Talking about Jay Willie, there was an event the public must know about to show how much journalists loved their jobs in those days. And the late James Williams ( Jay Willie ) exemplified it.
Mighty Blackpool had emerged Champions and represented Sierra Leone in the Africa Champions Cup competition. That was 1979 . Blackpool were matched against the high – flying Ghanaian champions, Accra Hearts of Oak. The odds were stacked against Blackpool and many people expected them to be beaten heavily by the talented Ghanaian champions studded with national players from the then unbeatable Ghana Black Stars.
However , Blackpool sent shockwaves throughout Africa and the world by thrashing the famous Accra Hearts of Oak 2-0 at the just- opened Siaka Stevens Stadium, with goals by Alusine Terry and Allie Ngayenga. The whole nation went berserk with joy and pride.
The second leg was scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana. The match had to be covered by our own pressmen because everybody was excited about it. But neither the SLFA nor Blackpool had money to include a pressman in the delegation.
Jay Willie had just been appointed Sports Editor of the DAILY MAIL. John Kargbo was the Sports Editor of WE YONE. Both newspapers also did not have money to fund their sports reporters to go cover the all – important match. But to everybody ‘s surprise, a patriotic spirit got stirred up in Jay Willie and he volunteered to go to Accra to cover the game for Sierra Leone . Everybody laughed. Where would Jay Willie get the money to fly to Accra to cover the game ?
In those days, we nar bin hard up man dem nar de media. Salaries were a pittance. Sports Editors were paid a meager Le 40 a month , not even enough to pay your rent, feed you for the month and support your socialite lifestyle, though we were magicians in Sierra Lrone as citizens are today. People thought that Jay Willie was just being a jester.
But Jay Willie had set his mind to go to Accra. He loved his job so much and wanted his country to get a first hand report of the game. It was not the days of the internet when one would read about it online from the Ghanaian or African sports websites . In those days, depending on and hoping to read the report in the GHANA DAILY GRAPHIC and GHANAIAN TIMES was an exercise in waiting for a miracle . Even the Ghana Embassy would not have got it, expect in few weeks time because papers were included in the diplomatic baggage and in those days and they came by sea. Even if Blackpool performed a miracle in Accra by beating and eliminating Accra Hearts of Oak, nobody would have heard the full story about how it happened. So, Jay Willie offered to go to Accra. But how could he ? Where would he get the money ?
But when a man loves something he will always find a way. How Jay Willie accomplished it was a miracle . Few days before the game, he had mobilized some funds from well- wishers and friends to add to his meager salary . Jay Willie soon set off by road. He travelled first to the Ivory Coast and from there barely managed to enter Accra few hours before the game. Just before the kickoff , the irresistible, undaunted Jay Willie entered the Accra Sports Stadium and was able to cover the game for Sierra Leone . He did it on his own. He did it selflessly for love of his profession and country. Through his selfless sacrifice , Sierra Leoneans were able to get a first hand report in the DAILY MAIL.
I was in Liberia and covering sports for the AFRICAN SPORTS monthly magazine . They sponsored me to cover the same game at the Accra Sports Stadium and it was just as well, because Mighty Blackpool did Sierra Leone proud that afternoon in Accra. They missed many golden opportunities and could have beaten the much- heralded Accra Hearts of Oak. But they lost 2-0 and sent the game into penalty kicks after extra time , where they unluckily lost due to anxiety and the brilliance of the Ghanaian goalkeeper Sam Suppay.
When Jay Willie returned to Sierra Leone, he was bathed in rivers of appreciation and praise. Everybody was hailing him for using his meager resources and help from friends and sacrificing everything to travel by road to Accra through the Ivory Coast just to ensure that his country got authentic, first hand report on the historic game.
What Jay Willie did in 1979 exemplified the love he had for journalism and the patriotic length he would go to make such that he provided unprecedented public service to his nation.
May his soul rest in peace.
By Kabs Kanu
