Latest update April 4th, 2025 6:13 AM
Remembering Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson
It is with profound sadness the sports fraternity learnt of the sudden passing of Mervyn ‘Pug’
Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson
Wilson (5th Nov. 1952 – 21st Fe. 2015), former National Under-19 player and former National Coach. Although he never represented the Land of Many Waters at the senior level, Wilson was an integral part of the national Under-19 team in 1970.
After a successful stint in West Germany in 1979, Wilson was surprisingly named the National Coach ahead of Lennox ‘Mulling’ Arthur in 1983 for the CFU Championship.
In his first game in charge, Guyana drew 1-1 with Barbados in Bridgetown. In the return fixture Wilson’s men eliminated Barbados from the 1983 CFU campaign with an empathic 2-0 victory at GCC Bourda.
In the second round of the CFU tournament Guyana engaged Antigua and Barbuda with Wilson calling play, Guyana drew the opening encounter 0-0 at GCC Bourda.
The return fixture according to the late Pug Wilson was the most infamous game of his career as National Couch because the host behind a helmet trick (four goals) from Everton Gonsalves eliminated Guyana 4-0 at the Antigua Recreation ground, St. Johns, Antigua.
His fifth and sixth internationals in charge of the national squad also resulted in loses, this time to the Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago at Skinner Park. After those two friendly internationals against the Soca Warriors, Wilson lost the national Coaching job to Lennox Arthur.
With Arthur at the helm, Wilson had to settle for National Under-21 duties and in 1985 he proudly took Guyana’s Under-21s to an international series in Suriname involving the host, Guyana and French Guyana.
After the 1987 debacle in Los Angles which resulted in fourteen (14) players absconding, Wilson returned as National Coach the following year, 1988, for two World Cup Qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago. Guyana, playing with fourteen debutants succumbed to the Soca Warriors 4-0 at Camp Ayanganna.
Wilson’s men gave a better account in the return fixture but lost 1-0. His next stint as National Coach was March 1993 in the Shell Caribbean Cup.
Wilson’s men led by Terrance Archer started that campaign with a 2-1 victory against the Cayman Islands at GFC but suffered loses to Puerto Rico 2-0 and Barbados 4-0 at GCC ground, Bourda and failed to progressed to the finals.
Wilson’s next international assignment was in December 1993 in Trinidad and Tobago for a Goodwill tour. This time his charges only contested matches against Trinidad club teams. ‘Pug’ Wilson’s final international tournament before calling play was the Shell Cup in Suriname, January 1994.
Led by Anson Austin, Guyana lost 5-4 on penalty kicks to French Guiana at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium, Paramaribo. Wilson’s men also lost to Suriname 2-0 at the same venue.
Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson’s Record as National Coach
13 Matches – Won 2 Draw 2 Lost 9
International Tours
1983 Barbados CFU Tournament
1983 Antigua CFU Tournament
1983 Trinidad Goodwill Tour
1985 Suriname with National under 21 International Triangular series involving Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana
1987 Bahamas Olympic Qualifier, Assistant Coach
1987 St. Lucia International Friendly, Assistant Coach
1987 Barbados International Friendly, Assistant Coach
1987 Dominica Republic Olympic Qualifier, Assistant Coach
1987 Guatemala Two Olympic Qualifiers, Assistant Coach
1987 Los Angeles Olympic Qualifier, Assistant Coach
1988 Trinidad World Cup Qualifier
1993 Trinidad Goodwill Tour
1994 Suriname Shell Cup
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