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Roy Slaney
 As
a very young boy in the 1940's, "THE HOG" got
baptized with two little boys kicking a soccer
ball around that amazed the others playing there.
Of course they were the Slaney twins, Roy and
Theo. As they got older, Roy was always one of the
first to be picked for a team. He dazzled everyone
because he was very small in structure but had
great speed and a very deceptive shot.
Coming from a soccer family, Roy followed in the
footsteps of his father, Rene. His older
brothers-Herb, Loyola, Adrian and Fabian. How
could you not learn to play the game when you were
influenced by such soccer greats.
In the mid-1950's Roy played with the "LIONS and
TIGERS", a league that was sponsored by the St.
Lawrence Lions Club. At this level he displayed a
very strong skill level plus the talent to put the
ball into the net. The Sr. Laurentians would use
players from the Lions and Tigers to join in their
games. Back then a team was comprised of 11players
only.
When the Junior League was introduced by the BPSA,
Roy was still a very young man and just missed the
age requirements to play. But that didn't stop him
from playing he then moved up to the Senior
Laurentians.
 As
an Inside Right forward, he played alongside Reg
Farrell, Joe Haskell, and Leo Slaney. Although Reg
usually scored the most goals, Roy certainly got
his share of goals as well. Maybe Roy’s biggest
and greatest goal came in in Grand Bank when the
Laurentians and the Gee Bees fought it out in a
war like contest and Roy scored the only goal in a
1-0 St. Lawrence victory. When the Laurentians
arrived back in St. Lawrence that night, Roy was
the hero and the toast of the town. His goal in
that game, was talked about for the rest of the
summer.
Roy was a great team player who could have scored
more goals in his career if he hadn't passed the
ball off to his other forwards when he could have
scored himself. A very unselfish player who
influenced many other younger boys to do the same
and put the team's achievements ahead of his own.
Earlier this week I question Norm Kelly about Roy
and the story relayed to me goes like this, “Ya, I
remember Roy when I played under Jack Lundrigan
and I went to a game Jack read out the line up and
had put Roy into the line up in my place, so I
asked Jack, why have you done that, Jack said,
Norm, my son Roy is better than you are. So Norm
then went on to tell me, he then left the field
and sat down crying for 4 hours”.
Roy played his career with a lot of Dedication",
and his skill and finesse were that of a Most
Gentlemanly and Effective Player".
Even though Roy career wasn't a long one due to an
injury he sustained to his ankle, he certainly
gave it "his all", when he did play.
Roy joins his father, his brothers mentioned
previously, and his other brother, Ray, into the
St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame.
Roy was nominated by both Len Slaney and Leo
Slaney
Kevin Pittman
 Kevin
has been a resident of St. Lawrence for nearly 30
years. In 1983 while on holidays in Labrador City,
he was persuaded by his brother-in-law, Bill Tobin
to referee his first game. This match was between
the Lab City Laurentians and a team called the
All-Backs.
When Kev returned to St. Lawrence from Labrador he
was convinced by the St. Lawrence Soccer
Association to take the Class 3 referees course.
After 8 years of practicing and perfecting his
trade, in 1991 he was nominated by the
Newfoundland Soccer Association as a National
Referee. IN 1992, he was appointed as a National
Referee by the Canadian Soccer Association and
continued to retain his status until he reached
the mandatory national retirement age in 1999.
For the past five years he has been appointed as a
National Referee Assessor with the Canadian Soccer
Association, will complete certification as a
National Instructor this spring,
 Over
his 21 year career as a referee he has
participated in:
47 provincial championships,
4 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games,
6 Atlantic Championships,
3 University Nationals and
3 National Challenge Cup and Jubilee Shield
Tournaments.
15 years of Challenge Cup play where he officiated
in the final for 10 consecutive years and was the
referee for three of those,
In fact, Kevin was appointed to 10 national
tournaments over his time as a national referee
and had the honour of officiating in the final of
all ten.
From the beginning he has kept a record of every
game, date, score and assignment he has been
given. Today, with a total of 1453 soccer games
under his belt, he plans to go at it for one more
season and hopes to referee in his 1500th game,
next summer.
Along the way he also took time to participate as
a player, he played goalkeeper for twelve years
with the St. Lawrence Masters - Winning 10
consecutive provincial masters championships,
several of these coming on penalty shots.
Just recently, Kev was elected as vice-president
of the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer
Association.
Kevin was nominated by Jim Loder.
Hubert Beck
 After
being advised by the doctors not to play soccer
because of an asthmatic condition, Hubert Beck, as
a young boy, went against their advice and started
playing soccer in Farrell’s meadow.
From the beginning, Hubert followed in the
footsteps of his older brothers Alvin and Bob, as
he wanted to become a goalie.
As his love for the game grew, Hubert started
playing organized minor soccer and he kept
developing his skills right through the local and
high school level.
During Hubert’s minor career, he worked hard and
his success showed. Hubert was a member of five
Newfoundland minor select teams that participated
in National competition including the Newfoundland
U16 Team and the Newfoundland Canada Summer Games
Team in 1980. He also participated in five more
National competitions as a member of the St.
Lawrence Laurentians.
 Hubert
was a member of 12 All-Newfoundland Provincial
Championship teams, including 5 Challenge Cups and
2 Premier Cups
After Hubert’s playing days were completed, he
coached the St. Lawrence Masters and has managed
the Laurentians at a First Division Level. He also
served on the St. Lawrence Soccer Association,
serving one term as president of the association.
Hubert was nominated by his wife Elaine, daughters
, Kera & Lisa.
Phonce Cooper
 Phonce
Cooper first started playing soccer at a high
school level for John Burke High in Grand Bank and
from there, in 1968, went on to play with the
Junoir Gee Bees. In 1969 & 1970, he played for the
Grand Bank Senior team.
Phonce’s big break may have came in 1971 when he
moved to St. Lawrence for employment and also
started playing soccer with the St. Lawrence
Laurentians. During his first year as a Laurentian
, he was introduced to the Laurentians winning
ways, as he was a member of the St. Lawrence team
which captured the Burin Peninsula Championship,
the All-NFLD Championship and the Atlantic
Championship.
In 1972, Phonce, playing under the guidance of
Atila Baliant, again won the Burin Peninsula and
the All-NFLD Championships with St. Lawrence. In
1973, Phonce was a key player on the Laurentians
second division winning the Burin peninsula
championship team while also playing first
division
In 1975,Phonce became a member of the Laurentians
coached Jack Simms era, a time that St. Lawrence
dominated provincial soccer. It was during this
time that Phonce and all of his Laurentians team
mates were in a class of their own, winning
championship after championship.
The highlight of Phonces career came in 1977 when
he was a member of the Laurentians Silver
Medalists team.
The Laurentians played this National tournament on
home pitch.
The Laurentians of 1970’s team were awarded “Team
of the Decade” honours, a team on which Phonce was
a member.
 In
1978 came the closure of the mines in St. Lawrence
and with this Phonce relocated. In 1997, he
returned, this time to assist in the reactivation
of the St. Lawrence Fluorspar mines. By now,19
years later, Phonce had started playing Masters
with the St. Lawrence Laurentians and is still
active with their indoor and summer program today.
Phonce, by his own admission, feels that soccer
has always been a very big part of his life.
Although he would be the first one to admit, he
was never a finesse player.
Today former coaches and team-mates of Phonce
Cooper certainly realize that his career was
constructed and maintained on the Laurentians
Logo, “Desire and Determination”.
Phonce was nominated by his former team-mate and
long time friend, Keith Farrell.
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From Left to Right:
Inductee: Roy Slaney - Player, Kevin Pittman
- Official, Hubert Beck - Player, and Phonce
Cooper - Player |
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