As a player in the Manning Cup, Marcelino Blackburn was one of those, who made his mark. So great was his influence on the game of football at the schoolboy level, that Blackburn’s nickname ‘Bassa’ still rings out in the Halls of Charlie Smith Comprehensive High School.

As is the case with most players, who excel at the schoolboy level from Charlie Smith, Blackburn was drafted into the Arnett Gardens Football Club.

Funnily enough, for a player of his obvious quality, it took him a long time before breaking into the team and even when he did the impact he should have had on the team’s performances was not there.

When Blackburn made the switch to Harbour View where he was given the responsibility of creating goals alongside Jermaine Hugh, he blossomed. Very quickly ‘Bassa’ became a dangerous player, one of those players you had to watch or he’d hurt you.

After a season with Harbour View where the team went to the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup and had a more than good run in the Premier League, placing second in a close finish with Waterhouse, ‘Bassa’ returned to Arnett Gardens a much-improved player.

There he began to get regular starts and looked to be continuing in the same vein he was when he left Harbour View. Unfortunately the rich run of form was not to last and Blackburn once again drifted into obscurity, earning less and less starts for a team he certainly had the quality to play a leading role for in every game.

After starting this season with Arnett, ‘Bassa’ returned to Harbour View in the January transfer window and is now beginning to earn appearances here and there.

It is the hope that sooner rather than later, the same kind of improvements he made while at Harbour View in his first stint will become again become apparent.

Presently Harbour View are having an off season, sitting dangerously in fifth place with the possibility of dropping to sixth. This is the lowest Harbour View have sunk in the last five years of the Premier League. Bearing in mind they are the defending champions of the league, it would be a shame if they were not to pose a more serious threat in defence of their crown.

If they are to start winning more games and putting pressure on Portmore United and Tivoli Gardens, they will have to get ‘Bassa’ playing the kind of football they know he can.

What is good about the wiry midfielder is the fact that he has the uncanny ability to pop up all over the park. For a player of slight build he generally carries a lot of work in the midfield. ‘Bassa’ is also very aggressive and doesn’t allow his opponents time to settle on the ball and seems to play with the attitude that every ball is his. He is also extremely skilful and will make tight situations turn out in his favour because of it. Then there is the fact that even though ‘Bassa’ is a midfielder, he has a good eye for goal and scores important goals in important games and at important times in a match.