by MIKE KING

WEYMOUTH Wales, the club that the late Victor "Gas" Clarke guided
to several championship successes, is returning
to top-flight football for the first time since 1996.

Just hours after the passing of Clarke, Wales secured the point they needed to play in the Premiership next season when they battled to a 1-1 draw with Pinelands in a tense and gripping Division 1 clash at Gall Hill, St John, Monday night. Shane Welch grabbed the equaliser in the dying minutes.

It was an impressive comeback by the team from Carrington Village, who were winless and goalless after their first six matches.

Inspiration

Second-placed Wales have earned promotion along with Division 1 champions Eden Stars.

Ironically, Clarke played his last few seasons with Pinelands and Wales were being coached by another former Pinelands player in Colin "Heavy Foot" Harewood.

"This is a great feeling. Gas was my coach. He taught me a lot about football. He was a real inspiration and it is fitting that the boys did it for him," said Harewood, a former national junior and senior midfielder.

"Gas was one of my idols. I am a Pinelands man, but respect is due
to Gas and Wales.
I think this season
the guys showed
a lot of commitment.

"The club always wanted to do it this year. This was the vision of the management and it is all the more pleasing that it happened at this time."

The current president of Wales, Eric Alleyne, made his debut in the national team in 1969 and was an integral part of the team alongside Clarke throughout the 1970s.
He said the boys did it
for "Gas".

"We have lost an icon at the same time we are back in the Premiership. The guys played with a very determined kind of spirit, they said they were doing it for Gas. I will badly miss him," he said.

"We had good times together at club and country [level]. This is a sad time, but we have to accept that there are things we cannot change."

Alleyne, 56, told NATIONSPORT that Clarke in his heyday was just as good as modern-day internationals Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard of England

"I rank Gas among Lampard and Gerrard.
He was that good. Gas was one of the greatest players to have come out of the Caribbean. It was a privilege and honour
to play with him.

"Gas was very strong on training. His philosophy was that in order to succeed, you should train hard. He believed that one should be very disciplined, very dedicated to achieve your goal.

"It was an honour to know him," Alleyne added.