AS A YOUNG boy in his early teens growing up in his birth place, T&T, the opportunities George Suitbert Romano got to further his progress as a budding fullback was very limited.
Unlike these modern times when players could fashion their style of play by watching big-name internationals on ESPN and Fox Sports, Suitbert had to make a two-mile trek, either on foot or bicycle, from his home in the hills of the Maraval valley to catch a glimpse of the top local players in action in first-class matches.
One of the players who became an attraction to Suitbert back in the early sixties was a lanky soldier named Charlie Spooner, a rugged right wing-back, who often vacated his defensive post to move into attack to assist his forwards and midfielders.
As faith would have it, the young Suitbert, eager to emulate, and improve on, the feat of Spooner trained twice as hard on a daily basis to become a star right-back for T&T.
The energetic Suitbert, born March 1, 1950, began his exploits down the right flank at age 17, playing for his alma-mata Belmont Boys’‚ Intermediate (later Belmont Boys’ Secondary).
Suitbert became known to many die-hard local football fans as the first national player to master the overlapping role.
He quickly learned that no longer he could be glued to his position at the back as a defender. Rather, he had to be more attack-minded than his old counterparts like Spooner and company.
Often, Suitbert would catch his opposing defense off-guard with his surprise burst of speed down the touch-line. He knew that often it was the fullback with space in front of him who is best suited to do so.
Suitbert was so effective in his overlapping, wing-back role that he kept up a specialist striker’s scoring rate for Belmont Intermediate, and still managed to find time to get back to put in timely tackles and goal-line clearances.
With his school making the major step from the Secondary Schools Football League to the Colleges Football League (CFL) in 1967, Suitbert knew from early that he had to work overtime to prove to the critics that his school could match the likes of the more popular schools like St Mary’s, Fatima, St Benedict’s and Presentation.
Under the astute guidance of coach Desmond “Rugged Tom” Davis, he himself a former hard-tackling right-back, Suitbert not only trained hard but took all the suggestions and advice he could get.
Almost in the wink of an eye, the player assigned to keep forwards out was now a menace to opposing defenders.
Kicking the ball with enormous power and, sprinting backward and forward, and vice-versa, had become a trademark of Suitbert on the wing.
“I love to hit the ball because I trained to hit it hard,” said Suitbert. “Once I get up there I want to hit it with all my might.”
Where did he get all that speed? Was it natural? Yes and no!
Many people never knew Suitbert as a 100 metres runner. But he was. When he first enrolled as a student at Belmont in 1964, he ran the 100 metres. No wonder where the speed came from.
With less than half the CFL season completed in 1967, opposing coaches and players, as well as spectators, had grown accustomed to the high standard of play exhibited by the youngster, who became the foundation upon which most of the Belmont attacks were built.
He became a key member of the Belmont unit, along with fellow-defenders Algie Hoyte and Kelvin Lawrence, midfielders Winfield St Hill and Errol Nero and forwards Joseph Aqui and Ronnie Jackson.
Two performances in that season stood out. The first was against Fatima and the other against Naparima.
In an away match against Fatima on the Mucurapo Road ground, which Belmont won handsomely 6-0; Suitbert not only had a hand in three of the goals with assists but sent the fans wild when he headed a ball deep in his own half that was fisted away in the 18-yard box by the Fatima goalkeeper.
Suitbert headed the ball so hard and high from that impossible position that the keeper had to run back to his goal to tip the ball overbar.
As a result of that play, Suitbert was re-christened “D Mule” after one of his supporters shouted out: “He not only kicking like a mule but heading like mule.”
The nickname “D Mule” stuck to Suitbert like glue and up to today many of his teammates and schoolmates still remember him by that name.
Against Naparima away from home, the match was in the dying stages when Suitbert unleashed a terrific bullet from half-line that scored.
Bewildered by the manner with which defender Suitbert netted, the fans of Naparima stoned the Belmont bus when the players boarded it to make the trip back to Port of Spain from the Southland.
Although Belmont came away empty handed in their first season in the CFL, Suitbert and his teammates laid a solid foundation for other Belmont teams to aim at.
The performances of Suitbert did not go unnoticed, as he was chosen on the North team to oppose South in the closing match of the season that featured all the star players.
In 1968, Belmont started the season with a resounding 7-0 triumph over Presentation away from home - a victory that was a stepping-stone for a more successful season than the first.
One of the more memorable moments though was a 2-1 victory over champions St Mary’s a week after going under 0-3 to the same team in the Inter-Col semi-finals.
Growing from strength to strength, Suitbert became a fixture on the CFL All Star team in Inter-League matches that season that featured the best players in the country.
Again, his performances caught the eye of Raffie Knowles, widely regarded by many as the best sports commentator in the country.
“Raffie”, as he was affectionately called, was coach of Queen’s Park. To strengthen his side in 1969, “Raffie” invited a host of top players from the previous CFL season to become part of his unit in the First Division of the Port of Spain Football League. Suitbert, along with goalkeeper Brian Bain, Roger Matthews and Sheldon Gomes of Queen’s Royal College, Russell Tesheria, Ian Bain, Ken Butcher and Alvin Henderson all accepted the invitation made to them by “Raffie”.
Because of his sterling performances for the Parkites, as well as North, Suitbert was included among 34 players called up by the T&T Football Association for trials for the Concacaf Senior Championships in Costa Rica in November that year.
All the hard-work and enthusiasm shown by Suitbert over the last three years paid rich dividends, as he was selected in the national squad under captain Tyronne de La Bastide to go to Costa Rica.
It was a dream come through for the Maraval lad as he was chosen ahead of players of high caliber, including Spooner, who was probably responsible for him becoming the best overlapping right-back in the country.
At a time when there were a host of good players to choose from, Suitbert had the distinction of playing alongside de La Bastide, MLS professionals Bertram Grell, Everard Gally Cummings and Leroy de Leon, Lawrence Rondon, Selwyn Murrain, Wilfred Cave, Arnim David, Max Mascall and Leo Brewster.
Suitbert, aged 19, and Brewster, aged 18, were the babes on the team.
T&T lost the opening match 2-0 to defending champions Guatemala, but put up a dazzling performance to whip Jamaica 3-2, coming from two goals down.
In game three, T&T bowed 3-1 to the Dutch West Indies, drew goalless with Mexico and lost by a lone goal to home side Costa Rica.
The Costa Ricans topped the five-country standings with nine points. They were followed by Guatemala (eight points), Dutch West Indies (five points), Mexico (four points), T&T (three points) and Jamaica (one point).
In 1970, Suitbert was joined by Belmont teammates Gregory Trujillo and Gordon Husbands (they were young enough to play an additional season in the CFL)
At Queen’s Park, who picked up for where they left off the previous year with a dream start to the new season.
First to feel the hurt from the Parkites was defending champions Maple, who went under 2-0 with Suitbert playing a vital role in supplying the cross for the second goal.
After several matches for Queen’s Park, and a couple performances for the North team, Suitbert toured Guyana with the national team and was later called up in a 17-man squad to tour Suriname for a triangular series.
After returning from Suriname, he began to suffer with cartilage problems in his right knee which affected him up to the end of the ‘70 season.
The 11th child in a family of 12, Suitbert started his early football career playing for Maraval Boys’ RC School in the Primary Schools Football.
He then appeared for teams in the Maraval community, including Ups and Downs whom he captained.
Suitbert claims that his favourite player was countryman de Leon.
“Dilly was so magical with the ball. He played with passion and utilised all his teammates, especially when I was overlapping.”
Suitbert migrated to the United States early in 1971 and played Semi-Pro for New York Hungarians before playing full pro, four years later for New York Apollos.
In 1975, he had a serious setback when he had to have surgery to his left knee - an injury that would put an end to his pro career.