The history of the Black Lords begins in 1928 when almost every ship passing through the Portuguese colony of Cape Verde made a stop at the Island of St. Vincent to take on board water and coal for the passage westwards across the Atlantic. The Western Telegraph and the British Coal Company sent a few representatives from England to St. Vincent, who were given the task of establishing the control centre for the first transatlantic cable and managing the most important coal depot on the shipping route.
As the 'noble' English representatives eagerly descended the gangway of the mighty coal ship they could not believe their eyes: Cape Verde was not as green as its name had promised. The golf clubs they had brought along as hand luggage would never touch a blade of grass.
The Cape Verde residents of St. Vincent were surprised when weeks later it turned out that you could hit white balls through the air with 'crutches'. Hidden behind bushes, they laughed at this strange game which the English aristocrats enjoyed playing, wearing their white outfits and pith helmets.
Despite being forbidden to go near the improvised golf course, it did not take long before the most daring of the Cape Verde boys ventured onto the dusty terrain with their homemade golf clubs.
To be able to play golf was for the Africans not only a fight for the game but also a fight for equality. Perhaps the English underestimated this when a few years later the first golf match between 'England' and 'Cape Verde' took place. The eyes of the 92 year old Antero Barros still shine today as he talks of this historic showdown. Alongside his Cape Verde golfing friends and with homemade clubs, he was able to claim victory over his 'masters'.
