Mr. Brain Deane (L) and Premier Joseph Parry.
Charlestown, Nevis
June 25, 2008
Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry registered his gratification when he met with one of the island’s outstanding sons of the soil as he welcome famed retired British professional footballer of Nevisian heritage Mr. Brian Deane on his maiden visit to the island. Mr. Deane had paid a courtesy call on the Premier at his Bath Plain Office on June 25, 2008, and indicated his interest to assist the island.
“He has indicated interest in the island, it’s the first time that he has been here and he has also indicated an interest in returning and helping to promote the island in whatever way he could.
“I am very pleased that I was able to meet him and even more pleased that he is an outstanding son of the soil. I do wish him well for the future and I expect that he will be doing some work with Nevis and Nevisians,” Mr. Parry said.
Mr. Deane, who played professional football for 21 years, was born in Chapeltown, Leeds to parents Nevisian parents (father Mr. Cedric “Macka” Deane from St. Peters and mother Mrs. Josephine Deane from Butlers). During an interview with the Department of Information on June 24, 2008, he said that he had felt it was important to visit Nevis to see where his parents had come from and how he could contribute to the Nevis community.
“For me it was important to see where my mum and dad came from, where it all started and one of the things for me would be to try and put something back into this community or even let people know here, that they might look at people on television in England and think that’s a million miles away but actually a lot of them have probably got the basic skills they need to make it at that level,” he said.