PETERSFIELD, Westmoreland — Starting this September two high school students in Westmoreland will benefit from the Keble Patrick Award for Excellence. The newly established scholarship will be conferred annually to two deserving student-athletes, one from Frome Technical High and one from Petersfield High.

It is a way to preserve the memory of a man who dedicated his life to youth empowerment, serving with distinction as Frome Technical High School’s bursar and coach of the female football team, as well as vice-president and coach of Petersfield Football Club (FC).

Patrick passed away on May 22.

The award named in his honour will be bankrolled by a yearly fund-raiser, hosted by Petersfield FC, which is expected to bring together the Westmoreland Diaspora, local businesses and football enthusiasts. By transforming the community’s collective grief into a sustainable force for good, the club guarantees that financial barriers will never stand in the way of lifting up the next generation.

For more than 25 years, Keble Patrick was the soul of Petersfield FC and the wider Westmoreland football family. To those who watched him from the sidelines or battled alongside him during his playing days, Patrick was a defender of iron will, a rock at the back who would occasionally rise above the fray to power a clinical header into the back of the net. When he transitioned to administration as vicepresident, he became the club’s silent engine room. He fiercely navigated player welfare, managed demanding administrative duties, and ensured the team honoured its fixtures to the bitter end.

PATRICK… the annual award named in his honour has a cash scholarship attached.

Yet, no matter the official jacket he wore, to the streets of Petersfield and the lush fields of Westmoreland, he was simply, and affectionately known as “Coach”.

Under his tactical and spiritual guidance, Petersfield FC became a household name across Jamaica, securing more than five Major League titles and a cabinet full of youth trophies. He was a gentle but no-nonsense leader, a devout man of God, and a patriarch who used the beautiful game to mould vulnerable youth into men of nobility and integrity.

In the wake of the monumental loss of Patrick’s passing, Petersfield FC joined his family and friends to give him a fitting send-off on Friday, June 26 with a Memorial Football Match, one day before his funeral.

On match day, club officials, past and present players, along with community members gathered on the very pitch he once commanded, wearing the club’s colours with heavy hearts. A massive crowd turned out for a one-day memorial league featuring Frome Technical High School (male and female teams), Petersfield High School, Frome Technical past students, Shrewsbury Masters, Reno Masters, Petersfield FC, and Petersfield former players.

“His legacy of honour, humility, and courage will be forever etched in our minds and hearts,” Neville Ruddock, president of Petersfield FC, told the Jamaica Observer.

Members of the Westmoreland football community came together on June 26 to play in honour of Keble Patrick, vice-president and coach of Petersfield FC, who passed away suddenly in May. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

“It is heartbreaking. We still can’t come to terms with him no longer being here with us. But the greatest tribute we can give him is on the pitch. We will try to make his ultimate dream a reality by qualifying for the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) [next season]. We owe that to Coach,” he added.

Coach Patrick’s genius lay not just in hoisting trophies, but in his profound understanding of human potential. He possessed a rare, almost prophetic knack for spotting raw talent, nurturing it, and seamlessly shifting a player’s position to maximise effectiveness. More than once, a bewildered “baller” would look at him and muse, “Coach, how you did know?”

Patrick was equally a master of psychology, a trait fondly remembered by Shewayne Barton, one of the countless youths the coach took under his wing:

“I was about 10 or 11 years old, eager to play but so small in body,” Shewayne recalled. “One day I tried some reverse psychology on him. I said, ‘Coach, mommy seh she nah make mi come back a training eno cause mi nah get no game.’ He turned to me and said, ‘Shewayne, there will be days that you will want to come off the field an you can’t because I will need you then. There will be days to come that you have to play, so don’t worry about right now, just continue to train and grow.’”

In happier times, Coach Keble Patrick (right) and members of Petersfield FC celebrate their victory in the Jamaica Championship Play-off Title in 2023. Others shown are, (from left), Steve Terrelonge, club member; Neville Ruddock, chairman of Petersfield FC; Stacey McKenzie, club secretary; and Evon Clayton, club member.

It was that unwavering belief in tomorrow’s youth that defined Patrick’s career, stretching from early milestones like an Under-13 triumph over Roaring Rive, all the way to senior glory when the club captured the Jamaican Championship Playoff title to transition into Tier 2 competition in 2023.

Patrick was also a fierce protector of his pack. President Ruddock vividly recalled a tense final-leg of a JFF match where bureaucratic friction threatened to boil over.

“We had prepared three match cards, but a match commissary aggressively demanded four, asking rudely, ‘A wah kinda bush league ball unu use to?’” Ruddock shared. “Before it could escalate, Keble calmly walked over. With his quiet demeanour, he rightly said, ‘It’s the same league that we are playing in: JFF, of course.’ The commissary couldn’t say another word. It was sweet karma that night when the team was victorious and that same commissary had to give us our respect.”

Coach Keble Patrick (far right) and members of Petersfield FC celebrate winning the Jamaica Championship Playoff Title in 2023. From left is Shaniqua “Princess” Barrett, former player Frome Technical Female Football Team; Khamali Burley, Petersfield FC player; and Stacey McKenzie, Club Secretary.

Patrick was also known for his legendary insistence on punctuality, but it was his post-match deportment that cemented his status as a father figure. If the odds were heavily stacked against them, his mere presence made the squad believe an impossible win was within reach. If they lost, his motivational words lifted broken spirits. And when they won, witnesses say no broader smile could be seen anywhere on that football field.

For a quarter of a century, Patrick gave his life to the sport and the people he loved. He was a believer who backed his players to the hilt, demanding excellence on the pitch while patiently listening to their heavy hearts when life got tough beyond the game.

During his funeral, his cousin Ann-Marie Patrick delivered a moving tribute that captured his essence:

“Greatness is not measured by possessions, power, titles, influence, or popularity. True greatness is measured by the lives you touch, the burdens you help carry, the opportunities you create, the example you set, and the love you give to your fellowman. By that measure… Keble Patrick was a great man. Keble was a pragmatic man. He believed in solutions, planning, execution, hard work, and discipline. He believed in family. Most importantly, he believed in people. He was one of the people who helped shape the woman I became. Long before others saw potential in me, Keble did.”

His passing has been a particularly devastating blow to the female football programme at Frome Technical High — the only school in Westmoreland to participate in the ISSA School Girl Football tournament. Tragically, Patrick is the second cornerstone of the team to pass away within a three-year window, following the passing of fitness coach and team manager Shelly-Ann Earle in 2024.

“I have known Coach Patrick for about eight years, since I was in grade eight,” shared Shaniquea Barrett. “He wasn’t just a coach; he was a father figure to many of us. He treated us like his daughters, always looked out for us. Any scholarship opportunity, any little thing that could make us grow in life, he always made sure we were in it. It came as a shock to everyone… I still don’t believe that he’s gone.”

Player Shamara Sammonds echoed similar sentiments, expressing the profound grief shared by the squad by speaking directly to their late mentor.

“Losing you was the worst day of our lives. You were more than just a football coach; you were a mentor, a motivator, and someone who truly cared about us. As the only school in the parish with a female football team, we were proud to represent our school because of your dedication and belief in us. You worked hard to give us opportunities and taught us valuable lessons both on and off the field. Since you passed, I have felt lost,” she said.

As Petersfield FC and the Westmoreland community look toward a future without their anchor, they do so protected by the armour of his teachings. He was a true leader, shaped by God, and a father to a generation of players who are now tasked with carrying his whistle forward. The pitch may be quieter without his voice, but Coach Keble Patrick’s legacy remains undefeated.