Bishops produced some great sportsmen in various games . Cricket, Football, Hockey , Volleyball being the major games . ( Don't forget - THE FORMER US CRICKET CAPTAIN SUSHIL NADKARNI IS A BISHOPITE )
Rain , hail or storm - Bishopites were always on the field playing games . There were no Computers , Internet , very little Television and no PLAY STATIONS !! Boys grew up tough and healthy and no one regrets those tough days - especially the boarders .
However , if there was any game that was popular in Bishops , it was Football. Almost anyone and everyone played some form of football or the other and there is no denying the fact that the footballers in the school ,over the years , were the real heroes - and they obviously knew it .
The fact that the school encouraged football from a young age is worthy of mention.
Boarders and day scholars alike played the game and whether , boarders or day scholars were better at it is debatable. I reserve my opinion .
I vividly remember outstanding boarders as well as day scholars who excelled at the game , bringing laurels and accolades to themselves and the school .
I am far too shrewd to take names and make enemies so no names here but if you were one of those who blew away all opposition on the field , who saved spectacular goals , who scored with a banana kick or was a terrific play maker- take a bow- I remember you I am sure everyone else does as well .
4 year old boarders from Nook dormitory - I told you they started young - could be seen running around on the uppers after a big football . At times 30 to 50 boys would charge after just one football - they tumbled, they pushed, the fell , they screamed, they cried , they complained to the matron - but they MANFULLY played on .
At times a bigger boy would try and spoil the fun by barging in and take possession of the ball b30 or more to contend with , his glory was short lived .
Day scholars played during the PE period, during the break and when teachers who had substitution took them to the field.
Let me cut to the chase-
The Inter - class matches saw raw talent emerge - energetic , boisterous , loud matches were held on various fields over the years. Simba, JeeJee Bhoy, Race course being some of them .
Boys lined up in school and were taken to the filed . Some landed there directly . The matches were fast and furious and yes there were a lot of injuries - both minor and major- No one complained - no parents wrote letters about rough play or poor referring and the best teams one . Correct me if I am wrong but I think they were cake tournaments - ie the winners got a cake - there was also the famous BAJIRAO cup and to win it was extremely prestigious .
In addition to the PE teachers , all masters had to referee matches and that was quite a challenge to those who had no clue about the game . Whistles were blown and boys protested vehemently when the referee erred. But it was all fun.
The house matches followed . They were taken more seriously and one saw better players and faster games . The house masters and cheering squads were always there . Referees were better - after all these matches contributed towards the over all COCK HOUSE TROPHY .
At times there were written protests and heated arguments between House masters . I was involved in quite a few being the House Master of Bishops . Year after year different houses held sway depending on the players they had . Mr Beamon was incharge of allocating houses and so a lot depended on who went where when they joined the school .
The school football coach usually watched almost all matches so that he could get a ring side view of the potential players for the 3 school teams - minis , juniors and seniors .
Some masters including yours truly were more heated in their arguments than others while matches were being played - The Fernandes brothers, Mr Pope , Mr Aviet , Mr Burton, Mr Gomes, Mr Dolas, Mr Jagtap, Mr William Daniels, Mr Innis, Mr Fletcher, Mr Alan Seymour.
No quarters were asked and no quarters given . Masters argued and often the protests went to Mr Roberts who as you all know was judge, jury and executioner . His word was law- he took a decision and that was final- NO ARGUEMENTS . Everyone left his office smiling . At times he , along with Mr Beaman gave the ruling on the field itself ...... fun times.
Then came the staff vs boys matches - I refer to the senior boys team.
The staff more often than not defeated the boys !!! Yipeeee . You may disagree guys and scoff and grunt now but its a fact . Yes you won at times - at other times you were allowed to win but the staff held sway .
No Jokes aside - that's not true - the games were well contested indeed . The boys enjoyed seeing masters falling or being pushed . However no one played rough intentionally although allegations were made at times !
A few matches ended in arguments with senior boys blaming staff for playing rough but that's a debate I will not get into . One master in particular gave me a blow by blow account of how a boarder tripped him up etc . You naughty boys !!
The Inter school matches were a different ball game altogether .
There was coaching - both morning and evening and it was taken seriously . Every player worth his salt vied to be in one of the school teams . Once you played for the minis - if you made your presence felt , you could be almost sure you would finally end up playing for the juniors and finally the seniors . It was an honour .
There were a few major matches which everyone talked about . The Inter school tournament where Bishops and Vincents were sworn enemies , The Annual match vs St Peters Panchgani, The annual match vs Barnes Deolali, the annual match vs St Peters Mazagaon and later the Inter School Anglo Indian Football tournament.
Who can forget going by bus to Vincents when the match was on their field . Or to play vs Ornellas or SSPMS - all strong teams . Our boys held their own .
The annual matches vs the 2 St Peters and Barnes were held alternately AT HOME and AWAY.
the results were often close matches and well fought .
Bishopites obviously liked the AWAY matches as they got a chance to leave school and travel . If I remember rightly , it was by school bus to Deolali and Panchgani and by train to Bombay - now Mumbai .
Getting ready was fun for the boys - new boots , new stockings , new Kit , packing etc etc. If it was an early morning departure then day scholars slept in some dormitory or the other the previous night . Slept is the wrong word - it was more like " stayed" as no one slept . They had fun all night - harassing boarders , stealing tuck, ordering food , playing football in the dormitory all night .
There were no mobiles nor internet back then so we had to wait for a call from the school the following day to get the results.
The Anglo Indian Tournament started many years later - Probably in the 90's. About 12 Anglo Indian schools from Pune, Deolali, Panchgani and Bombay participated .
The matches were of a high standard and keenly contested . Principals from the participating schools were often present for the entire/ part of the tournament which usually lasted about 10 days . The Maharashtra Herald carried the results every morning
I remember the year we organized this tournament in Bishops .
Dormitories housed the various teams . There was a lot of debate about keeping teams apart - Keep Barnes away - they were the toughies ! Where do we house Peters Mumbai - ? Would Christchurch be ok in the same dormitory as Peters Panchgani ?? These matters were sorted out in advance .
Menus and timings were fixed, Referees contacted , New goal nets purchased , Notices put up in Visible areas , Master incharge of various aspects of the tournament identified and the tournament was under way.
Teams arrived the day before - were welcomed and housed . Plenty of rules - no one wanted breakages or fights !
The tournament itself was a carnival like atmosphere with 4 matches per day . A large number of supporters motored down from Mumbai, Panchgani and Deolali . Some spectators spent the day on the field and the TUCK SHOP did a roaring trade . Adeshir drinks and samaosas and then there was the always smiling MANJI - You all would remember him .
There was also the little dwarf from one of the out houses who was at all the matches . People said he was wicked and that he tried to pick up any stuff he saw lying around but I cant confirm .
After the matches some boys went back to rest , others took off on a jaunt to Mains. Some boarders would slip out of school as well - everyone was busy so it was easy to get out - eat in Main street , roam around and slip back again without being missed .
The billiard room was busy as well with visiting staff taking on the Bishops stalwarts - Mr Innis, Fletcher, Daniels , Gomes , Francis, Fernandes, Seymour and yours truly as well . More often than not we trounced them as we had the benefit of a Billiards table to practice on daily - a rarity in any school .
The finals saw a chief guest and a great match. Girls from the St Mary's teachers Training College attended. That made the teams play better I guess !
Trophies for the winning team , best player , best forward, highest scorer, best defender etc were presented . Lovely fun filled days . Friendships were made and letters written - no emails !
Well to sum up , Bishops produced footballers of the highest caliber - and the game was definitely the most popular game in the school .
Comments welcome .
If you were in any of the teams lets hear your story .
Cheers .
Rain , hail or storm - Bishopites were always on the field playing games . There were no Computers , Internet , very little Television and no PLAY STATIONS !! Boys grew up tough and healthy and no one regrets those tough days - especially the boarders .
However , if there was any game that was popular in Bishops , it was Football. Almost anyone and everyone played some form of football or the other and there is no denying the fact that the footballers in the school ,over the years , were the real heroes - and they obviously knew it .
The fact that the school encouraged football from a young age is worthy of mention.
Boarders and day scholars alike played the game and whether , boarders or day scholars were better at it is debatable. I reserve my opinion .
I vividly remember outstanding boarders as well as day scholars who excelled at the game , bringing laurels and accolades to themselves and the school .
I am far too shrewd to take names and make enemies so no names here but if you were one of those who blew away all opposition on the field , who saved spectacular goals , who scored with a banana kick or was a terrific play maker- take a bow- I remember you I am sure everyone else does as well .
4 year old boarders from Nook dormitory - I told you they started young - could be seen running around on the uppers after a big football . At times 30 to 50 boys would charge after just one football - they tumbled, they pushed, the fell , they screamed, they cried , they complained to the matron - but they MANFULLY played on .
At times a bigger boy would try and spoil the fun by barging in and take possession of the ball b30 or more to contend with , his glory was short lived .
Day scholars played during the PE period, during the break and when teachers who had substitution took them to the field.
Let me cut to the chase-
The Inter - class matches saw raw talent emerge - energetic , boisterous , loud matches were held on various fields over the years. Simba, JeeJee Bhoy, Race course being some of them .
Boys lined up in school and were taken to the filed . Some landed there directly . The matches were fast and furious and yes there were a lot of injuries - both minor and major- No one complained - no parents wrote letters about rough play or poor referring and the best teams one . Correct me if I am wrong but I think they were cake tournaments - ie the winners got a cake - there was also the famous BAJIRAO cup and to win it was extremely prestigious .
In addition to the PE teachers , all masters had to referee matches and that was quite a challenge to those who had no clue about the game . Whistles were blown and boys protested vehemently when the referee erred. But it was all fun.
The house matches followed . They were taken more seriously and one saw better players and faster games . The house masters and cheering squads were always there . Referees were better - after all these matches contributed towards the over all COCK HOUSE TROPHY .
At times there were written protests and heated arguments between House masters . I was involved in quite a few being the House Master of Bishops . Year after year different houses held sway depending on the players they had . Mr Beamon was incharge of allocating houses and so a lot depended on who went where when they joined the school .
The school football coach usually watched almost all matches so that he could get a ring side view of the potential players for the 3 school teams - minis , juniors and seniors .
Some masters including yours truly were more heated in their arguments than others while matches were being played - The Fernandes brothers, Mr Pope , Mr Aviet , Mr Burton, Mr Gomes, Mr Dolas, Mr Jagtap, Mr William Daniels, Mr Innis, Mr Fletcher, Mr Alan Seymour.
No quarters were asked and no quarters given . Masters argued and often the protests went to Mr Roberts who as you all know was judge, jury and executioner . His word was law- he took a decision and that was final- NO ARGUEMENTS . Everyone left his office smiling . At times he , along with Mr Beaman gave the ruling on the field itself ...... fun times.
Then came the staff vs boys matches - I refer to the senior boys team.
The staff more often than not defeated the boys !!! Yipeeee . You may disagree guys and scoff and grunt now but its a fact . Yes you won at times - at other times you were allowed to win but the staff held sway .
No Jokes aside - that's not true - the games were well contested indeed . The boys enjoyed seeing masters falling or being pushed . However no one played rough intentionally although allegations were made at times !
A few matches ended in arguments with senior boys blaming staff for playing rough but that's a debate I will not get into . One master in particular gave me a blow by blow account of how a boarder tripped him up etc . You naughty boys !!
The Inter school matches were a different ball game altogether .
There was coaching - both morning and evening and it was taken seriously . Every player worth his salt vied to be in one of the school teams . Once you played for the minis - if you made your presence felt , you could be almost sure you would finally end up playing for the juniors and finally the seniors . It was an honour .
There were a few major matches which everyone talked about . The Inter school tournament where Bishops and Vincents were sworn enemies , The Annual match vs St Peters Panchgani, The annual match vs Barnes Deolali, the annual match vs St Peters Mazagaon and later the Inter School Anglo Indian Football tournament.
Who can forget going by bus to Vincents when the match was on their field . Or to play vs Ornellas or SSPMS - all strong teams . Our boys held their own .
The annual matches vs the 2 St Peters and Barnes were held alternately AT HOME and AWAY.
the results were often close matches and well fought .
Bishopites obviously liked the AWAY matches as they got a chance to leave school and travel . If I remember rightly , it was by school bus to Deolali and Panchgani and by train to Bombay - now Mumbai .
Getting ready was fun for the boys - new boots , new stockings , new Kit , packing etc etc. If it was an early morning departure then day scholars slept in some dormitory or the other the previous night . Slept is the wrong word - it was more like " stayed" as no one slept . They had fun all night - harassing boarders , stealing tuck, ordering food , playing football in the dormitory all night .
There were no mobiles nor internet back then so we had to wait for a call from the school the following day to get the results.
The Anglo Indian Tournament started many years later - Probably in the 90's. About 12 Anglo Indian schools from Pune, Deolali, Panchgani and Bombay participated .
The matches were of a high standard and keenly contested . Principals from the participating schools were often present for the entire/ part of the tournament which usually lasted about 10 days . The Maharashtra Herald carried the results every morning
I remember the year we organized this tournament in Bishops .
Dormitories housed the various teams . There was a lot of debate about keeping teams apart - Keep Barnes away - they were the toughies ! Where do we house Peters Mumbai - ? Would Christchurch be ok in the same dormitory as Peters Panchgani ?? These matters were sorted out in advance .
Menus and timings were fixed, Referees contacted , New goal nets purchased , Notices put up in Visible areas , Master incharge of various aspects of the tournament identified and the tournament was under way.
Teams arrived the day before - were welcomed and housed . Plenty of rules - no one wanted breakages or fights !
The tournament itself was a carnival like atmosphere with 4 matches per day . A large number of supporters motored down from Mumbai, Panchgani and Deolali . Some spectators spent the day on the field and the TUCK SHOP did a roaring trade . Adeshir drinks and samaosas and then there was the always smiling MANJI - You all would remember him .
There was also the little dwarf from one of the out houses who was at all the matches . People said he was wicked and that he tried to pick up any stuff he saw lying around but I cant confirm .
After the matches some boys went back to rest , others took off on a jaunt to Mains. Some boarders would slip out of school as well - everyone was busy so it was easy to get out - eat in Main street , roam around and slip back again without being missed .
The billiard room was busy as well with visiting staff taking on the Bishops stalwarts - Mr Innis, Fletcher, Daniels , Gomes , Francis, Fernandes, Seymour and yours truly as well . More often than not we trounced them as we had the benefit of a Billiards table to practice on daily - a rarity in any school .
The finals saw a chief guest and a great match. Girls from the St Mary's teachers Training College attended. That made the teams play better I guess !
Trophies for the winning team , best player , best forward, highest scorer, best defender etc were presented . Lovely fun filled days . Friendships were made and letters written - no emails !
Well to sum up , Bishops produced footballers of the highest caliber - and the game was definitely the most popular game in the school .
Comments welcome .
If you were in any of the teams lets hear your story .
Cheers .
