Merril Gunatilleke - yeoman service to Kandy SC

By S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen

Kandy Sports Correspondent

Those were the days the now champion Kandy Sports Club did not have much money and for every match played outside the hill capital, they depended on the generosity of the few benefactors to help them with the travelling and other incidental expenses, said the one time Manager of Kandy Spots Club 'Ford' Merril Gunatilleke.

Merril Gunatilleke affectionately known as 'Ford' now in his early eighties is living in retirement at his residence at Watapuluwa in the outskirts with his daughter Seethadevi and his son-in-law Suresh Ratwatte. He had his education at Wesley but made his home in Kandy, being employed at the Public Works Department (PWD) and had a hand in the construction of some of the University Buildings at Peradeniya in the early fifties.

Recalled Ford Gunatilleke those were the hard days of Kandy Sports and upto 1954, it played all the matches at the Bogambara grounds. It was in 1954 that the Nittawela grounds was constructed in the dump yard of Kandy Municipal Council at Mahayaya known as Nittawela.

It was a gigantic effort by the then officials of Kandy Sports as they had to cut and level a hillock using very little machinery. Even an elephant owned by the Ratwatte's was used. When the used was used at first often bones and other foreign matter were fished out from the surface and thrown away. Since this was once a garbage dump yard of the Kandy Municipal Council, this had to be expected.

The other problem was conservancy buckets from the toilets in Kandy town was kept in a yard close to the Nittawela tunnel and one had to hold the nose and either run or walk as fast as possible to avoid the nauseating smell.

The club functioned seasonally and during the season it was fairly active especially during the match days, the bar was patronized. But off season the club was virtually closed and hardly anyone sighted the premises. Thus it was a difficult time and the club had to survive through the generosity of the few benefactors. He recalled some of them. They are Stanley Martin, Dr. C. D. L. Fernando, Sydney Ratwatte, late E. W. Balasuriya, Chandra Wijenaike and many others whose names he could not remember.

Some of the ruggerites even went for a matinee show and rushed to the grounds just in time for the match. Immediately after the match, they packed their bags and took with them the dinner packet provided by their host team and boarded the Badulla night mail train from the Fort Station and arrived in Kandy close upon midnight. There were no taxis or three wheelers and the ruggerites walked their way back to home whistling all the way or singing a song. The players were paid Rs 10 per match with which they will have to manage their travelling, lunch and other expenses. A buriyani at the Muslim Hotel cost Rs 1.50 per packet and the train fare to Colombo was Rs 2. When they did not have money to play a match outside Kandy, it was late Dr C. D. L. Fernando who came to their rescue with a few other benefactors. Of the old brigade only the present Secretary Leslie de Zoysa and Maurice Perera are still seen around. Ceylon Tobacco Company too helped the club by providing employment to some of the ruggerites and Central Finance Limited too did likewise.

But there was commitment and dedication by the players and officials which helped them to tide over this difficult period. There was no perimeter wall around the grounds and was covered with gunny bags and the spectators used to make holes and watch the matches without paying. There were others who watched the matches from the Nittawela hill without paying. No wonder all these made the coffers empty.

But in the latter part of 1991, Kandy's god father of rugby Malik Samarawickrema made his appearance in the hill capital and for him it was coming back home as he had his early education at St. Anthony's College, Kandy when his father was the Government Agent in Kandy. He opened garment factories in Kandy and provided employment to ruggerites and the rugby players were able to remain in their home town, as otherwise employment would have taken them to Colombo and would have played for a Colombo based club.

It was only in 1992 the metamorphosis of the club took place. The gradient towards the entrance was first levelled and a new pavilion was constructed. This was followed by the Central Finance grandstand and other pavilions named after Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Priyantha Ekanayake, Nalaka Weerakkody, Indrajith Bandaranaike and long-standing President Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte came up.

The playing area was once again developed using the best technology and the grass to make it the best rugby stadium in Sri Lanka. Then for nine years the Singer-SriLankan International rugby sevens were conducted. It is sad he said that when the best grounds in the country was available that the Clifford Cup matches were played at the Bogambara Stadium in the name of neutral venue which hardly makes any sense, as a team should be able to play in any venue. If you think in terms of neutral venue in sports, then no match could be played at home. Ford Gunatilleke is now a Honorary Life member of Kandy SC. His membership is 60 years and is the oldest surviving member.