The key to the city of Kingston are to be conferred posthumously on the late Luton George Kieshawn Shelton, Jamaica’s senior men’s football team’s record goalscorer with 35 strikes in 75 games.

The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) council meeting last Tuesday approved a resolution to honour the late footballer who died on January 22, 2021 at age 35, after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for more than four years.

The resolution moved by People’s National Party Councillor Audrey Smith-Facey (Payne Land Division) described the Wolmer’s alumnus as one of the most prolific schoolboy and senior club players.

“Up until the time of his death, Luton Shelton still held the national goalscoring record of 35 goals in 75 appearances, and is still the only men’s football player to score four goals on his international debut for Jamaica,” the resolution stated.

Shelton was due recognition “for all he has done in the field of football to positively impact Jamaica”, it continued.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Councillor Donovan Samuels (Tivoli Gardens Division), who seconded the resolution, described the man who was born and grew up in Tivoli Gardens as a beacon and an example to other members of the community. “Whenever and wherever young people excel it is important that they be recognised so that others coming up behind them know and feel as if they can achieve whatever it is that their minds conceive and believe,” Samuels said.

Recalling that Shelton started out as a goalkeeper at Suthermere Preparatory School, the councillor said that he failed to make the prep school team because the other goalkeepers were performing well.

“He recognised the difficulty in making the team as a goalkeeper and decided that he was going to try out as a forward the next year. His coach at the time was receptive to the idea and the rest is history, a star was born. That is an example of the measure of his tenaciousness [tenacity], even as a young boy,” Samuels said.

The councillor also recalled that as a youngster he represented Harbour View in the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Under-20, JFF Under-14, Ken Matthews Under-14, Minor League Under-16 and the Kingston & St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Under-20 competitions. He began representing Harbour View in 2003 and for the major role he played in the team winning the Premier League and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship in 2004, he was voted Junior Player of the Season, Samuels said.

As a skilled footballer, Shelton also excelled internationally. The councillor said that he had the distinction of playing for eight clubs worldwide, including in Sweden, England, Norway, Denmark, Turkey and Russia.

“He has been credited in assisting three of these clubs — Helsingborgs in Sweden for winning the Svenska Cup; Aalborg in Denmark for winning the Norwegian Cup, and Valerenga in Norway for being runners up in the Danish Cup.

Also paying tribute to Shelton were councillors Patrick Roberts, Dennis Gordon, Oliver Clue and John Myers.

— Claudene Edwards