DECADES ago black Bermudians could not play at the Tennis Stadium. Now the stadium is named after one of the pioneer of tennis among black people in Bermuda ¿ William Ernest Rudolph Joell, the son of Frederick and Katie Joell, who was born on October 30, 1902.

And yesterday saw the start of the first WER Joell Memorial Tennis Tournament at the stadium which is named after him.

"It is amazing how things change," said David Lambert, the head of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association.

"WER Joell was a giant among the sport in Bermuda," said Lambert, a black leader in the sport himself.

Joell died in 1985 and in 2003 the stadium was named after him.

"He did so much for tennis in Bermuda ¿ he helped to integrate the sport. Everyone, blacks and whites, owe so much to him and unfortunately not everyone knows what he did for the sport. He coached many young players and always offered advice and he also was responsible for bringing in Althea Gibson to Bermuda," added Lambert.

Gibson, an American, was the first black player to win a Grand Slam when she won the French Open in 1956. She went on to win five singles Grand Slam titles including Wimbledon and the US Open.

The WER Joell Memorial Tournament which started yesterday has as its title sponsor Stafford Flooring and fittingly owner Randy Stafford is WER Joell's grandson.

Stafford said that last year he decided to sponsor the tournament in "my grandfather's name".

He said: "He got so many people into tennis. Although the stadium was supposed to be for the public, when my grandfather was young it wasn't really for the public (since black people could not play there).

"I remember when I was a kid of about 10, he leased public courts at the top Parsons Road to do teaching. And he also brought in instructors (from overseas) on his own coin and he took away gifted players on his own coin as well. For some reason he got this bug of tennis ¿ I don't know why. He started the Rainbow Tennis Club and all colours were welcome.

"A lot of people are not aware of my grandfather and what he did and why the stadium is named after him. He loved tennis all his life ¿ I remember playing him on the court and I was about 16 and he was 80."

Joell married Grace Jackson and they produced five daughters ¿ Lillian, Eileen, Elsie, Rosemary and Joyce.

This week Rosemary said: "I am the only one who played tennis. I think they (her parents) wanted a son and I was the fourth daughter so he started me with tennis! He was good friends with another player Crescent Swan who also gave me lessons."

His second daughter Eileen married Allan Simmons, one of Bermuda's best ever players.

Simmons said this week: "I was involved with a lot of projects that he did. He was president of the Somers Isle Lawn Tennis Association which was the black association.

"I played a lot with him and travelled a lot with him. We used to go up and play in events put on by the American Tennis Association which was also a black association. They used to have their own national championships at different universities. I used to travel with him quite a lot to play in these tournaments and he was instrumental in bringing Althea Gibson down here. And he was also instrumental is getting black people to play at the stadium and it is great that the stadium is now named after him."

Joell was the grandson of William H. T. Joell, who was the first black man to be elected to the House of Parliament in Bermuda in 1894.

He attended Berkeley Institute where he played his first game of tennis on a makeshift grass court with the late Dr. Eustace Cann and Dr.Charles A. Smith.

The first club with which he was associated was named by his father as the "NSF" Never Say Fail Club ¿ a most fitting motto for the life lived by Joell. He did not ever say "fail". He retained an unbounded faith in the future of his family, his people and his country.

Joell also chose woodworking as a career and through practice, study and hard work he became a great craftsman.

Joell was an early member of the Bermuda Workers' Association (now BIU) and was one of the signatories of the petition that was taken to the Secretary of State in England by Dr. E. F. Gordon.

In 1958 Joell organised the Bermuda Tennis Development Fund which sponsored coaches to teach the game to children throughout Bermuda.

In 1973, he was honoured by the Queen with a certificate in recognition of valuable services given to Her Majesty as a promoter of tennis for over 40 years. He died on August 12, 1985. On July 11, 2003 the Government renamed the Tennis Stadium at Bernard Park, "The WER Joell Tennis Stadium".