Carl Osborne
My Captain – Carl Osborne
By Fred Thornhill
Carl Osborne entered Naparima in 1949 and by 1950 he had become a regular player on the school’s first eleven football team. In his rookie year Carl played at center forward but later moved to center half.
In 1953 Carl Osborne was the captain of the Naparima College football team. It was a good team but it would not have been voted the strongest that Naparima had produced. But Carl was able to motivate his charge into a winning squad.
In 1953 drawn games were replayed. Penalty kicks were unknown. Three full games were needed to decide a winner – Naparima.
Carl thus became the first Naparima captain to lead his team to intercol success over Presentation College.
After leaving Naparima, Carl played football for Forest Reserve then Angels and Juniors Sports Club. His outstanding performance on defence gained him selection on many representative teams.
At the end of his playing career, Carl became a very successful coach., In 1973, twenty years after he led his team to intercol victory, he coached Naparima to its first National Intercol Championship. He repeated this feat in 1976 and 1977.
In the 1980’s carl accepted the challenge to coach Presentation College and also lead that team to intercol success. Carl Osborne became the only person to have captained Naparima College as well as coached both Naparima and Presentation Colleges to intercol success.
Carl Osborne born October 23, 1935. Died February 5, 1998.
Naparima Team - 1953
Standing: Left to Right: Sports Mater Yamin Ali, Mervyn Byam, Fred Thornhill, Hector Baptiste
Stooping: Left to Right: Victor Henry, Desmond Chadee, Carl Osborne, Capt., Junior Barrow, Rosalind Ramberransingh, Stephen Ramsanker, Jerome
Missing: George Ballah, Hugh Bobb, and Sook Marajh
Carl Osborne