Alvin Geronimo Braithwaite; from Sandbach Parker to World Cup Defender

Sep 16, 2012 Sports

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– former British Guiana & Guyana Int. 1964 – 1976; C’bbean selectee 1973

Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series of features on Guyana’s World Cup Football players; Today we are pleased to feature Alvin Geronimo Braithwaite.
After some outstanding performances for Sandbach Parker in the Hood League in 1963, Alvin Geronimo Braithwaite was selected for his first International series the next year, playing under the leadership of his unrelated namesake, Hubert ‘Senior’ Braithwaite.
He {Geronimo} found the going tough in his debut series against Trinidad and Tobago which was led by Sedley Joseph; the Trinidadians won the 5 match series 4-0. Braithwaite failed to gain the selectors nod when British Guiana led by Monty Hope engaged the touring Barbados National team in four matches, February 1965.
He was recalled to the National line up when British Guiana, led again by Monty Hope toured the Twin Island Republic and contested several matches. His next international assignment in 1965 was against the touring Lancashire Fusiliers team.
In the first match the tourist’s drew 3-3 with British Guiana. The visitors won the series finale 3-1, both matches were contested at the Mecca of football in Guyana, Georgetown Football Club, Ground.
After the series against the tourist’s from Lancashire, Braithwaite was selected in an 18-man Under-23 squad for Special Training but according to Braithwaite, his biggest satisfaction in 1965 was assisting his Club Sandbach Parker to win the Hood League Championship trophy.
In 1966, the star defender toured Barbados with the Monty Hope led British Guiana side for an international triangular series with the host and Trinidad and Tobago. British Guiana drew the first match 1-1 against Barbados; Frankie Forde was the goal scorer for British Guiana which lost the second match to T&T 2-0.
After the Barbados tour, he played for British Guiana against the Dutch Army at BGCC Ground where the visitors won 1-0. Braithwaite then stood firm in defence when British Guyana drew 2-2 with the British Army at GFC.
He also played an integral role when the British Guiana Under-23s defeated the British Army 3-0 also at GFC, Patrick Britton firing in all three goals. All of the above matches were contested before Independence. In 1967, Geronimo Braithwaite represented Guyana against Suriname in a Goodwill series played in Georgetown.
He also featured for the National team in two matches against the touring South Trinidad side. His illustrious career continued in 1968 when he toured Barbados with the National Squad. His 1968 international campaign concluded when the National Team contested three matches against the then Suriname Champion Club, Robinhood.
The visitors won the first and second games 4-0 and 2-1 respectively, but owing to some spectacular work in defence by Braithwaite, who shut down the Robinhood strikers, the National team was able to turn the tables to record a 4-1 win in the final game.
Next up for the master defender was an international series in 1969 and according to Geronimo this was his worst outing in National colours. Guyana suffered back to back 8-0 thrashings from an English Amateur team at the GCC Ground, Bourda.
He said losing 16-0 in two matches was the worst feeling he experienced in his illustrations career. The next year 1970, Braithwaite was appointed National Captain and led Guyana to two honourable draws against a powerful Trinidad and Tobago side both matches were contested at the GSC Ground.
In 1971, Braithwaite lost the National Captaincy to Ken Gibbs when Guyana contested its first CONCACAF series against Suriname, home and away.
His only international tour of duty in 1972 was to French Guiana for several matches. In 1973, his international campaign started against Haiti at GSC Ground, the National Team losing both encounters. He then featured in a hard fought draw and loss to Trinidad and Tobago at GSC, the following pair of internationals were contested in 1973 against the touring French Guiana Team.
The tourist’s shocked the guest’s by winning the opener at Malteenoes Ground but outstanding defence work from Braithwaite, Earl O’Neal and the late Clive ‘Breezer’ Nedd shutdown the Frenchmen and Guyana leveled the series 1-1. English division-two side Hull City then cooled off Braithwaite and company with a 5-0 whipping at GCC in May 1973. Next, he donned colours for the Caribbean X1 that drew 1-1 with Hull City at GCC.
This was followed by a game against Jamaica under lights at GFC and again, Braithwaite, O’Neal and Nedd had to come to the party. Jamaica scored first through Carlton Smith but after that the deadly trio closed down the Reggae Boyz.
Bouyed by the performance of their teammates at the back, Rudolph ‘Chow’ Hunte and Godfrey ‘Poulis’ Norville scored and gave Guyana a memorable 2-0 victory. Braithwaite’s next game was a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Suriname at GSC Ground. In 1975 he was a member of the World Cup Squad that played against Bare of Brazil as World Cup preparations intensified and in 1976 he featured in a series against Texaco of T&T.
He also toured Brazil with the Maurice Enmore led World Cup Squad in 1976. After the Brazilian tour, Geronimo featured in four (4) internationals against Cuba, games being played in Linden, Berbice and Georgetown.
This was followed by a series against Sir Alec Ferguson’s touring Scottish Division-One Team, St. Mirren. It is no secret that Ferguson and St. Mirren arrived in Guyana a confident
unit after recording victories over T&T, Barbados and Suriname.
However, air tight marking by Braithwaite, O’Neal and Nedd kept out Ferguson’s strikers and Guyana jolted their unbeaten run with a 2-0 triumph. So it was no surprise when Guyana won its inaugural World Cup match by a similar margin at GCC Bourda on July 4, 1976.
Braithwaite‘s last overseas international is the dreaded knock them three loss to Suriname in the World Cup Qualifier return fixture. He played is final series against Curacao at the GCC Ground, Bourda in October, 1976.
International Tours: 1965 Trinidad; 1966 Barbados; 1966 Barbados; 1971 Suriname; 1972 French Guiana; 1976 Brazil; 1976 Suriname.

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