NEW INTERVIEW: Our interview with Semi Tabaiwalu, Part II (first time published), 20 June 2015, Ba Central Club

Interview with Semi Tabaiwalu (Ba and Fiji Legend) Part II

Saturday, 20 June 2015 @ Ba River and Ba Central Club. This is the section from Ba Central Club.

By: Henry Dyer (Nadi Legends Club) and Kieran James (University of Fiji)

Kieran James: It seems so fluky, the 1982 IDC penalty shootout that neither side could win; it was like that was a destiny.

Semi Tabaiwalu: In the 1978 IDC in Lautoka, we played the first game against Labasa, we lost 4-0.

Henry Dyer: And then?

Semi: We came back towards Ba to the camp. We reached camp and Jone Nakosia (our sweeper) said something was given to him by C.P. Patel (the owner of C.P. Patel). Then Jone Nakosia said: “what I have done is wrong, I did not inform the boys that something was given to me which was to do with black magic.” We cleared that out in the Fijian traditional cultural protocol. C.P. Patel wanted us to win and the black magic did not work. We won all the other games heading up to the final. Then we met Labasa again in the final. There was a penalty shootout.

Henry: I remember that game, man. I watched that game. Everyone was cheering for Labasa. I was schooling at Ba Provincial Secondary School. I was 16-years-old.

Semi: I was the deciding penalty kicker. We had our referee from England, Peter Eaton, but he was a linesman that day. Ba team always wanted him to referee their game. He came over to me and said: “If you kick this, you will take the trophy back to Ba.” He was from England, but his favourite team was Ba. I kicked it and I scored it, we won that game.

Henry: So Peter Eaton encouraged Semi to make Ba win with confidence.

Semi: We won that tournament, 1978. That was the best team that Ba had in that era. In 1979 in Nausori we won against Nadi 2-1 in the final. [Note: Semi said 1-0 but it was 2-1.]

Henry: Did you know about the Veterans’ Dinner organized by Fiji Football? [Note: this was held in October 2014 in Nadi.]

Semi: No, I did not know about it, I was not given a ticket. After it happened, someone mentioned that something was happening in Nadi around the veterans’ tournament.

Henry: He found out after the tournament had happened. Joe Basudra and Lote [Delai] (they had been at the function after match) were there, so why were you not there? They were younger players, after your time.

Semi: I was not informed until I learnt from somebody later on.

Henry: Inia Bola mentioned that he got an invitation. Do you think it is fair that he goes without your knowledge?

Semi: For me, it’s OK. I have nothing to lose. Inia and me we are the same. But the question is why nobody ever told me.

Semi: My son played for Ba, Fiji, and SPG gold medal [South Pacific Games]. He says: “Dad, I beat you.” I always say: “No, you only beat me when I tell you.” So his mama was telling me “we beat you” and I always tell my wife “no, not yet”.

Henry: This means that Semi is talking with experience and wisdom.

Semi: When I was in charge of Ba team for four years, it was all about discipline. If they don’t listen to me, I kick them out.

Henry: Don’t say “kicked them out”, say “drop them” [laughs].

Semi: Even the classic players I threw out such as Junior Buka Lidit, Peni Finau. There are so many others.

Henry: It was his strategy to keep disciplining the team.

Henry: The Indians, they have the power, they manipulate, they have the monopoly. Regardless of your experience or ability, when they say “time”, then your time ends there. Because they control the game. [Note: This is a comment about Semi Tabaiwulu being pushed out of his Ba manager job by Ba officials despite his strong track record.]

Semi: When we won the IDC six years in a row, we used to say to each other “do it for the supporters”. Ten or more buses went down from Ba to Suva for the finals. We used to always get free beers here at the Central Club and even discounts at shops and free bus fares within Ba.  So we were all repaid in other ways. Now the players don’t mix with the public. They buy their beers and go and hide them somewhere.

Semi: You cannot be one leg only. Our coach, S.M. Singh, was very much against one-leg players. If you were one leg, you were out of the squad.

Semi: After the SPG, Mike Everett said he wanted to take [Joe] Tubuna to England and make money. We lost 1-0 against Tahiti.

KJ: The same score as in 1983.

Henry: Yes. From what he saw, Mike Everett thought Joe had the skills to make it big time in England. Mike just mentioned this, but nothing was done about it, either by Mike or Fiji FA. It shows that the talent of the Fiji soccer boys remained …

KJ: Unmined. [Note: This was probably a reference to Vatukoula gold mine just being down the road from our then location at Ba Central Club.]

Henry: Right, … unmined.

Semi: Fiji Soccer should have encouraged the talented players to go overseas, just as Fiji Rugby is doing today.

Henry: Yes, yes. James, this is the same thing as I mentioned to you earlier. It is a pity that we have failed to give opportunity to a lot of talent, which would have been a big advantage to Fiji FA today and to the districts. It is a pity that soccer is not heading in the right direction.

Semi: The game here is now characterized by individual play. If I have the ball inside the box now, I just want to score. But, in our day, we would put the ball out. They want their name up in lights.

Semi: Rudi said when I retired, I could become a good coach. That is what he told me, Rudi Gutendorf.

Henry: Of course, because Rudi had heard of his experience. But, when you come to think about it, Fiji Football still didn’t adhere to this.

Semi: They will never. Two months after SPG, Fiji Football gave you a shield for Best [note: I can’t read the next word here from my notes] Player in SPG. I got a shock. This was before Rudi left. He told me: “you are going to become a good coach.” Before, in the national team, we would share shoes or trousers to anyone who had the need, even the underwear, we cared for each other.

[Note: We stayed for a long time drinking in Ba Central Club that Saturday evening, after the interview began in the afternoon at Ba river, but my notes end here.]

NEW INTERVIEW: Vivekanand "Boy" Reddy interview, by Kieran James and Henry Dyer, 2015.

My interview with Vivekanand “Boy” Reddy, Dratabu Village, Nadi, 2015.

Kieran James: Please tell us about the beginning, how you began your soccer career?

Boy Reddy: I started playing when I was 16. I won the first IDC for Nadi, 1969, after 42 years. I went to Namotomoto Village. I was last-man-down for Nadi (full-back). Those who care for others will be looked after by somebody. In those days, I used to walk/run from here to the town and then to Newtown (Wailoaloa beach, Martintar, Nadi). That time my father was dead. My Mom stopped me from playing, she said “you have to run the farm”. I went to Namotomoto and stayed there for three years. I started eating Fijian food and speaking Fijian. I love that way of life - there is more Fijian in me, only a little bit Indian. When they drink, they drink a lot. When they play, they play a lot. In the village, they called me a Fijian guy [Henry Dyer laughs.]

I’m 72 now (born 1944) - you know why I didn’t migrate? Because I miss my friends here. We plant Fijian food. You can see the tapioca here. I enjoyed my life playing sports. I love to meet people who love sport and the district. I only ever played for Nadi, not for any other district such as Lautoka.

Henry Dyer: Who is still alive from your Nadi team, and who has passed away?

Boy Reddy: The goalkeeper is dead. We were twin full-backs, we are still alive. Here is the team: Anare Sabati (died), Rasul (died), Aiyub Kutti (died), Mani Naicker (died), Habib (died), Joe Lutumailagi, Krishna Reddy, Kollappa (migrated to Canada), Dawai (still alive), from Namotomoto, Yunus (migrated somewhere, I don’t know where, he was a link player).

KJ: Please tell us more about the 1969 IDC.

Boy Reddy: We won the first IDC, 1969, in Labasa. We beat Rewa 3-0, then Ba 1-0, and then Suva 1-0, all without penalty kicks. In the final we beat Suva.

Henry Dyer: Score?

Boy Reddy: 1-0. Mani Naicker was the captain, Joe and I were the vice-captains, we always had this argument [about who was vice-captain]. Joe came here and had his birthday last month, 67th. Inosi was here, Save and Taga.

Henry Dyer: Fuck this gang, they never tell me!

Boy Reddy: Ex-Tanoa, at club level.

Rajesh (nephew of Boy Reddy): I used to admire this Henry Dyer. He was a midfielder.

Sarawan (son): He has to go back at 2pm to Sydney.[Author note: Five years have passed since the interview. Sarawan was referring to another family member present, not Boy or Henry.]

Rajesh: I used to watch Henry's game.

Boy Reddy: He was a terrible player [joking]. He knew his position. No-one had to tell him.

Rajesh: We were born in Ba, but we grew up in Nadi. So, because of family heritage, I always support Nadi.

Henry Dyer: How many districts then competed in the IDC?

Boy Reddy: We used to play in one level. [Author’s note: I think this means that there was no group-stage. The second-division IDC began in 1968, so he doesn’t mean that didn’t exist.]

Henry Dyer: All the teams were in one level. We played knockout in four or five days. If you got knocked out, you go and drink in the bush. In those days, when we played IDC in Nadi, no-one stayed home. Every child and his father was at the ground that time. The 1971 IDC was in Nadi. There was a big crowd, a bumper crowd.

KJ: What years did you play?

Boy Reddy: From 1966-73 as regular Nadi rep. Henry must be 64 now?

KJ: No, he is much younger.

Rajesh: I never saw my uncle play. I was born 1968.

Boy Reddy: He must have been a baby. In those days, I was in hospital for three months with having torn muscle. One man [official] from the team visited me once in that whole time. He never even brought biscuits! I was so sad. I have no time for such officials. There should be money for injured players. This is why I stopped my son from playing. He was at USP and wanted to play for Nasinu. I told him and said “no, it is not your district”.

Boy Reddy: We used to stand in front of the pub and we would be chased away.

KJ: We are banned from Nadi Club.

Boy Reddy: Navneedna never banned me. My friend here, Henry Dyer, man, people are afraid of him, I don’t know why. He is my friend. He is regarded as a dangerous man. They are frightened of this man. James, [you] came from overseas and looked after us.

Henry Dyer: When you were playing, who were the hardest team to play against?

Boy Reddy: Lautoka - they played very organized soccer. They won by five or six goals against teams. They had a lot of nice blokes. They had a class of soccer. Lautoka had players like Augustine Thoman, Vilifafi Lee, Onnie Wong, Hakim Dean, Chandar Bahu Singh, M.S. Chetty,  Mun Reddy, and Arjun Gopal. Most of these players played for Fiji, so Lautoka was a very good team, as was Ba.

KJ: Did you play for Fiji?

Boy Reddy: I played for west part of Fiji. I played against Tottenham Hotspur. We played against a German team too, but I’m not sure who they were. In those days, when we played, we were like a family. We paid all our own expenses except food. We had no money but we were happy.

KJ: Did you get paid money at all?

Boy Reddy: No, nothing, nil. We played for the pride. My statement will be very dangerous for the old officials. It’s good to speak the truth, yes?

KJ: What do you think of Fiji soccer now?

Boy Reddy: It needs coaching from the primary-schools, from the ages of four or five. There is no good in spending money on the older players like we do now. I saw the games on TV [Oceania Champions’ League]. We didn’t have the technical skill nor the accuracy in finishing. They lack a lot of skills and understanding. They do not make game plans. Our country needs a few good coaches to train the young kids. That is my final comment. I still love soccer, but when I see our standard of soccer, it makes me feel very embarrassed. We need some new coaches, not just one or two. Every district needs a new professional coach.

KJ: I saw the teams from Vanuatu and New Caledonia play.

Boy Reddy: They are better than us. How can we develop soccer in Fiji? That is the big question mark.

Henry Dyer: Augustine Thoman, your comment?

Boy Reddy: He never loses possession, he had the accuracy. If he heads or kicks it, it goes into the net. He could kick six or seven goals a game. Lautoka players had the ball control.

KJ: Why has Lautoka gone down recently, compared to those times?

Boy Reddy: Players started roaming here and there and going for money. No-one is playing for district pride now. No-one gives one hundred percent now. All of a sudden something happened [to Lautoka] and it is a mystery to me.

KJ: One thing that happened is that Ba went up.

Boy Reddy: Sashi Mahendra Singh lived for some time in Germany.

Henry Dyer: When he came back he brought German passing to the game. And they had the money.

Boy Reddy: Ba is not a rich town, but Ba is very dedicated and gives one hundred percent and they listen to the coach. Ba is one of the best teams now in Fiji. When I talk I finish my story. If you come back again, I might tell lies [smiles]. Today, I’m very sincere. I’m happy you come and meet me in my compound. It’s a blessing to you, mate, that you come and lift sports up.

Henry Dyer: How many acres you got here?

Boy Reddy: I clear the land. I don’t want to plant too much now. I can talk. There are plenty of acres, but I can only find two or three. [Author’s note: The meaning is unclear here. It could relate to issues about who can plant what where  in the village.]

Henry Dyer: He can do whatever he wants.

Boy Reddy: No, don’t write that. I get on well with the people from my village.

KJ: Tell us about your life in Namotomoto.

Boy Reddy: I still miss that old place. There was an old lady, Tai Eva, Joe Lutumailagi’s mother. I called her my Aunty, she was very caring towards me. May her soul rest in peace. She was a nice lady, just like my mother. I lived in Namotomoto for three years. I ate everything.

Henry Dyer: He ate beef, he ate anything and everything.

Boy Reddy: But not shit and all. We dived for river mussels. When I played, I used to play and mostly live with the Fijian boys. Some people did not used to like me because I stayed with them. Please don’t write too much or these people will not come to my funeral. These boys did it to me, but I forgive them. Don’t say something to hurt people in my dying day.

Boy Reddy: I was a dirty fellow too like him [Henry Dyer]. But write something clean for me; you are a good writer. You can say these two guys [Boy and Henry] played rugged soccer, never say die. Whether 6-0 or 7-0, we will keep on playing until the last minute. We have been through very difficult times, me and this guy Henry. After games, I walked back here in the dark. Kini Tubi, Save [Savenaca Waqa] and Marika would all come here at night to drink. After we finished, these boys picked up very well and played great soccer for Nadi for 9-10 years at the top level. Rusiate, Pacandi, Kaitani - it was a very good team, I was so proud of them. After that, I did not really keep an active interest. People should be spending money in the primary schools [to coach youngsters in soccer]. You can’t teach an old man how to play.

Boy Reddy: I used to get on well with rugby greats from Nadi and Fiji - Voe Savau and Nasivi Ravouvou, these guys were big boys. We used to celebrate together. Both have died. When my former mates come and visit me, I feel young again. When they are gone, I feel old. Joe Lutumailagi, Save [Savenaca Waqa], [Sosi] Kaitani, Savenaca Taga and Inosi Tora came to my birthday a few weeks ago.

Henry Dyer: That’s the history here.

Henry Dyer’s comments about Boy Reddy (after the interview): He said he doesn’t have any acres, but he can plant wherever he wants to plant, it is lying idle. But it is all village-reserved. He does this because he counts himself as one of the villagers from Dratabu Village even though he is an Indo-Fijian. He says: “No, I’m not an Indo-Fijian. I am an iTaukei.” We from our villages in Nakavu and Dratabu we call ourselves the koicalevu, meaning that we have something very close in common in tradition and culture and through blood-ties. This goes back to the tribal war times. I would treat Boy Reddy like a koicalevu. The people in the village would laugh at this. We have people like this in Ba too who live their lives with the Fijian boys, such as the Sami brothers. One thing I know for a fact is that Boy Reddy is a full Fijian, although he has an Indian name. He is a Fijian at heart. He has a strong heart, which keeps him alive until today.

He mixed around with the Fijian boys and was so close to the Fijians in the village. The old ladies then, if they saw an Indian boy, they would treat him as their grandchild. They would tell the village not to mistreat the boy and that he is part of our family. You can see all the village boys from the early days went to his birthday. He said: “I’m Indian, but Fijian at heart, not like the other guys.” He was hanging around with the Fijians because he was into soccer. But even before soccer he was hanging around with the Fijian boys. Soccer cemented the relationships.

*****THE END*****

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with Julie Sami (Ba / Fiji legend), by Henry Dyer, 1 October 2015.

Interview with Julie Sami (Ba and Fiji Legend)

1 October 2015 @ Julie’s house in Ba

By Henry Dyer (Nadi Legends club) and Kieran James (University of Fiji)

Henry Dyer: Julie, when did you start to play?

Julie Sami: 1975, I was 15-years-old, but I did not go to Labasa to play in the IDC. That time it was a knock-out format.

Henry: Can you remember who was playing with you at that time?

Julie: I was playing with Waisea Mitieli, Bale Raniga, Josateki Kuruvitu, Vimlesh, Semi, my brother Narend, Jone Nakosia, Kini Mocelutu, Farouk Janeman, and many more players I can’t name.

Henry: Who was your coach back then?

Julie: Sashi Mahendra Singh.

Henry: Back then who was the champion team?

Julie: It was that time Ba won six-in-a-row IDC 1975-80. We met Nadi many times in the final with “Bacardi”, Manu Pokar, Mani Naicker, and others. I played against Mani Naicker, he was a GK. My father forced me to play; I was drinking too much; my father played 21 years for Ba.

Henry: Who was the team you admired the most back then?

Julie: Nadi. After the game we would sit down and go to the hotel together, everybody was there. Bacardi [Emasi Koroi] was one of the funniest fellows.

Henry: Bacardi was one of the funniest fellows who made the game more enjoyable.

Julie: He could run naked at the swimming pool but he was a good player. Where is he now?

Henry: Suva. Bacardi was a specialty for on and off the field for the Nadi and Ba teams. He was like the comedian or the clown.

Julie: Yeah.

Henry: Apart from Nadi did you feel close to any other team?

Julie: Lautoka. Suliano Turaga was the GK. I remember scoring against Lautoka from a corner-kick. I curled the ball in without anyone touching. I always will remember that goal. Suliano Turaga was the Fiji GK at that time.

Henry: That was around the time that Save [Savenaca Waqa], Bale [Raniga], and Suliano were in the Fiji team. After Suli dropped out from soccer there were only two main GKs for Fiji.

Kieran James: Where was the game played and was it BOG, IDC or national league?

Julie: The corner-kick was at Churchill Park in the national league.

Henry: Who was the captain of the team then?

Julie: Bale and Vimlesh.

KJ: Do you remember when Joe Tubuna joined the Ba team?

Julie: In 1979, the first IDC we won in Rewa. He was so very close to me. That fellow would come to my house, eat, and go. He could never leave my house. But he was a good player.

Henry: What was your best year for Ba?

Julie: 1980. I scored a 40-yard goal against Lautoka; the GK was Semi Bai. I also scored another 40-yarder against Suva. We beat Suva 4-0 and Lautoka 7-0 In the IDC.

KJ: 7-0 in 60-minutes is very good.

Julie: Yeah, and in the final we beat your team Nadi.

KJ: What do you think of Henry as a player?

Julie: He was a good player, man. His forehead was very dangerous. When he got the ball Bale was afraid. We used to mark him properly but this fellow ran away.

Henry: You say you used to mark me. Why were you afraid of me?

Julie: S.M. Singh taught us that if the player goes to the toilet you go with him; wherever that fellow goes run with him.

Henry: So that was the drill? For the team to mark every player?

Julie: Man-to-man. S.M. Singh did not want any throws against us in our own half or corner-kicks against us. He knew they were dangerous situations. Vimlesh was our master-mind; he could speed the game up, he could slow the game.

Henry: When Joe came in and Waisea retired...

Julie: I took that fellow’s position. I played in the district as left-wing. I took Josateki’s position at left-wing when he retired. People did not know I was a right-footer but it was very hard to get into the team in that position. At Sangam Tournament in Ba S.M. Singh was watching the game. After this Mr Singh played me last-man-down (full-back). I gave left-wing to my brother Vimal Sami in 1984 and then I moved down to the sweeper’s position after that. Then I moved to last-man-down (full-back, sweeper) and Jone Nakosia was moved to the right-back.

KJ: Did you play for Fiji and how many games?

Julie: Yes, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. In 1984 Lote Delai, Ravuama Madigi, and the younger boys who had played for the Fiji youth team were selected.

KJ: When did you finish playing with Ba? Was it around 1988?

Julie: 1988 was the IDC in Lautoka, we lost it. I played up until 1993.

KJ: Did you enjoy playing for Ba at that time?

Julie: Yes. If I was young now I would play again. We were not paid; now they get money but they have no pride for the district.

Henry: We played for the beer money.

KJ: What do you think of Ba Soccer now?

Julie: I don’t feel like going to watch the game.

KJ: Because it is controlled by the 4R Company?

Julie: Yes. There is no team pride and no district feeling. Before in the town people would call us over and buy us beer. It’s not like that now; now they don’t even know who Ba is playing that day.

Henry: This gang, Fiji Football, they should think about why the sport is not going up but is going down.

Julie: The interest in soccer in Fiji is below par; it is not like before in the 1980s.

Henry: Then you could feel the vibes at the village-level from the public.

KJ: Did you enjoy your time with Vinod Patel as Ba president?

Julie: Yes, he is the best president. In 1993 I pulled out because Rajesh Patel came in as president. He forced me to play one game against Tavua, I played it, and then I went out. Rajesh wanted to control the selection of the team. Vinod was a good fellow.  He was a nice fellow who would look after the players. S.M. Singh was a very disciplined coach. He would tell us to have a beer after the game with the supporters. There would be 10 to 15 cartons of beer with the supporters at the stadium. S.M. Singh would say: “after this don’t go and disturb the officials”. After this Vinod Patel would quietly say: “I will give you some more cartons and you can drink it quietly wherever you want to drink it”. He was a nice president.

KJ: Do you get free tickets for the games now?

Julie: Only for IDCs played at home.

KJ: Who was the best team in your era - Ba or Nadi?

Julie: Both teams. One would win and one would lose; we had to do or die there.

KJ: Do you remember the 1982 IDC Final?

Julie: We drew with them. This man Henry smashed Tubuna’s head. It was after 6pm, no floodlights. Save [Savenaca Waqa] said: “it’s after 6pm”. There was a return match in Lautoka; we were drunk but we went there and we got the trophy.

KJ: Do you know that the Nadi and Ba officials agreed not to play at Churchill Park?

Julie: No, I did not know.

KJ: The officials forced you to turn up?

Julie: Yes, but only seven of us turned up. We wore the uniforms but we were drunk as we went out on to the field.

Henry: We were told not to enter the field.

KJ: But you were there at the ground?

Henry: Yes.

Julie: We played a relegation game, 1984. We beat Tailevu-Naitasari 8-0 in Ba. The president of Tailevu said not to play the second game as eight goals to nil was already enough. This game was after Joe died, in 1984.

Henry: Wasn’t that the game when Inia [Bola] came back and played after the accident?

Julie: No, he wanted to play.

KJ: He wanted to play but he didn’t play?

Julie: Yes. Right from then up until now that fellow cannot smell.

KJ: What do you think of Rudi Gutendorf as national coach?

Julie: Rudi was a good coach. Then there was Mike Everett before him. But the best coach was S.M. Singh. He could teach you six or seven patterns. If you go to his house you can’t see any Indian movies, just soccer. S.M. Singh’s son Vimlesh was playing. S.M. Singh was a disciplinarian, he doesn’t care if it is his son or not; if you are not training well he puts you out – no train, no game. He judges you based on performance and discipline.

Henry: So that’s how Ba was built?

Julie: Yes.

KJ: Why was Rudi a good coach?

Julie: He was also very disciplined. But he gave players time too, not like this new Italian coach Carlos Buzzetti.

Henry: What do you think of the standard of Ba Soccer now?

Julie: Very bad, brother, very bad.

Henry: What are the reasons?

Julie: No development.

Henry: But there is an academy here in Ba...

Julie: But they never take it to the schools or to the village communities or to the clubs. The academy here is like you go there to learn and then you go home. Now they wait for the transport to pick them up and if no-one picks them up they stay home. In our time we would run from here (the FSC line) to Govind Park to train (from the Naidrodo line, Soweri, Talacake, Votua).

KJ: What is your comment about Meli Vuilabasa?

Julie: He was a dangerous player too. In Rewa my brother passed to him and he scored against Save [Savenaca Waqa]. Meli came into the Ba team in 1977.

Henry: How about Bale Raniga as a GK – how do you rate him?

Julie: What he does is he yells from the back to the players: “run here, run there”. If he yells from there you can hear the sound in town. We respect him; he guided us from the back, especially in defence.

KJ: Here is a question we asked the other Ba players: who was better as a GK – Save or Bale?

Julie: Bale was better I tell you. At training both keepers, Bale and Save, were trying to kick from one end to the other. Save kicked to the goal-mouth; Bale kicked right out of the ground. This was at training for the Fiji team at Govind Park.

KJ: Did you do any coaching at all?

Julie: I coached Under-12s and Under-15s. I just started and then I lost hope because there were no plans for development. This was U12s through to U15s for Ba. This was around 1993, after I stopped playing. I said to myself: “no, leave it, look for a job”. I felt that there was no progress in the development of soccer. I thought it was better to look for a job to support my family.

Henry: Farouk Janeman was the development officer for Fiji Football working for the academy. Three or four times we met in Nadi and he asked me to be a development officer in Nadi but nothing eventuated; I don’t know for what reason.

KJ: How did you feel playing in the Ba team with all of the Fijian players? There must have been just three or four Indian players in the first team.

Julie: It was nothing new to me. I was born with those boys in the same community so when playing alongside them we were able to gel together. Day and night I was with the Fijians so my life was like living as a Fijian boy. Back then I was the only Indian mixing with the Fijian boys.

Henry: Only the Sami brothers would mix around with the Fijians. Vimlesh and Farouk were from the business-class families so they were different.

Julie: Vimlesh is looking after the family business, Ba Motor Parts, in Suva and around Fiji.

KJ: Do you think it is harder for the Fijian boys to become coaches than for the Indian boys?

Julie: It is not hard because there is a coaching course now. Fijians have more knowledge than Indians. Semi [Tabaiwalu] was coaching at that time.

Henry: Semi won many tournaments for Ba and then they pushed him out.

Julie: Yes, they pushed him out, man.

Henry: What do you think would be the best solution to raise the level of soccer in Fiji?

Julie: Soccer in Fiji can’t go up, brother.

Henry: Why can’t it go up?

Julie: Now every three months there is a window for players to run here and there. If you give him $100 more he will run to another district. Before you could trust a player; now you can’t trust a player because the player will chase any extra money which is being offered.

Henry: But why does the soccer standard not go up?

Julie: It can’t go up.

Henry: But why can’t it go up?

Julie: Because the players can’t stick to one district and so they don’t know each other’s pattern of play.

Henry: So the districts should raise and nurture their players and not let them go?

Julie: Yes.

Henry: But if they want to go Fiji Soccer can’t stop them.

KJ: Do you think overseas players should be allowed to play here?

Julie: Yes, give them the chance to play for the district and the country.

KJ: Why do you think Fijian players are not coaching the districts today?

Julie: The Fijian boys don’t get to go the coaching clinics because it is not advertised on the TV or in the papers; they only tell their friends; only a handful of people know about it. There is a racial feeling in the game now; it is not good for the sport. I want to go coaching too but they never tell us; it is not in the papers or on the radio.

Henry: That’s no good, man.

Henry: Are you happy that you played soccer and that you made friends?

Julie: Yes, I made friends, I made my name.

Julie’s wife (Sneh Sami, calling from inside the house): You met your wife!

Henry: What is your wife’s name?

Sneh: Sneh Sami. We were neighbours.

Julie: Because of soccer she was after me [all laugh].

Henry: Tell us about the Ba supporters, the Indian fans?

Julie: In our time the supporters used to come to watch the training, 300, 400 or even 1,000 people. There was huge support from the Indian community. If you won the IDC all the taxis were free-of-charge for players. One taxi was free from here to Suva.

Henry: In the 1970s and 1980s life was very humble and cosy as the supporters were very much together with the players.  A taxi-driver would drive all the way to Suva for a day or a night without you paying a cent. Farmers would bring you fruit at the grounds and fishermen would bring fish to the houses.

Julie: At the shops the shopkeepers would let us pack our bags and fill them up with clothes. They gave us cash and everything else. They gave clothes for the children and the family. Now if a player comes they might close the shop. The whole of Ba Town was open to the players.

Henry: They went to choose their favourite shop.

Julie: No, every shop was like that. Motibhai’s used to supply us with duty-free liquor, beer, watches, and valuables.

Sneh Sami: The mothers [players’ wives] would go later and do the shopping for free in addition to what the players had taken. When we walked by taxi-drivers would give us cash. Ba Town was crazy for soccer at that time.  

Julie: Now if you ask someone to go watch the game he will not want to go.

Henry: Do you remember when Joe Tubuna died the Ba officials invited me to come to play for Ba?

Julie: I heard that Henry was coming and Abraham Watkins.

Henry: Do you know why I didn’t come? Because I had just moved from Lautoka to my village in Nadi a few years before. I thought if I went there I would die in Ba. Anand Singh, lawyer and parliamentarian in the Bavadra FLP Labour Government, offered me $2,000 to go to play for Ba to bring the level of soccer up, because Ba had gone down.

Julie: And just avoided relegation.

Henry: I said yes first but I was worried I had just moved from Lautoka to Nadi. I thought I would get sucked into Ba life. I had already been there three years in my village but I was still considered new. I had to establish myself in the village for my family and my children.

Julie: With the standard of soccer in Fiji no-one can slow the game down now.

Henry: They don’t know how to slow it down.

Henry: In that 2015 BOG semi-final [Ba versus Nadi at Govind Park] there were so many Nadi officials on the field at the break, but what were they telling the players?

KJ: They just want to control the sport rather than improve it.

Julie: Yes, they just want to control the sport.

Henry: Not for the development of soccer.

Julie: My son was playing full-time 90-minute games for Tavua but when he came to play for Ba he was given 5-20 minutes on the field.

KJ: Where is your son now?

Julie: I stopped him playing for Ba. That was two to three years back. They called him but they did not give him a chance. Now he is working in Nadi Airport. Now Nadi Soccer is going after him. His name is Dennis Rao. Now Nadi is after him; he will wear the green jersey; watch out.

Henry: That’s good, that’s good. The enjoyment in our time...

Julie: They can’t enjoy it like that now. Bacardi and everyone used to come here to drink beer and Rusi too [Rusiate Waqa]. Now we don’t know who is playing for Ba and who is not. Then in the town they knew who Julie Sami, Henry Dyer, Semi [Tabaiwalu], and Bacardi were...

Henry: So only certain officials really looked after the players both then and today?

Julie: Yes.

KJ: The best was Vinod Patel?

Julie: Yes. He has retired now from the business side of Vinod Patel, he stays at home now.

Julie: I was surprised when you [Henry and Kieran] came to see me today. I was about to go out. I saw the white hand sticking out of the car [laughs] and then I saw Henry. It’s all black guys around here [laughs].

Henry: How many children do you have now?

Julie: Two daughters and two sons. The younger son is in Canada and the elder daughter is married. One son and one daughter are staying with me. Both are working. My daughter [Sherin Kristal Rao] is working as an accounts clerk at Rajendra Prasad Supermarket and my son is working for Nadi Airport. As for me, I’m the son of the late Mira Sami, Fiji and Ba soccer rep. My son [Dennis Rao] works for ATS at Nadi Airport.

Henry: Who were some of the finest soccer players in that era?

Julie: Vula Wate, Bacardi, Aisea Mocelutu, Henry Dyer, Kini Momo, Kini Tubi, Savenaca Waqa, Joe Tubuna, Ernest Doughty, Raphael Tuilawa, Gordon Leewai, and the Zoing brothers from Labasa, and so many more.

KJ: Where were you when Joe died and how did you feel?

Julie: I was at home. We drank together. Those people went to Tavua. I stayed home. I dreamed that those people had an accident. Next morning at 6am, I asked the mill supervisor Esala Masi: “Did something happen because I dreamed it?” The supervisor said: “Yes, something happened; there was an accident; three of them were there; we don’t know who died”. So then I went to Lautoka Hospital and the doctor told me that Joe Tubuna had died. They said that the other two were in a serious condition, Inia and Semi. I can’t forget that fellow Joe Tubuna.

Henry: It was good to be around that fellow.

Julie: He was like Bacardi. He could not go home without eating at my place first day or night.

KJ: Did you play in all six winning IDCs?

Julie: Yes, 1975 to 1980.

KJ: Which was your most special?

Julie: As I told you, 1980, because I scored the goal from 40-yards out. You have written it!

KJ: Yes I know.

KJ: Did your wife support your soccer career?

Julie: Yes.

Henry: How much did your wife support?

Julie: You ask her, you ask her. That time she was after me [wife laughs].

Julie: Suva offered me in the past. I was offered a car, house, and job by Moti Musadial. He was still alive then. For me I wanted to stay in Ba. I said: “if you put house and car into my name I will play”. You must give it in writing but don’t just talk. That’s my future, yes?

Henry: Were you invited to the Fiji FA Veterans’ Dinner last year 2014?

Julie: No.

Henry: Did you know they were inviting Inia Bola?

Julie: Nobody told me.

Henry: They didn’t invite Semi, we asked him about it. They invited the younger-generation players and Inia Bola, it’s a mystery. Maybe they wanted to show the public that they invited Inia Bola because of the car accident.

**********THE END

Henry Dyer with Ba and Nadi fans @ 2015 IDC Final, Ba versus Nadi, Govind Park. The Ba fan is Jolame Ratu, age 12, Class 6, from Ba Sangam School and Verata Village, Tailevu. The Nadi fan is Mr Arun Kumar from Solovi back road, Nadi.

Julie Sami, Henry Dyer, and a young Ba supporter @ IDC Final, Ba versus Nadi 2015, Govind Park. The Ba fan is Jolame Ratu, age 12, Class 6, from Ba Sangam School and Verata Village, Tailevu.

Henry Dyer with Julie's wife Sneh Sami (centre) and family members of Julie Sami.