Skip to main content
Work with the NEU
Failing the Tebbit test with pride
Cricket was a source of anti-colonial and ethnic pride for many young black men like me growing up — so long as we stuck to an 'anyone but England' stance, writes ROGER McKENZIE
SOURCE OF PRIDE: Joel Garner holds aloft the World Cup trophy for the West Indies at Lords, June 1979

IT’S April and the weather is mostly awful — so it must be the start of the cricket season.

When I was growing up, I had just two small ambitions for my future. One was to play football for Aston Villa in the winter, and the other was to come in at first or second wicket down for the West Indies cricket team in the summer.

Sadly I was never good enough at either to succeed, although at times over the years, I still felt I could do a job for Villa given some of the rubbish being served up — thankfully now, under Unai Emery, things appear to have turned the corner.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
Ollie Pope bowls during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test match at Lord's, London, August 30, 2024
Men’s cricket / 19 June 2025
19 June 2025
Aston Villa
Men’s football / 22 May 2025
22 May 2025

Morning Star international editor ROGER McKENZIE reminisces on how he became an Aston Villa fan, and writes about the evolution of the historic club over the years

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins applauds the fans after the Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, May 10, 2025
Men’s Football / 11 May 2025
11 May 2025

RAHMAN OSMAN speaks to fan favourite Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins about bringing his childhood dream to life on the pitch

Men’s football / 4 April 2025
4 April 2025
CHRIS SEARLE interviews saxophonist Chris Williams about the extraordinary electro-acoustic album LEDLEY - a bold fusion of Jazz, football, and community spirit