Dr Basil Keane, who is now a dentist. Back then we played for the love of the games. Back then, when I ran for Munro or entered other competitions I did not think about the fame I would get. I did it for the love of the school and the love of the sport.

AMB: At what point did you live in England?

LD: At the end of my schooling at Munro my coach advised my parents to send me to England. He recommended that whilst over there I enlist in the army. I decided to get it over with and signed up for a short two years of primary corps training. After that, I was allotted [to] a regiment — Fusiliers, the City of London Regiment. We were the only ones that were allowed to walk through London with fixed bayonets.

AMB: Did you spend all your ‘war years’ in the motherland?

LD: Not at all. In fact, following my training, I was posted overseas to Egypt.

AMB: How did you make the transition from sports to war?

LD: There was no transition; I was a sportsman in the war. While in Egypt (1946-47) I represented the British Army in cricket, athletics, hockey, and football. The colonel in charge of my battalion had great respect for me. He later sent me to Palestine for physical education training in Gaza. Of the 60 people in this programme, I came out on top and earned the Instructor’s Badge. I later became a physical training instructor with the Royal Fusiliers at Fayid in Egypt. At the end of the war, I was “demobbed” from the army, given a suit, civilian clothes and money and was sent back to England. After 18 months there, the colonel recommended me to the British Olympic Committee. He wanted me to run for England in the 1948 Olympics. That’s not what I wanted. I wanted to play professional football.

AMB: Well, did you?

LD: Oh yes. That year I signed up with Portsmouth, a first division team. We won the league championship for two consecutive years. I then moved on to Middlesbrough. I stayed there for nine years (1950-59). I later played for Mansfield Town, a third division team in Nottingham. By then I was in my 30s. I stayed there for three years. Then I spent a year as a regular member of Southern League Cup winners, in Burton, Albion. I returned to Jamaica in 1964.

AMB: You did not hang up your boots then, did you?

LD: Good heavens, no. Even now, at age 78 — I’ll be 79 this month — I can’t even say I have retired, as I still play golf. And atKLAS Sports Radio, I am a racing analyst with Dr Paul Wright. We do previews of the races and analysis of the English Premier League. I will also be doing analysis of the Football World Cup. What’s that, dear? (This to his wife of 53 years, Joan Francis Crawford.) To me, he says, “She says I’m 77. Don’t listen to her. I was born May 20, 1927.”

[The couple had three children. Their son predeceased them. Daughter Marie Claire is a former beauty queen, and Linda teaches at Mona. They have three grandchildren: Britney, Scott and Bradley.]

AMB: What did you do on returning to Jamaica?

LD: On my return, I worked with the 18 sugar estates as sports co-ordinator. Once a year they all would meet for a field day. Throughout the year I also had to plan activities for individual estates as well as games against each other. Sugar went bad, however, and that came to an end. I was given enough money to pay my passage back to England and buy a car.

AMB: Did you go back?

LD: No. I was inveigled into selling life insurance, but did this for only six or seven months. I left that and went to theJamaica Broadcasting Corporation, nowTelevision Jamaica, where I succeeded Roy Lawrence, another Munro old boy, as sports director. I stayed there for 36 years.

AMB: Were you [to be] young again, would Munro be your school of choice?

LD: No doubt. It’s a marvellous place. A wonderful place. It also has some old-fashioned principles that I like, as I was brought up that way.

AMB: Where on the campus would you call your favourite place?

LD: Top wall. The view from there is awesome. To this day, the picturesque scene of the setting sun is indelibly etched in my mind.

AMB: Thank you so much, Lindy. Please convey thanks also to Joan for allowing me these two hours of your time. This was quite a refreshing experience, and I am so happy that I got an opportunity to talk with a living legend.

LD: Thank you, Miss Alcia. Joan, did you hear that? I’m a legend. A living one. You better take better care of me. (He then smiles when Joan says something indecipherable to the interviewer from the kitchen a short distance away.)

Alcia Morgan Bromfield, MEd, is an educator, linguist, communication specialist, author, and poet. Send comments to Observer or alcia.morgan910@gmail.com.