What is life if it cannot be spent in the positive? Our sports personality this week came, saw and raised football stars around the globe thus conquering in his chosen career. Employed by the Rivers State government to the state sports council as a veteran coach in soccer. A native of Twon Brass in present day Bayelsa State, as a player he represented. Rivers State and went beyond the borders of Nigeria, thus representing Nigeria in the colours of rivers state.
To be fair to him, he was not only a player, coach, but a sprinters of repute. It is on record that he was adjudged the fastest sprinter in the eastern region in the 60s, a good finalist at the 100 metres, 200 metres races, also went into other areas of track and field games but prominently figure out in the game of football.
As a player he made a name for Rivers State, gangling as the top striker in the then Blue Angels and Red Devil of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, his exploit in soccer brought him face to face with chairman Christian Chukwu as players.
He was one time able caption of the famous terrific Red Devil of Port Harcourt.
To his honour he was the coach that laid the formation of lots of international stars today. Immapakabo, Peter Rufai, Peterside Idah and present captain of super Eagles Joseph Yobo. To his credit he converted Peter Rufai from a player to a goalkeeper.
Unfortunate indeed death has no respect for personalities, if not this man could be spare to live on considering the players he had raised.
Without must ado, please help me to acknowledge late coach Churchill George Fortunatus Spiff, alias Araba born 69 years ago as The Newswriter sports personality of the week. Sit back as we unfold him to you through his brief data we could laid our hands on. Happy reading.
Name: Churchill George Fortunatus Spiff (alias
Coach Araba)
Age: 69
Home Town: Twon-Brass
LGA: Brass
State: Bayelsa
Sports: Soccer/ Athletics (sprinter 100/200ms)
Position: Prominent soccer coach
Favourite Sport: Soccer
Favourite Jersey No: 9
Aspiration: Trained up so many soccer talents in both
Rivers and Nigeria
Role Model: Coach Monday Sinclair, Coach Lawson
and …. George Finibo
Turn On: Discipline
Turn Off: Deceit
Current Base: Port Harcourt
Occupation: Civil servant Soccer Administrator per- excellent.
Achievements: played for Ph Red Devil 1967-78, actively involved in representing old R/S coming back home with lots of silverwares, Rivers state, played for Sharks of Ph 1963-73, he was a pioneer player of sharks of PH, captained Red Devil FC of PH. As a coach. Coached R/S selected side at crucial moments, founder of Araba Babes FC. Featured prominently in YSFON programmes both in the state and national level.
Late coach Araba is one man who believed in soccer and died as a faithful of soccer, raised generations of super Eagles players. Peter Rufai Samson Siasia, Imamapakabo of Shark (coach now) first junior world cup goal keepr (1985) George Abbey a whole lot of them. one may be tempted to say he laid a generation of players for the super Eagles. This could be explained by the set of players that won the 1985 Coca-Cola junior fifa world cup at China.. Dirimi, Andrew Awua, ……… Imamapakabo, Siasia, Richard Owobokiri just to mention a few.
Peter Rufai usual way of addressing coach Araba is “My lord”. What can one say, a legacy coach Araba has left behind us we see the array of stars he had raised for Nigeria, we can only say adieu our beloved coach Araba we wish you happy heavenly stay to meet and part no more. ###
Allanso Jonathan Allanso
