Sporting fraternity pays tribute to Solomon
HIGHLY RESPECTED former referee and sport administrator, Clayton Solomon, popularly called ‘Sala’, passed away yesterday morning in hospital in the USA after a prolonged illness. His cause of death has not been revealed.
Solomon, a native of St James, was a former FIFA referee and Jamaica’s number one football official for years before he retired. He was also director of the Institute of Sport for a number of years and was regarded as one of the best administrators the institute has known.
But Solomon was remembered to be a strong but fair individual who inspired and motivated many people. Sports journalist and former footballer, Stratton Palmer, described him as “a model of efficiency”. “He was always up to date with happening in INSPORTS and was a part of the growth process of sports in this country,” he noted.
GREAT ADMINISTRATOR
Denzil Wilks, the chairman of the Sports Development Foundation, recalled Solomon as a great administrator.
“He spoke fluent Spanish so he was a top-of-the-line referee. And compared to what goes on now at INSPORTS, he was a pretty good administrator of INSPORTS. He handled things in a transparent fashion, as is not the case in recent times. He
had a pretty good reputation all round,’’ he stated.
Former FIFA referee, Peter Prendergast, said Solomon was a man who got the job done.
“He tried to make it happen for everybody. He was always ready to give advice and he really helped a lot of young people. He touched many lives in different areas, not only sport,” he said.
A respected humanitarian, Solomon’s impact on the lives of the people around him was
evident in the messages on his Facebook page yesterday.
“Today, Jamaica lost one of its great sons, “Martin Lyn, fellow administrator and long-time friend wrote.
“RIP Solomon you are one of the most genuine and positive persons I’ve ever known,” wrote Paul Reid. While Judith Newell wrote: “Best liaison officer ever. This gentleman was an inspiration to me.”