Portmore United rally around 'Cobra' Gaynor

Livingston Scott, Observer staff reporter
Friday, November 07, 2008



Portmore United captain, Anthony Modeste (front), speaks with former national player and coach, Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor (seated), before presenting him with a cheque for an undisclosed amount to assist with his medical expenses. In the background (from left) are Anthony Bennett, Tyrone Sawyers, Cardo Smith, Mario Swaby, Clive Marshall (general manager), Omar Campbell, Garfield Robinson and Linval Dixon. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Former National Premier League champions Portmore United reached out to former national player Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor on Monday by presenting the wheelchair-bound coach with a cheque for an undisclosed amount to assist with his medical bills.

Gaynor is suffering from rare motor neuron disease known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which has left him semi-paralysed since last year.

The former Jamaican defender, though unable to physically help himself because of the illness, was quite alert however, and was in good spirits.

The Portmore contingent included general manager Clive Marshall, coach Linval Dixon and captain Anthony Modeste, along with other players from the senior team.
The contribution to the former Bull Bay, Harbour View and Waterhouse coach included a case of water and a case of fruit juice.

Marshall said Portmore United wanted to acknowledge Gaynor as one of the ambassadors of football in the country and considered it obligatory to make such a contribution.

"We... have a lot of respect for him because he's one of them that has carried Jamaica's flag for a long time and we felt the onus was on us to show some kind of tribute and to give some kind of assistance to his physical health," Marshall said.

"We hope that someday, something can assist him to have a cure for a permanent healing. But we felt we owed this to him and we decided to make this offer...," he added.

The club's general manager added that the Portmore United family is aware of how expensive Gaynor's medications are, but this will not be their only contribution.

"As time goes on we will stay in touch... to make other contributions," he declared while appealing to the members of the local football fraternity to follow their lead.

"This is a well-needed fund and we want to ask for some more assistance for him," he added.

Dixon, who played alongside Gaynor in the national team during the 1990s, was deeply touched at seeing the state of his former teammate.

He recalled how determined and hard working Gaynor was as a player and thought it ironic for him to be beset by such an illness.

"In 1993 we went to Mexico to play and that man was the only man who stood up in the altitude and never stopped running and always wanted to do more.

"So for someone who gave that kind of effort when he played, it is really touching to see him like this, but these things can happen to anyone and we just wanted to give our support to him," Dixon added.

Grenadian Modeste, despite not knowing Gaynor as well as the others, was also touched by the situation.

"I knew him (Gaynor) through football and he is family to the Portmore United organisation and it's really touching to see the state he is in, but this could happen to anyone of us. Once Portmore can assist him we will in anyway we can," said the soft-spoken Portmore skipper.

"Our prayers are with him and we hope that by some miracle or anything, he will pull through," Modeste said while expressing pleasure that Gaynor was in high spirits.
Meanwhile, close friend and fellow coach Christopher Bender, who visits the former international on a regular basis, welcomed the gesture by Portmore United and also encouraged others to assist.

He said he has faith that his friend will eventually recover because of his strength of character.

"The most important thing is his belief... as a player he was always tough and strong and that's what I trust more than anything else," Bender stated.

Gaynor, whose speech is slurred due to the disease, was optimistic that he will recover and later played a Sam Cooke single, A Change Is Gonna Come on his computer.



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