Shaka moves to Dallas FC

[trini supporter]

I was very disappointed at first then i realized that most great players like to end their career in the MLS and also the man is thirty seven Westham might of just give him a year but in Dallas he probably getting more also it closer to home!!!!!!!!!

[fitzinho]

Alyuh men good yes...the man is clearly lookin at his future retirement and what better place to do it than in Mls.  Lothar Mattheus did it, Yuri djorkief did it, is ah retirement league for the bigger players so let Shaka enjoy he last days in the game how he want to nah...oh gorsh man!!

[big dawg]

All in All...Love or hate the MLS....For a player who is almost 38 years of Age.. Signing a professional football contract is an acheivment.....

[triniairman]

 

MLS is a shit league?? how come dey steady beat TNT league teams?? I guess we have rell shitty teams in Tinidad then??? MLS running tings by 2010 watch and see...
I supporting MLS to de fullest. As a mater of fact I used to have season tickets for all De Chicago Fire games until they moved to de suburbs. GO MLS....

war....

WARMONGA yuh talking shit,about trini teams does get steady beat from the MLS TEAMS,well seeing that yuh is ah Chicago fire fan,you should remember when they came Trinidad and JABLOTEH CUTT THERE ASS,and so what if they beat them back in the states,i just prove to yuh that we don't get STEADY BEAT like you said

[Pompey]

An important bit you've overlooked there is the fact that the ex Pompey coach, Alan Knight is the goalkeeping coach at Dallas. Shaka and Knight (AKA the Legend ) got on very well at Pompey during their time together so I'm sure a big part of this is Shaka helping out a mate.

I think Shaka could have had one last season in the premiership before going out to the retirement home that is MLS, but Alan Knight tried to play one season too many and it was a disaster. This I'm sure was explained to Shaka.

Anyway, what has he got to prove? he has been there, seen it, done it and got the Tee Shirt. Good luck to him. 

[redtrinigirl]

I am really disappointed with some of the comments on this. Trinis really are the kings of the market crab syndrome.

First of all think about it...what would you rather do? Sign a one-year contract to be 2nd or 3rd choice keeper at a team where the average age is under 25? Or sign up elsewhere where you are sure to get regular playing time, and make a serious contribution?

You guys are acting as though the EPL is the all in all of football. So what if he's leaving the EPL? Hasn't he been here long enough? It's been 14 years people! I am quite certain that he has gotten fed up of alot of things, which I won't go into.

Should he sign a one-year contract at West Ham, be the 3rd choice keeper, warm de bench, and then be left out in the cold when that yea is up, and be forced to retire from the game beacuse of a lack of options? Or worse yet, go down the league table to some Championship or League one side?

If you have to take a step down in order to keep on playing, better to do it somewhere else, that you're familiar with, like to be, have friends and family, and where you'll be treated like the star that you are. Better to be the big fish in a pond, than to be a small fish in a really big ocean.

And let's not forget the family factor. Shaka has four daughters. And many of you do not realise what a shyte system the education system is here in the UK. Yeah, it's great for degrees, but anything lower, it's rubbish. Especially for the black kids. Bullying and violence is a serious problem here. Whilst the same can be said for the states, I am sure these factors also played a part in the decision. Not to mention the earlier points about possibly starting his coaching career over there.

Allyuh thinking now for now. The man is looking into the long term. Like allyuh forget that football is a job, like any other, so you have to think about career progress, job enjoyment, and future earnings. Alot of people leave a big money job and take one that's a step down, but the perks and conditions make them happy. Why can't a footballer do the same?

I say well done Shaka. Leave on your terms, and don't allow anyone to force you to retire.

[Filho]

If Jack wasn't in such a big hurry to rush and sign for a club that have no respect for Sancho, Shaka coulda probly put a good word in for him and he coulda be second string at West Ham...

hahah..sarcasm no doubt. One game in the WC and you gone from an injury prone Scottish league benchwarmer to a Premiership player? doh work so, even if you believe he has the talent.
Great move by Shaka. At 37, he looking to play a little less, probably spend more time with the family, less press intrusion into your life...etc. MLS is not a shit league. It is a developing league with some decent teams. Even if you realy do think it is a shit league for outfield players, there really is no such thing as a shit league for goalkeepers. The ball is still round and a bullet is a bullet. You never watch MLS? Even if you doh like the quality of play, the keepers still have to put in an honest shift.

[redtrinigirl]

See what I said? Hear it from the horse's mouth:

Courtesy West Ham United Fan Club

Shaka Hislop has spoken exclusively to whufc.com after leaving the Club to start a new career in the USA with FC Dallas.

The popular goalkeeper made a point of contacting us in order to bid a personal farewell to West Ham United supporters, and admits that it was a huge wrench to bring down the curtain on a 14-year playing career in England - five of which were spent at Upton Park.

"I'm extremely sad to be leaving West Ham United," he says, "but at the same time I'm happy and content that it is the right time to leave and that I ended in a way that I could only have dreamed of.

"It makes me so proud to know that I finished my playing career in England with a Club that I love dearly and had such an amazing experience with the FA Cup final at the end of the season.

"I can honestly say that my last game in English football was without doubt the biggest highlight of my 14 years playing in this country. After the initial disappointment and heartbreak of how the game actually finished, I walked around the pitch in Cardiff and the image of the Hammers fans in those stands is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I felt it was a fitting way to end my career.

"I've spent the last few days talking to the likes of Alan Pardew, Paul Aldridge and Ludek Miklosko, thanking them for the opportunity they gave me last year that enabled me to realise some of my dreams about English football and West Ham United in particular.

"I'll certainly take them up on their offer to come back and pay a visit in the not too distant future, and I'll look forward to meeting up with the many great friends I have made during my two spells with the Club. I'll never forget my time at West Ham."
Explaining the reasons behind his decision to embark on a new life in the US with his young family, Shaka admits that it had always been his ambition to move nearer to his Caribbean roots at the end of his playing career in England.

"The opportunity was presented to me during the summer, and the possibility of moving to the States is something that I've been thinking about and considering for some time now," he says. "My kids are getting to the age now where I want them to have stability in the next few years, and my wife and I decided that we both wanted to move closer to Trinidad, where our families still live.

"I've given it a lot of thought, but eventually decided that it would be the best thing to do for personal reasons. I always saw my future as taking this route, and a big part of my long-term ambition is to contribute in any way I can to Trinidad and Tobago - at the very least in a sporting sense.

"Being on the south coast of the USA means that I can get home very quickly whenever I need to and, after the experience I have just had at the World Cup finals, that has taken on even more of a significance. There is so much passion for the game in Trinidad and Tobago, which has just been amplified this summer, and I want to be closely involved with that.

"And from a football point of view, joining Dallas is a very exciting and interesting challenge, and one I am really looking forward to. I lived in the States for four years before I came to England and the MLS is a league that has grown and grown since then.

"I've signed an 18-month contract as they are in mid-season at the moment, but I am not really looking beyond that - it's just a case of settling in to our new surroundings and taking everything as it comes."

And finally, the man who gave nothing but loyal and dedicated service during five seasons and more than 150 appearances at Upton Park offered his own departing message to the fans who will no doubt be sad to see him go…

"I've been racking my brains thinking about what to say to the fans," he says. They've meant so much to me during my time at West Ham - in the four years I spent here originally and in the last 12 months - and I just want to thank them for the wonderful support they have always given me.

"I will look back on my last year in English football with a lot of fond memories - it really was something to be a part of - and I look forward to coming back to Upton Park in the not too distant future, to sit with the Hammers fans and cheer the team on."

[MickeyRat]

Dallas has a growing West Indian community, he'll fit in just fine. 

[Trini _2026]

MLS is a shit league?? how come dey steady beat TNT league teams?? I guess we have rell shitty teams in Tinidad then??? MLS running tings by 2010 watch and see...
I supporting MLS to de fullest. As a mater of fact I used to have season tickets for all De Chicago Fire games until they moved to de suburbs. GO MLS....

war....

WARMONGA yuh talking shit,about trini teams does get steady beat from the MLS TEAMS,well seeing that yuh is ah Chicago fire fan,you should remember when they came Trinidad and JABLOTEH CUTT THERE ASS,and so what if they beat them back in the states,i just prove to yuh that we don't get STEADY BEAT like you said

so what if we win one 

[Touches]

Triniairman,

Besides that Chicago Fire win....is Level cutarse we collect....year after year.

Even up to the other day we play metrostars and lorse.

Warmonger is correct...check yuh facts breds.

MLS teams own we...sad but true.

[maxg]

Dallas to POS is like 8 hrs min. Best he come TO.

[Dutty]

Dallas to POS is like 8 hrs min. Best he come TO.

 8 HOURS??...yuh tink he flyin in dem old TTAS red plane or wha?



ah cyah beleive ah get ketch in dis thread...THREE pages talkin bout ah decision ah big man done make

allyuh IZ NUT EZ

lehwe mind somebody else business now nah...go for 6 pages

wha bout jack..he ha chirren?...dey like macaroni pie??

Cornell Glenn like peanut punch? wha colour car he does drive? ....why?

[Observer]

I don't think the MLS is a shit League at all. As a matter of fact the League deserves more credit.
Crowd wise they pull more than the Dutch League, Austria and Belgium who league numbers are inflated only because of their truly big teams. It also has served the USA well and dear I say provides a working opportunity for many CONCACAF players including ours. My father always says make sure your house in order before yuh cry down someone elses. We calling their league shit, then what is ours? MLS is a young league and in many instances is compared to leagues that are over 70 years old.
I can tell you if you see FC Twente play WillemII, yuh face stretch from yawning. Many a night I have seen some very good games in MLS and yes poor games too. But I can say the same for the Premier watching the likes of West Brom and Sunderland.

[Andre]

MLS Teams  vs. Trini Pro Teams in the CONCACAF Champions Cup

interpret this however you want.

source: http://www.concacaf.com/viewCompetition.asp?id=53

13.8.1997 D.C. United (USA) - United Petrotrin (TRI) 1:0 (0:0) Washington, D.C. USA
 
11.8.1998 D.C. United (USA) - Joe Public FC (TRI) 8:0 (5:0) Washington, D.C. USA

9/28/1999 Chicago Fire - Joe Public   2:0  (1:0) 

3.3.2002 W Connection FC (TRI) - Kansas City Wizards (USA) 0:1 (0:0) Marabella, TRI
 
16.3.2002 Kansas City Wizards (USA) - W Connection FC (TRI) 2:0 (0:0) Kansas City, Missouri USA

17.3.2004 CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) - Chicago Fire (USA) 5:2 (3:1) Port of Spain, TRI

24.3.2004 Chicago Fire (USA) - CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh 4:0 (1:0) Chicago, Illinois USA

[ANC2]

Yeah its true You remember people were say jabloteh was basically we National team

[Kevin Lindstrom]

From the club that has had Bryan Haynes and Mickey Trotman play for them, we're very happy to have Shaka playing with us.  The fact that Alan Knight also knows Shaka and has a good relationship with him makes it even better.  From all indications, Shaka is a true professional who will strengthen our goalkeeping position (traditionally a strong one in MLS and the US) and this is awesome.

As for where MLS stands in the world of football, no, it isn't the Prem or La Liga or Serie A or BL, but it has turned out some players who have made an impact on the World Cup stage, and is a growing league.  I hope any and all of you who can make it out to our stadium to see Shaka play for FC Dallas.  Having hosted some great national teams (Mexico, Ghana, US) for matches, and their response to it, Pizza Hut Park is something I think you will enjoy.

To my friends Mike and Andy that I met on the way to the World Cup - hello!

[lorac]

Shaka knows why he made those choices. He is a sensible man

[Mango Chow!]

From the club that has had Bryan Haynes and Mickey Trotman play for them, we're very happy to have Shaka playing with us.  The fact that Alan Knight also knows Shaka and has a good relationship with him makes it even better.  From all indications, Shaka is a true professional who will strengthen our goalkeeping position (traditionally a strong one in MLS and the US) and this is awesome.

As for where MLS stands in the world of football, no, it isn't the Prem or La Liga or Serie A or BL, but it has turned out some players who have made an impact on the World Cup stage, and is a growing league.  I hope any and all of you who can make it out to our stadium to see Shaka play for FC Dallas.  Having hosted some great national teams (Mexico, Ghana, US) for matches, and their response to it, Pizza Hut Park is something I think you will enjoy.

To my friends Mike and Andy that I met on the way to the World Cup - hello!

   He is one of the classiest and, believe it or not, humblest and most down-to-earth icons of any type that our country has produced, period!  Dallas are lucky to have him and I definitely will have to actually pay money to go to an mls game now......even if he on de bench!