Remember those heady days of First Division football at Bayview? In particular the joy of having international teams playing friendlies against us, games being postponed for having so many players away on international duty and an international class act as manager. Oh such happy and unique times. Can it really only be seven seasons ago?! Will we ever see the likes again?!

One man stood out during that time. One man set the pulses racing on the pitch at Bayview on a Saturday afternoon and down at Manhattans on the Saturday night. He's black. He's gold. His name is Arnold. Arnold. Arnold. Dwarika of course.

When news filtered out on March 31st 1995 that Steve Archibald had signed Arnie from Trinidad club side Superstar Rangers, it was very hard for the Fife faithful to believe. It's not everyday that a team like East Fife sign an international player. It's not every international player that would swap the soaring Caribbean heat for the cold dingyness of Methil. The very next day though we saw him for ourselves, when he made his debut as substitute in the 1-0 defeat against Berwick Rangers at Bayview. Five more appearances followed that season, with Arnie netting his first goal in a black and gold jersey in the 1-1 home draw against Meadowbank Thistle in his fourth game.

Arnie immediately became a cult hero at Bayview and was very popular locally and made very welcome by, the now sadly departed, Jim Baxter and his wife. He was soon joined by his fellow Trinidad internationalists Craig Dennim and Gavin Lewis and AFTN even went to the lengths of getting a six foot Trinidad and Tobago flag made up, with EFFC and AFTN emblazoned all over it. We still have it and it's going cheap!

He went on to make a total of 50 appearances for East Fife between 1994/95 and 1996/97, scoring 11 goals in the process, before leaving in a controversial injury/transfer angle in 1997. Many will have a lasting memory of his mazy run at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup game that nearly led to an East Fife equaliser (which was the last time we saw him in the famous black and gold stripes), but there are so many happy memories that we have of Arnie during his time at Bayview.

Arnie made his international debut team in 1991 and has been a member of the Trinidad and Tobago senior squad since 1993, going on to make over 100 appearances for his country. During his time at East Fife, Arnie was voted Caribbean Football of the Year in 1995 and featured prominently in the Trinidad under-23 Olympic squad in 1996.

But what has he been up to since? Is there really life after Fife? Well it shouldn't surprise any of you to know that he has gone on to achieve bigger and better things since his return to Trinidad, to join the brilliantly named local club side Joe Public FC., owned by FIFA vice president Jack Warner.

When Arnie joined them in 1997, they had only been in existence for 18 months, gaining promotion to the main SPFL in their first ever season. Arnie's contribution to the 1997 season saw the team finish second in the League and reach the semis of both the League Cup and FA Trophy series.

1998 was to be an even better year for Arnie, as he steered his side to the SPFL Championship and the Caribbean Club Championship, scoring 31 goals and winning the Trinidad and Tobago Player of the Year trophy in the process. Not a bad medal haul!

A hard year to follow, but Arnie managed it, scoring 45 goals in domestic competitions in 1999 and once again claiming the T & T Player of the Year award.

The new century brought with it even more recognition for Arnie. The 2000 season saw Arnie win another CFU Club Championship winners medal and his international performances in the Gold Cup tournament in the States saw him voted into the media's Tournament XI, along with scoring five goals in helping Trinidad to reach the final CONCACAF group of six, in their unsuccessful attempt to reach the 2002 World Cup Finals. These high profile performances also saw him earn trials with MLS outfit Kansas City Wizards.

2001 saw Arnie win the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's Player of the Year award for a third time and although his medal haul wasn't increased, the attention he was getting paid outwith the country certainly was, with Joe Public turning down bids from clubs in Honduras and Guatemala and further interest from the Major Soccer League in America looked to be forthcoming.

Arnie was one of the main attractions of the Trinidad Professional League and a household name in the country, but it came as a huge surprise to many when he headed off to England in February 2002 for trials with Blackpool of all teams, but he was keen to join his fellow Trinidadians in the English Leagues and he had a few admirers amongst them, including Birmingham's Stern John who said of Arnie "You can never sense what he's going to do and then all of a sudden he picks up the ball and does wonders with it. It's quite a time to be a striker awaiting service from Arnold. He can be the perfect midfielder for you.".

Arnie impressed in his week's trial for the Seasiders, scoring a wonder goal in a 2-2 closed door friendly against Blackburn Rovers, where he beat two players and scored into the top left hand corner from the edge of the box. Blackpool's manager Stev McMahon wasn't impressed with his fitness levels and work ethic, however, and decided to pass on Arnie.

This was just to be the start of a nightmare year for Arnie. In March he and his family faced eviction from his house as part of a dispute dating back to 1999 and in July, Jack Warner fired Arnie (and another player Nigel Pierre) from Joe Public FC. Arnie had only scored two goals for the season so far, and was struggling to make it into the starting eleven, and Warner was quoted as saying "They have things too easy and the discipline was not there". The firing seemed to stem from Arnie, and several other Joe Public players, playing in a non Pro League authorised competition, Jogglers' Soccermania, which was forbidden in their contracts. All this and he was dropped from the national team as well.

September 2002 saw a marked turn in fortune for Arnie, as he signed for defending PFL Champions (and bitter rivals of Joe Public FC), Vibe CT 105 W Connection (yes, a real mouthful for chants!). The year eventually finished on a high for Arnie, as he scored in the 5-1 TTFF FA Trophy Final victory for the connection. Joining the Connection gave Arnie a new lease of life: ""I don't think I have really come back to prove a point. That is how I am, I always play football to win and nothing else. I will be the Arnold Dwarika that I am, I can't change that. If they are willing to call me back on the national team then it will just be a blessing. If not, well then I will just have to continue playing club football where I will continue to win championships. I am enjoying my football once again. If the opportunity is there to go abroad then that will be good but I will continue to play until it's all over.". Arnie's contract with the Connection was renewed for the 2003 season, but in July he was whisked off to China for a week's trial with Beijing Guoan. China wasn't for him though and he went back to Connection for a second place finish in the League and a runner up medal in the FA Trophy final penalty shoot-out defeat.

But still keen for that move abroad once more, he returned to China and finally joined Beijing Guoan in 2004, where he is currently playing his football.

What the future will hold in store for Arnie, who knows? He's got himself back into the T&T International set-up and met up with people from the East Fife Supporters' Trust in May 2004 when he was over for the friendly against Scotland, becoming an honourary member of the Trust. He might win some more trophies and that elusive World Cup Finals appearance.

One thing is certain though and that is if he ever wants to come back to Bayview, he'd be more than welcome.