The executive and members of the Northern Football Association are also mourning the passing of Rolf Bartolo, who died on Sunday morning.
In a release on Sunday, the NFA described Bartolo as a “stalwart and dependable member”.
Bartolo was a member of the Maple club for more than 40 of the 102 years of its existence. The release described him as ”an efficient goalkeeper,” but one who “made his name by mentoring and coaching a cadre of young players, including standouts Reynold George and Dexter Skeene to the North Zone title in 1991.”
Maple under Bartolo competed in the National League in 1992. He continued his coaching and management of the club continuously until 2017, when he again took the club to North Zone honours. Maple went on that year to qualify for the National Super League but did not participate.
Bartolo also coached the North Zone team in the annual interzone competitions for several years. He was also a driving force in organising the annual Maple versus Malvern old boys game.
He finally left football to concentrate more fully on his work as a racehorse trainer in 2017 and by 2018 received an award from the Arima Race Club (ARC) as the country’s most improved trainer, a vote taken by his peers.
In the release, the NFA sent condolences to Bartolo’s family.
SOURCE: T&T Express