Anger!!!

Inter-house sports competitions were a big deal in GCI. The frenzy was usually far more than when GCI played against other schools. Houses competed for laurels in athletics, soccer, hockey, and cricket; and oh the pride of winning the trophy.
The final of the inter-house hockey tournament in 1965 was a particularly high-pitch one. Field House was playing Swanston and it was the second successive year the two Houses were meeting in the final. Swanston House had won in 1964, so the 1965 game was going to be a gruelling match. Both teams featured stars. Indeed the entire GCI hockey team comprised mostly boys from both houses. The Field House 1965 team was full of stars ... Smith, Osofisan, Osibo, Jerome, Somade (the tallest guy in entire school, including students and staff). Oyejide, Adelana, Onayinka, Adegbayibi, etc.
After prep on the eve of the match, Femi Osofisan addressed us in the prep room. A literary giant at the time, he had a good command of English, and had composed the Field House Song. The address that evening focused on the match the following day. Osofisan said he was in revenge mode and that we had to win the Hockey Shield. He then told us that anytime the ball was passed to him, we should all scream ANGER!, and that once he heard that, he was heading for goal.
In compliance with Osofisan's instructions, there was a relentless shout of �Anger' from the side lines, and indeed Osofisan played his heart out. Field House won the match by a narrow margin and the celebration that greeted the Shield later that evening was thunderous.


By: Oni Olubunmi