Go Back GONE TOO SOON: ... Tivoli says farewell to slain footballer November 16, 2009, 1:20 pm Glowing tributes from family, club colleagues, well-wishers and friends dominated the funeral service of the late Tivoli Gardens Football Club and national representative, Oraine Simpson, at the Tivoli Gardens Community Centre in West Kingston yesterday. Simpson, 26, who was stabbed to death on October 13 during an altercation with another man in the Tivoli Gardens community where he lived, was laid to rest at the nearby May Pen Cemetery. Edsel Scott (foreground), Julian McLeish (right) and Victor Thompson (centre) exit the Tivoli Gardens Community Centre with the casket carrying the late Oraine Simpson, during yesterday's funeral service. (Photo: Joseph Wellington) Ironically, both Simpson and his alleged killer lived in the same tenement yard. They were reportedly involved in a fist fight with Simpson coming out on top, just a few days before the tragedy. Yesterday, former Prime Minister and club president Edward Seaga described a player with a smiling and fun-loving demeanour, yet one who could destroy opponents on the football field with his pace, industry and incisiveness. "He loved nothing more than to collect the ball deep in his own territory and fly down the right flank, outrunning and eluding every player with his legendary speed... (He) was well-known for his friendliness and constant smile. This was not any ordinary smile. This was, so to speak, so big and broad that you saw the smile before you saw Oraine," said Seaga, in the presence of grief- stricken parents Augustus Simpson and Pauline Barrett, as well as Prime Minister and Member of Parliament Bruce Golding. Seaga, while stating that the alleged killer was a deportee, lamented the state of Jamaica where violence is often used to resolve disagreements. "This is a classical example illustrating one of the most prevalent forms of violent, senseless killing when personal hurt turns into vicious murder," claimed a tearful Seaga, who also announced that a section of the club house will be named in honour of Simpson. Club manager Brian Rose expressed sadness at the loss and shared with those present the misfortune of a man who had been able to play only 45 minutes of football this season before being injured, who was and then killed during the week he was to return to the squad after his six week lay-off. "As fate would have it, the very day he was passed fit to play he was taken away from us. To lose someone...so talented, committed, (and) dedicated I'm unable to find words to express how much he will be missed. The shocking news of his untimely passing is a real hard pill to swallow," a grieving Rose said. The club manager also announced that the number 22 shirt worn by Simpson during his playing days for the club will be retired as a mark of respect. Players and coaches of Tivoli Gardens FC, led by head coach Lenworth Hyde and players and coaches from other clubs, as well as officials from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) attended the funeral service. source: observer Go Back