By Omar Jatta

From those privileged to have seen him knock about the round shaped leather sphere on the streets of his native Banjul to those who saw his magical prowesses in Denmark or Spain or on a street in Derbyshire, in England, all revers and recall his magical moments as if it was in the day gone.

Alhaji Momodou Biri Njie, known to many by his sobriquet, Biri-Biri is one of the Gambia’s most celebrated, skilful and the greatest footballer of the last millennium and of all time. His fascinating life story and career as a mesmerisingly talented football player still dominates most football discourses relating to The Gambia, both home and abroad.

That adoring reverence was recently manifested during a memorabilia and photograph exhibition at the first International club to show interest in the fleet footed Gambian dazzler in 1970, Derby County, where a former youth football hopeful recalled a chance meeting with the 67 year-old Gambian legend, whose display in an impromptu training session on Colombo street in Derby still souvenirs in the memory of David Wing, a native of Derby, who described the unplanned encounter in the article he wrote for the Derby Telegraph back in 2014.

David was at the Quad exhibition in Derby, where photos and memorabilia from the club’s archive were on display. As he filtered through the photos with anticipation that he might see himself or someone he met – there it was, a face he had crossed path with almost 46 years ago, staring at him all over again, the photo of Biri Biri, dubbed the African Pele.

He chronicled from the moment a “large man approached” them, him and his friend while having a kick about at the bottom of their street, “he quickly took the ball off me and started juggle with both feet (Toballing) as it’s called in The Gambia, then on his head as if it was on a piece of string, before slamming the ball past my helpless friend who was in goal at the time,” David recalled.

That “large man” was Biri, he was in Derby on trials at the time of Brian Clough as manager. Biri’s techniques and skills left unremovable pictures in the memory of the awestricken David.

See his unedited article below:

Attending the Quad exhibition of Derby County memorabilia and photographs, I eagerly scanned the pictures hoping beyond hope that I would see myself or someone I knew.

Alas, I was without any luck but I did see a photo of a face I had not seen in more than 45 years.

It stopped me in my tracks. There, staring out at me, was the face of an old Derby trialist. His name was Biri.

The memories came flooding back to me when my friend, Mick Colder, and I were playing football one afternoon at the bottom of our street, which was Colombo Street, near the Baseball Ground.

As we were playing a rather large man approached us. He quickly took the ball off me and started to juggle it with both feet and then on his head as if it was on a piece of string, before slamming the ball past my helpless friend who was in goal at the time.

He said to me in broken English, “I teach,” and proceeded to show us how to cross the ball and to pass the ball with both feet.

Then, after about 15 minutes of our impromptu training session, he asked us how to get into the Baseball Ground as he was soon to play for Derby County.

“Wow!” we thought, “we have just played football with a professional.”

We then wandered up the jitty, which ran from Colombo Street to Shaftesbury Crescent, with our new friend, passing the ball from one to the other.

When we got to the top of the jitty, we pointed to the way into the Baseball Ground and, just before he disappeared into the ground, we shouted at him to fix us up for a trial, at which he gave a huge smile and a wave and then he was gone.

Over the next few days, we eagerly awaited news of Biri’s debut.

Then it was announced that he would play in a reserve team game at the Baseball Ground which Mick and I attended.

Unfortunately, Biri didn’t have a good game that day. Then, over the next few weeks, I don’t think he shone either and Mr Clough soon packed him off back to Africa and, thus, he was lost to us in the mists of time – until that day at Quad when his face stared out at me and I went all misty-eyed.

I didn’t get the trial I wanted for my beloved Derby County and I have never heard of Biri since.

I ended up working at Carriage and Wagon for 36 years instead of gracing the turf of the Baseball Ground.

Biri, the African Pele, I wonder where you are now?

Do you remember Biri Biri’s brief spell at Derby County? Did you see him play? Why not share your memories with our readers, contact details below.

Bygones: Biri Biri – the African Pele:

ALHAJI Momodo Nije, more commonly known as Biri Biri, was born on March 30, 1948, in Banjul, the capital of Gambia.

He was the first Gambian footballer to play professionally abroad and was the first African player to play professionally in Denmark.

A right-winger, he is regarded by many commentators as the best Gambian footballer of all time and was often described as the “African Pele”.

Biri Biri started his career with various Gambian clubs before making the move overseas to Derby County, where he arrived in December 1970 for a one-month trial after being spotted by club scouts.

It was not a success and Rams boss Brian Clough did not offer him a contract.

He returned to Gambia to play for Wallidan Banjul, before moving to Europe once more in 1972.

He signed for Danish club B 1901 before moving to Spanish club Sevilla FC in 1973, becoming the first black player to play for the club.

He is regarded by Sevilla fans as a cult figure and, at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, the most loyal fans named their cheering section (and thus, themselves) “Biris Norte” in honour of him.

He stayed at Sevilla until 1978 when he moved back to Denmark, playing for Herfølge BK until 1981 when he returned to Gambia and Wallidan Banjul.

He ended his career at the club in 1987.

In 2000, Biri was awarded the Order of Merit by Gambian president Yahya Jammeh and was named Gambia’s “greatest footballer of the last millennium and of all time”.

He is now a civil servant for Banjul council, while he also coaches young children at Wallidan Banjul.