The Greatest Goal That Catapulted Me To Stardom and Glory!

(June 12, 2001, USA)

They called him "S. Polly" and "Sakota baby." See, as a baller in Liberia, fans and/or supporters call you names that describe your persona on and off the ball pitch. But something strange happens: each time people grow up, they tend to reject those names. I don't know whether or not this baller still answers to these names. One thing I know for sure, that's how they called him in the day.

There are ball legends today that I know that no more answer to balling names. If you ask me why, I'll say your guess is good as mine and that sociology will be left alone to best explain it.

"S. Polly" as he was called, has a legal name. And his legal name is Sam Bedford. Does the name ring a bell to you? Well, whether it does or not, you will be hearing this name a lot in this balling story. Please adjust your seat belt.

I knew Sam Bedford faintly in Colonel West; Colonel West is an enclave in the Borough of New Krutown. And the Borough of New Krutown is a suburb of Monrovia in Liberia. Sam and I were balling for two different ball clubs in the Borough. He balled for Sakota and I balled for Debamu. The names of both ball clubs spell tribal and sectional connections.

I think "Sakota" is Kru. And "Debamu" of the Glebo tribe. In fact, I personally founded, played for and led Debamu. Besides the given-name being of Glebo origin, I wanted it to be Maryland oriented. But as I grew up and began to see things differently, I changed the configuration and nature of the Ball Club.

I think Sam is Kru and I'm of the Glebo background. Even though all of this tribal categorization did not matter to us as young ballers trying to have fun, but it surely did matter much to most, if not all, of the fans and sponsors of both clubs in and outside the ballpark.

I don't know whether or not it was an accident. But Sam was balling for a Kru ball Club and I was balling for a Glebo ball club. And the both of us came from those two backgrounds. So if this was by accident, then we leave all with history and time to heal the wounds. Because we were young. And we couldn't help but to play ball with friends for the fun of it and at the same time compete.

That's the level on which I got to know Sam Bedford - we were all ballers playing in the Borough of Krutown. We balled for two strongly supported sectional and tribal ball clubs.

After Krutown we grew up both in age and balling skill. I got to know Sam a little bit better than before. We climbed the balling ladder together on the national platform. We balled in the same very time and it shaped our lives permanently and unforgettably in the Antoinette Tubman Ballpark.

And that's the crux of this story. It is where I took my "Gold"!

Here's how it started:

In 1980 the Military overthrew Constitutional and democratically elected government in Liberia. Liberia was then under military rule. When this occurred, I was a high school student living and growing up in Maryland, deep in the southeastern keyhole of Liberia. I was greatly touched by this event. But what could I do? Virtually nothing! Simply put, I was too young.

I know Sam must have had his own experience with the military overthrow. But I never asked him. Because we were just ballers and not worried over the politics as young folks. But later, I mean as we grew up to ask questions on national issues, I learned from questions I asked that Sam was living in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, at the time when the Military came to power. I'm sure he saw more of the actions than I did. The military overthrow is another story for another time. So I'll leave it right there.

Prior to the Military takeover, there was something called an Annual Intercounty Sports Meet. It was established many years prior to military rule. It was all for young people and youths as well as elders to compete and have fun through sports and athletics. Every year everyone looked forward to this Tournament for fun and spectacular ball display. All counties around the country participated  on all levels. In the end, one county came out as Champ.  In  the end, one county came out as Champ  in the area  of Football and other areas had their Champs. But Football topped the shelf of all Championships. Please don't ask me why.

When the Military took over, it suspended the Tournament. But mind you, by the time the military came to power, this tradition was closed to thirty years old. So it became difficult, if not, impossible for the Military to keep its grip on the suspension. Two years after the takeover, the Military hosted its first Annual Intercounty Sports Meet in 1982. And that's when I made my debut and slapped myself into the ceiling of ballplaying achievement in Liberia.

Here's how it happened:

Before I go any further, I have to mention this:

Most of the time people who are expected to play on a county's ball club as athlete happened to be the citizens of that particular county. It did not mean that counties could not pick up ballers from other counties who were considered "good" to ball for counties other than their own. Otherwise, why would a good baller not play for his county when he is one of the best and his county is competing for the championship and needs the best?

Let's find out in my case. Because my case makes it better understood some of the problems in Liberian sports.

It is two years in 1982 when the Military took over leadership of the country. Its first Annual Intercounty Sports Meet is about to take place. I have graduated high school and moved to Monrovia from Maryland to embark upon my academic sojourn. But I had to go back to Maryland to join the county Ball Club and come to Monrovia for the Tournament. My intent was made clear: I wanted to add my skills and everything else I could command to the Ball Club to help win the championship. But something interesting happened: I was turned down by younger ballers of the County Ball Club. According to them, I was "too old." Mind you, I just left the county in two years. How quickly did I get that "old"? I tried, but could not convince them. So I returned to Monrovia.

From that point of rejection by my county, my subsequent departure to my return to Monrovia, everything started to take shape in my balling life. In fact, ambivalence was the baseline.

Before I forget, let me say here that the ball club that I ended up balling for was Grand Kru. And  it had just become a new additional county in the country one year after the Military took over. But before Grand Kru became a county, it was once a total part and parcel of Maryland. And so, we have family, neighbor and friendly ties cut across both lands.

From this, something happened that will make appear as if I betrayed Maryland for Grand Kru.

After Superintendent G. Wahmle Elliott delivered to me the sad news that the young ballers of Maryland would not be accepting me to play for the Ball Club, my old Club that I have suffered for over three years, I had no choice but to leave Harper on the next Flight to Monrovia. I was heartbroken but still encouraged myself. I was still young and could more on the ball pitch than anyone could imagine.

Then Bang! I hit the James Spriggs Aero Port. And right there I saw three coaches (Lawson and Patrick Teah and Solomon...). They were from the Grand Kru Ball Club waiting to see me. If I didn't know better, I would have thought these great legends of Liberian football set everything up for my Hometown to reject me for me to ball for the new county. Otherwise, how did they know I was arriving on the aero port from Maryland turned down by my county? Did they know all this and if they did, who told them? There has to be an answer to this question. But I propose we leave that for another story tomorrow.

These three coaches wasted no time seeking my membership on their Ball Club. I could see it in their eyes - they were hungry for ballers. They asked and didn't hesitate to respond in the affirmative. Why did I respond so fast? Simple! I was young; I wanted to play ball; and I love the ballgame so much I would play anytime, anywhere and just for anybody. So why hold myself down mourning thee rejection? I couldn't punish my young self with all my skills and trainings.

The next day I was out for rehearsal. And this was on the old Bame ball pitch in Doula area, heading towards the O.A.U Conference Center.

If I am not mistaken, this area where we were rehearsing is also part of the Borough of New Krutown.

During the rehearsal my skills became very visible to the liking of the coaches. They were impressed. They got what they wanted. They saw something in me I discovered later on through their guidance. They are former great ballers and legends. And so they knew what they were doing and what they were looking for. They had sound judgment dealing with the ballgame.

Soon all the preliminaries were set and I became a registered and integral member of the 1982/83 Grand Kru Ball Club. And I was ready to pull myself by my boots strap to glory.

There were a lot of us playing ball in the Borough. Several of us comprised of the Grand Kru Ball Club. Kringer and I were on top of the Forward line. Believe me; Kringer had a dangerous left foot. His shots could not be held by no goalie on earth. He being on the Ball Club with me upfront, Grand Kru was set to go.

We played and won all our Zone games. We were qualified to go the Semi-finals.

We were a new county. But trampled over all the old counties we met, ballistically speaking.

But we met our most turning point of our balling lives in the Tournament. After we did a superb job from the onset kicking out some of the best ball clubs in the Tournament, we had to play a game that would send or deny us the Finals. And that game was against Montserrado County. The game was a "MUST WIN!" We had to beat Montserrado or we would forfeit the right to the Finals. And this was the condition and opportunity that shot me up into the ceiling of ball achievement.  

The game, as universally accepted, is a 90-minute game. We played to a goalless tie in the first half. The Second half came and still there was no goal scored by both ball clubs.  When the time was five minutes left for stoppage time of the game, something miraculous happened. And let me tell you what happened.

Please follow me on this one. WARNING! Don't blink. Or you'll miss the best part of this whole piece of history.

Remember the name Sam Bedford? I mentioned this name earlier in the story. Well, this name is about to take its historic place. So don't miss anything from hereon. This is the masterpiece!

Well, I think Sam Bedford was playing on the flanks or midfield on the Ball Club. I don't really remember actually what position he was playing. More so, in the last five minutes of the ballgame, every baller on the pitch was running everywhere the ball bounced. Everyone was looking for the WINNING goal to take us to the Finals. And so it didn't really matter anymore where each one found himself as long as the ball was around that area. The game was at a point when it was no more necessary for anyone to keep sitting in his position waiting for the ball to show up. In fact, the goalie came out to take some indirect and direct kicks. That's how badly we wanted this game. We were fighting with all we could lay our hands on just to go to the Finals. We had come too far and could not afford to go home with tails between our legs. Besides, our fans and supporters had done too much to accept a defeat.

You remember I told you we beat most of our qualifying games and tie some? Well...

Keep in mind, the Borough of New Krutown was proud of us. You know basically why? All the other Kru ball clubs including Sinoe County were knocked out of the Tournament very early. The only ball club in the last part of the Tournament for the Kru and Glebo people was Grand Kru? And so the expectations were very, very high.

Could we deliver to our people the goods? Let's find out as the ball game went from stage to stage.

Only five minutes left for the ballgame to be over. And if we did not score a goal, Grand Kru would have fought like a Lion from the beginning and go out like a Sheep. We couldn't allow this. At least, this is what was running through my mind. I didn't know how the other ballers were thinking. But I'm sure they had the same feeling.

When I looked on the Stadium, the fans and spectators began to leave. The minutes to stoppage time had dropped to three minutes. And fans and supporters could not swallow this any longer. They were disappearing from the Ballpark one-one-by-one.

One thing I learned in my balling career  is Liberians just can't stand defeat. All the Kru people I knew and supporters as well, evaporated suddenly. But all our coaches were still there. I couldn't hear anymore. The coaches were talking. The only thing that sent their messages to me was their hands as they moved them to and fro. Then I looked on the other side; our sponsors were looking sad. I saw Dr. Boka, Mrs. Mabel Greene; they seemed to be mourning. Then bang! the unthinkable happened.

Three minutes left into stoppage time, a foul was called. We were defending the goal towards Public Works. And we were striking towards the goal towards Rally Time Market.

Please follow me! Don't give up. The good part is coming!

The foul is called. The remaining minute is three. We are striking towards the Rally Time Market goal. And the foul is directly in front of the VIP Stadium seats. Who's taking the free kick? I'm running around the goal line of our opponent's and the defenders are trying to distract me.

Just like Pele's goal that he scored as a penalty kick. The entire Ballpark and the world stopped to see what would happen in that short period of time. God was watching carefully; most fans and spectators had left the Ballpark; they had given up on us.

And then the whistle goes like "preeee" for the kick to be taken. I can remember now.

Sam Bedford was taking the kick. He stepped few steps backward; he lifted his head as if to say he was telling me or the other guys something like, "please put your big head right into this ball for us to get the goal."

I must have understood what came from within Bedford. Some sort of energy was vibrating from him. All I can remember now is, this whole episode came in slow motion. And this how it appeared; I suddenly left the ground; I went above everybody else in the goal area of our opponents; and I towered over the entire defense of Montserrado. When I looked down from up there where I was, everyone was beneath my feet. And Sam Bedford had just put his foot into the ball. I saw the ball coming in slow motion and I'm still suspended in the air; it seemed to me then the Law of Gravity was suspended by God. And so I spent quite a long time up there waiting for the "Sam Bedford Chip." By this time, ten thousand things were running around my brain as to what to do if the ball got to me. And this is within a short time for us to do what would absolved in the annals of history -  score the goal.

As soon as it landed, the Ballpark lights almost damage me; they went into my eyes and I blinked for a split second. When I open my eyes, the darn ball was right on my forehead. I had only one choice: turn my head little bit around and push the sucker in the 90 degree angle. And that was just what I did. Then I decided to come down. On my way down to the ground, I heard a loud roar. It was like from the throats of millions of people. It went like this: Goa...........................................................l!!!!!! Then bang! I touched the floor of the field. Next thing I come to know, my feet were off the ground again. And they never touch the ground until we hit the Borough.

From that day, it was set Grand Kru was destined to go to the Finals against Grand Bassa. I remember that much. Because, the defender of Grand Bassa was the best in the Tournament. And I had him to contend with. He tried, but it didn't work. I slipped between his fingers all along the way to the capturing of the championship. After all was said and done, the Finals was over and Grand Kru County, a new county, became the first champ after the Military overthrow. I am proud to have been a part of that Ball Club.

That single goal did a lot. It paved my way to Mighty Barrolle and The Lone Star. That goal was spectacular! Sam Bedford set it up and I sent it through the woodwork. It sent Grand Kru to the Championship and gave her the Championship. That goal gave Grand Kru its first championship in Liberia. Special thanks to Dr. Boka, Mrs. Mabel Greene and the late Swanzy Elliott. There were many others who helped steered and administered the Ball Club to Championship. But it's been too long now. I don't remember everyone. But to them I tip my hat! It is because of them I author this story with the deepest pride.

To all our coaches,

Go Grand Kru Go!