THEY say a picture paints a thousand words and a photograph from the Andersonstown News archives has St Michael's Youth Club youth leader Eddie Neeson's mind travelling back through the decades.
With the big celebration for St Michael’s 50th years as a youth club this weekend at the Devenish, Eddie fondly recollects with the Andersonstown News about his days behind the board teaching local kids how to move pawns and checkmate kings.
“I started introducing kids to chess from around 1974, and I’m still introducing kids to chess," he said. "I remember I taught one great lad called Sean Burns, he went on to represent Belfast City Council at chess in a competition involving all the Belfast leisure centres, representing Andersonstown Leisure Centre. From there he went onto to Dublin to face the Irish chess champion, but he got beaten down there, but he was still the only kid that ever beat me!”
Such was Eddie’s passion for the game, that he spoke of how he introduced at least 3,000 kids to the game over the years.
“All the kids I taught went away knowing how to start a game, how to set up a board, and when they play to always go for the best of three. I always said to play the best of three, because you can get lucky once, but if you play best of three you can see how your opponent plays and figure out their moves.”
Chess proved a popular pastime for many of the kids who went to St Michael’s over the years. Eddie said in the 1970s there was also a strong contingent of girls who played the game and were very good.
“They were very good at playing, and that was important to me as I loved playing and teaching the game. Kids today are playing board games less, and I think they are missing out on the wonderful strategies you can develop when you get in to playing chess. It’s got so much depth as a game that you can play for years and years and still learn something new every time you play. However there still is a strong team playing in Andersonstown, the Fruithill Chess Club who play at the Falls Bowls Club on Andersonstown Road every Monday night.”
LOOKING BACK: Youth leader Eddie Neeson
Speaking on the upcoming celebrations for St Michael’s 50th anniversary this weekend Eddie said there are still some tickets left for sale for anyone who wants to come down and see some old friends. Anyone interested in coming and who hasn’t yet got their ticket can get them from St Michael’s Youth Club on Friday night from 6pm to 8pm. Tickets cost £15.
Eddie also stated the band The Untouchables will also be playing on the night, and there will also be a rare vintage bottle of Titanic whiskey up for auction as well.
