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Offer an English football fan a handkerchief. The 2005/06 England Premier League football season is likely to mark the first occasion in the history of the competition when there has not been a Trinidad and Tobago player on the books of a top flight club.


Thirty-six year old goalkeeper and free agent, Shaka Hislop, still has until the start of the season to find a suitable Premiership outfit but then he initially promised to retire at the end of his Portsmouth contract, which expired at the start of this month.

It is to Trinidad and Tobago's discredit that we failed to produce a suitable and timely replacement for Hislop or Dwight Yorke, the country's most celebrated player of all time.

The upcoming season will be a gloomy reminder of the Caribbean island's sliding fortunes, particularly as rivals, the United States, enjoy record representation in England's top league with over a dozen registered Premiership players, including Manchester United's Tim Howard, Fulham's Brian McBride and Manchester City's Claudio Reyna.

The departure of Yorke and Hislop left their local and international fans with a bitter taste.

Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric naughtily suggested that Hislop's allegiance lay with former manager Harry Redknapp, who controversially swapped Portsmouth for bitter rivals Southampton in mid-season, and effectively froze out the talented former Newcastle and West Ham goalie despite the oft-publicised blunders of his replacement, Kostas Chalkias.

Yorke, the seventh highest scorer in the Premiership's history, was called "a straggler" by Birmingham co-chairman David Sullivan, who might have also had a score to settle. Anti-racist groups barracked Sullivan for his insensitive statements after Yorke was subjected to monkey chants in a fixture at his former club, Blackburn Rovers.

Twenty-one-year-old Kenwyne Jones and 28-year-old Stern John were the other Premiership departures last season. John was advised to find another club by Birmingham boss Steve Bruce-ironically, to facilitate Yorke's arrival from Blackburn-while Jones' Southampton were relegated to the League Championship.

Jones, a defender-cum-striker, might be forgiven for being disoriented during his English debut season. The cocky utility player has seen the inside of more dressing rooms than Britney Spears.

After scoring in a club record six successive matches while on loan at League One club Sheffield Wednesday, Jones was recalled by Southampton and figured in three fixtures before being farmed out again to Championship club, Stoke City.

John and Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince might have contemplated a move themselves.

John failed to ignite Coventry City's far-fetched Premiership ambitions and was targeted by disgruntled fans before he rediscovered his form to silence critics.

Few at Crewe doubted Ince's pedigree-except manager Dario Gradi. After a spell on the sidelines that coincided with Crewe conceding goals at an average of nearly three a game, Ince was re-inserted into the first team and was Man of the Match when the "Railwaymen" escaped demotion on the final game of the season.

There was no such escape for Wales-based League One club, Wrexham, who failed to recover from entering administration and the subsequent ten-point penalty.

Wrexham had their day in the sun when they won their first LDV Cup-this competition is reserved for clubs in the bottom two divisions of the English leagues-but their demotion brought an end to the "Trini trio".

Lanky central defender Dennis Lawrence will represent them in League Two next season, while compatriot Hector Sam, whose contract expires in the preseason, is weighing his options after being offered a new contract.

But skillful winger Carlos Edwards already packed his bags after signing a pre-contract deal with Championship outfit, Luton Town, which he officially joins on July 1.

Trinidad and Tobago's professional ranks swelled this year to include combative Port Vale midfielder Chris Burchill and ex-Bolton youth player, Ricky Shakes. The former is in Trinidad for the first time and aiming to win a place in the national squad while Shakes, who was left out of under-20 coach Anton Corneal's team, is sorting out his own career after being released by Bolton.

Jason Norville, who was capped once by ex-national coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier, is also trying to secure a new deal after his contract with Watford expired, while veteran defender Ian Cox and young Peterbrough central midfielder Andre Boucaud complete the list of potential national recruits who learned their trade overseas.

Cox, who was demoted from the Championship with Gillingham, is the only of those players with a competitive international appearance and might add to his ten caps too after agreeing to link up with new national coach Leo Beenhakker.

A little further down the ladder, 36-year-old ex-Trinidad and Tobago star Clint Marcelle-who represented Barnsley in the Premiership-began his coaching career at League Two club, Grimsby, where he combined running the youth set-up with representing the first team. He too is a free agent this summer, but is anxious to continue as a player/coach.

The talent pool has not dried up completely.

Vibe CT 105 W Connection defender Atiba Charles impressed on trial at Oldham and is likely to be invited back for the preseason.

But England's more illustrious football venues like Old Trafford and St James' Park will be without any Trinidad and Tobago influence next season.

Do you think they will miss us?