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Hugh Howell remembered as a ‘warrior’, ‘leader’
May 30, 2025
A warrior and a leader.
That is how the local football fraternity remembers former Excelsior High School, Waterhouse FC and Humble Lion FC midfielder, Hugh Howell, who collapsed and died while playing a game of scrimmage on Sunday, in St Andrew.
Howell, who was 39 years old at the time of his passing, developed a reputation for being a hard-tackling, no-nonsense defensive midfielder, who gave his all.
Waterhouse FC head coach Marcel Gayle, who was a member of Waterhouse's coaching staff when the club last won the title in 2006, when Howell was a player, said sometimes people misunderstand the player because of his passion, describing him as a model defensive midfielder and one of the top midfielders to come through the club.
"He was a stalwart. Straight out of high school from Excelsior, we (Waterhouse) were his first premier league club. He played with us for several years and the last time we won the Premier League he was a member. He was always courageous, played with his heart on his sleeve, a no-nonsense player. Condolences to his family," commented Gayle.
Analysing Howell's game, he continued, "He could go forward as well. He scored some important goals with his head and he takes good free kicks.
"He always wanted to win and was sometimes a bit hard on himself. But he was a leader on the pitch and the younger players always looked up to him," Gayle pointed out.
Howell moved to Humble Lion in 2013 and immediately became a fan favourite because of his uncompromising approach, which earned him the nickname 'Lion Heart', from supporters.
Former Humble Lion coach Andrew Price said as an opposing coach and then coach of the player, Howell has always exerted a big influence on the pitch, and that he grew to admire him even more after he became his coach.
"Hugh was always a warrior on the field. Whether he was an opponent when I coached Boys' Town and he was at Humble Lion.
"Then when I went to Humble Lion I coached him, and he was one of the leaders, a real warrior on the field. He left it all out there. A very hard worker, a real leader, who didn't like to lose and he played that way. He will be missed," Price said.
Price, as Gayle had done, noted that Howell's persona off the pitch was very different.
"When he gets on the field he is a different human being. He's a fighter and he encourages his team, he drives them forward. But off the field you couldn't find a nicer person," Price shared..
"You could always sit with him and hold a good reasoning. He was very engaging and he was one who liked to impress on the youths that they must continue fighting.
"But once you stepped on the field, it was business, and he was all business, he took his game very serious. It so unfortunate that we have lost him. But at least he was doing the thing he loves."
President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts, also took to social media to mourn the loss of his "good friend".
"We were good friends and this really surprises me. So sad. Hugh and I had a good relationship. RIP my friend," Ricketts' comments read.
Howell, who made a name while at Excelsior High School, on back-to-back Manning Cup titles with the Mountain View Avenue-based school in 2003 and 2004, under coach Lebert Halliman.
