A former president of Border Cricket, Colin Wilson, who died in a Mayfair, Johannesburg hospital last Sunday, was a man who took the game of cricket to ever higher levels wherever he served.
Born in Port Elizabeth, he grew up in the King William’s Town area and was educated at Wilfred Scott Primary School in King William’s Town and later at Maria Louw High in Queenstown.
An educationist, he studied at the Southern Cape Teachers’ College in Oudtshoorn and thereafter was appointed a Post Level One teacher at Breidbach Primary.
When the school became a fully-fledged high school, he was appointed head of department.
During the period 1978 to 1981, he was elected chairperson of the Border Cricket Board under the Sacos banner, just months before amalgamation of all cricket in the province.
From 1982, for a period of seven years he worked in various capacities at Touws River in the Western Cape. Here he made a massive impact as teacher, community member and sports administrator.
He taught at De Kruine Senior Secondary School and played for the Touws River Cricket Club, as well as serving as an executive member. He also found time to coach the Pirates Rugby Club. He was then appointed senior deputy principal of Steenvliet Primary School.
Wilson was elected as founder member and, later, chairperson of the Touws River Child and Family Welfare Organisation between 1985 and 1989 – and later honorary life president.
Throughout his adult life, he was a champion for the poor. Acting principal of St John’s Primary School, Anton Hartnick, said Wilson assisted the impoverished communities of Touws River, helping to set up feeding schemes, holiday programmes for children, arranging university registration for first-year students, fighting housing and domestic issues on behalf of the less fortunate.
Today an informal settlement, Wilson’s Park, still bears his name.
By this time, Wilson and his wife, Emmerentia (Muller), whom he married in 1976, had three children, Mario, Cindi and Kyle, and in 1990 relocated to East London as headmaster of St John’s Primary School.
Wilson was actively engaged with the United Cricket Club, in capacity as chairperson – from 1997 to 2000. The club played in the Border Premier League and a five-year plan was formulated to win the trophy. They succeeded in three – and United duly represented Border at the annual Club Cricket Championship in September 2000 in Pretoria.
He was the chairperson of the Disadvantaged Forum from 1997 to 2000 and was voted to the board of the then Border Cricket Union from 1998, succeeding to the chairman’s position in 2003 for a two-year period.
He earlier had served as vice-president to Ray Mali, who later became the acting president of the International Cricket Council.
His “off the record” remarks stayed off the record, but always had a good word for everyone – players, administrators, scorers and umpires, the press and even the caterers at Buffalo Park.
Wilson was proud that some junior cricketers passed through his hands to advance to provincial cricket ranks.
These included Laden Gamiet, Burton de Wett, Darryl Brown and his own sons, Mario and Kyle, who all represented Border.
A former president of Border Cricket, Robbie Muzzell, said it had been a real pleasure to work with Wilson.
A memorial service for Wilson will be held on Wednesday at 1pm at the City Hall, with an address by Mali, followed by a funeral service next Saturday at the Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Oxford and St George’s Streets at 11am.
Wilson put Border cricket on the map
Born in Port Elizabeth, he grew up in the King William’s Town area and was educated at Wilfred Scott Primary School in King William’s Town and later at Maria Louw High in Queenstown.
An educationist, he studied at the Southern Cape Teachers’ College in Oudtshoorn and thereafter was appointed a Post Level One teacher at Breidbach Primary.
When the school became a fully-fledged high school, he was appointed head of department.
During the period 1978 to 1981, he was elected chairperson of the Border Cricket Board under the Sacos banner, just months before amalgamation of all cricket in the province.
From 1982, for a period of seven years he worked in various capacities at Touws River in the Western Cape. Here he made a massive impact as teacher, community member and sports administrator.
He taught at De Kruine Senior Secondary School and played for the Touws River Cricket Club, as well as serving as an executive member. He also found time to coach the Pirates Rugby Club. He was then appointed senior deputy principal of Steenvliet Primary School.
Wilson was elected as founder member and, later, chairperson of the Touws River Child and Family Welfare Organisation between 1985 and 1989 – and later honorary life president.
Throughout his adult life, he was a champion for the poor. Acting principal of St John’s Primary School, Anton Hartnick, said Wilson assisted the impoverished communities of Touws River, helping to set up feeding schemes, holiday programmes for children, arranging university registration for first-year students, fighting housing and domestic issues on behalf of the less fortunate.
Today an informal settlement, Wilson’s Park, still bears his name.
By this time, Wilson and his wife, Emmerentia (Muller), whom he married in 1976, had three children, Mario, Cindi and Kyle, and in 1990 relocated to East London as headmaster of St John’s Primary School.
Wilson was actively engaged with the United Cricket Club, in capacity as chairperson – from 1997 to 2000. The club played in the Border Premier League and a five-year plan was formulated to win the trophy. They succeeded in three – and United duly represented Border at the annual Club Cricket Championship in September 2000 in Pretoria.
He was the chairperson of the Disadvantaged Forum from 1997 to 2000 and was voted to the board of the then Border Cricket Union from 1998, succeeding to the chairman’s position in 2003 for a two-year period.
He earlier had served as vice-president to Ray Mali, who later became the acting president of the International Cricket Council.
His “off the record” remarks stayed off the record, but always had a good word for everyone – players, administrators, scorers and umpires, the press and even the caterers at Buffalo Park.
Wilson was proud that some junior cricketers passed through his hands to advance to provincial cricket ranks.
These included Laden Gamiet, Burton de Wett, Darryl Brown and his own sons, Mario and Kyle, who all represented Border.
A former president of Border Cricket, Robbie Muzzell, said it had been a real pleasure to work with Wilson.
A memorial service for Wilson will be held on Wednesday at 1pm at the City Hall, with an address by Mali, followed by a funeral service next Saturday at the Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Oxford and St George’s Streets at 11am.
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