Tappin, Griffith make final pass

Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Noel Tappin, one of the country's greatest ever footballer, is dead.

After many years of illness, Tappin died in a nursing home on Saturday morning.

A member of the Melbourne team in the 1950s going into the 1960s, Tappin, a goal-hungry centre forward of those days, boasted a powerful and accurate kick.

Known as 'My Son' because of the pride of his father, former president of the Lucas Cricket Club, N. A. D. Tappin, who always boasted of his son's prowess by saying, before and after a comment, "my son", Noel Tappin is still regarded as one of, if not, the most powerful kickers of the ball in Jamaica's history.

Apart from representing Jamaica on many occasions, Tappin was a member of the Melbourne team which won many league titles during the 1950s and 1960s, including the triple in 1960.

Tappin was also the captain of the Munro College football team which won the daCosta Cup and the Olivier Shield in 1950.

As a right-arm leg-spin bowler, Tappin was also a good schoolboy cricketer.

Also dead is Billy Griffith of more recent vintage.

Griffith died in Florida recently, and a memorial service is scheduled for Montego Bay tomorrow.

A former Cornwall College, All Schools, Cavalier and Jamaica representative, Griffith is rated one of the best schoolboy footballers of all time.

He was a member of the Cornwall College team which won the daCosta Cup and shared the Olivier Shield with St George's College in 1959.

Playing in the company of players like teammate George Davidson, Denis Barnett and 'Dynamite' Lyn of St George's College and Michael West of Wolmer's, Griffith was from one of the great eras of schoolboy football.