Clive Barker described as a loving family man and an exceptional soccer expert
|Published
Former Bafana coach Clive Barker has been praised for his contribution in South African football.Photo: Supplied
DURBAN - The late soccer giant Clive Barker was described as a loving family man and an exceptional soccer expert.
These sentiments were shared at Barker’s funeral held at the Olive Convention Centre in North Beach, Durban on Thursday.
Family members, colleagues in the sporting fraternity and members of the provincial government , led by Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, joined fellow mourners to bid farewell to the soccer legend.
Barker died on Saturday in hospital after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).
The charismatic coach, also known as “The Dog”, will be remembered for his signature celebratory lap, the “airplane”.
The clubs Barker worked with in South Africa include Durban City, Manning Rangers, AmaZulu (Zulu Royals), Bush Bucks, Santos (Cape Town), Maritzburg United, Bidvest Wits and Mpumalanga Black Aces, as well as Bafana Bafana.
He received the MEC’s Special Recognition Award during the 2021 KZN Sport Awards hosted by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Barkers sons John and Gavin, thanked their father's supporters and the KZN Government during this period.
They described Barker as a loving father who put his family and his love for the game above everything else.
Param Joseph, a colleague and friend of Barker's described him as a loving family man.
"Clive loved his family. His family was his life. He was so proud of everyone and he was his family's biggest supporter," he said.
"When we talk about patriotic, Clive was a true son of the soil for SA and did all he could to put this country on the map.
"He was a loyal somebody and he gave everyone his time of day. It did not matter who you were or what you had.
“To be here and see the government doing such a send off for Clive makes me really happy. I will miss him. He was my buddy and my true friend.”
He said that Barker enjoyed the simple things in life and did not prioritise money, but was rather passionate about the football and uplifting the people.
“He fought a good fight and to see him ill during his last days was devastating, said Joseph.
George Dennely, a former player at AmaZulu Football Club, reflected on his time with the late coach, saying that he had a great sense of humour.
He said Barker had the ability to make all players feel special and welcomed and made sure that everyone was well trained and equipped to play the game.
Mark Gleeson, a reporter and friend of Barker's, said that there were three major things to remember about Barker. His ability to break barriers during a time when it was difficult and during the apartheid era, his work with Bafana Bafana and overall the exceptional quality of games that he had.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE