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The late Ulric “Buggy” Haynes, former Trinidad and Tobago senior men’s football team captain and activist, was remembered on July 25 as a sporting icon, a fearless defender of green spaces, and a man whose life was deeply rooted in community service.
At his funeral service held at the St Mary’s Anglican Church in Tacarigua, mourners paid tribute to a man whose legacy extended far beyond the pitch.
Professor Selwyn Cudjoe, a lifetime friend and neighbour, delivered Haynes’ eulogy and not only highlighted his contribution to national sport but also to the protection and empowerment of his community.
Cudjoe described Haynes as “our Black Prince.”
“Buggy was an exceptional athlete, whether it was cricket, football or table tennis,” said Cudjoe. “He possessed skills few could match, honed right here on the Eddie Hart Savannah.”
Haynes, 76, played for Tacarigua EC Ex-Pupils from a young age and rose to prominence in the 1960s, eventually earning national selection and captaining the senior men’s football team – a role he considered the “greatest honour of his life,” Cudjoe said.
His club career flourished with Malvern, where he played under the guidance of coach and community leader and former national player Eddie Hart. He also played alongside TT football standouts such as Everald "Gally" Cummings, Alvin Corneal and Sedley Joseph in the 1960s and 70s.
But his impact reached far beyond the playing field. In 1988, Haynes launched the Ulric Buggy Haynes Coaching School, developing youth in football, cricket and track and field. His mission, Cudjoe said, was to mould young minds and bodies.
However, Haynes’ most enduring act of resistance came in the early 2010s, when he led a community movement to stop the then-government plans to convert the Orange Grove Savannah into a concrete sporting complex. The plan included a stadium, swimming pool and car park.
[caption id="attachment_1168522" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Oswald Haynes, centre, the brother of Ulric 'Buggy' Haynes, along with friends and members of the Buggy Haynes Coaching School at the funeral of Buggy at the St Mary's Anglican Church in Tacarigua, on July 25. -[/caption]
Cudjoe detailed how Haynes spearheaded the Green Space committee, which unified over 30 community organisations and raised $100,000 to fund legal action against the government.
“Buggy wasn’t afraid to put his life on the line,” said Cudjoe. “He understood what it meant to serve. This was no passing thing. He was the very essence of community.”
Cudjoe said Haynes borrowed and contributed $20,000 to the legal campaign, with help from his son, Verron Ulric Haynes – a former NFL running back who won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.
To honour Haynes’ contributions to community and country, Cudjoe plans to champion a cause to have the Eddie Hart Savannah and nearby Ulric Buggy Haynes Recreation Ground declared a historical site, so no outside entity can try to take over.
He added that, “We should design a bronze statue of Haynes and place it at the head of the Buggy Haynes Ground to signify his contributions he made to the community. Also, we should create a committee, with about five member of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation to run and control the three savannahs (nearby Dinsley Ground included), so no one can come and tell us how to control our sacred space.”
Michael James, a former Coast Guard officer and longtime friend of Haynes, recalled his earliest football memories of Buggy.
“Before I joined the Coast Guard, I used to see Buggy play football. I wanted to join Malvern. I asked him, and he said ‘No problem.’ The rest is history. He must be respected not only for his talent, but for how he helped the youths.”
James echoed Cudjoe’s call for the savannah to be renamed in Haynes’ honour.
“He is still alive – just resting. We must honour him properly. Name the savannah after him. Build a statue. Let our children know who he was and what he stood for.”
Cudjoe urged the government to officially designate the Eddie Hart Savannah, the Ulric Buggy Haynes Ground and the wider Tacarigua space as protected historical sites.
“We must never allow power-hungry officials to erase what this man and this community have fought to preserve,” he said.
 
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