W Connection duo finally off to Belgium.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).
Vibe CT 105 W Connection’s Matthew Bartholomew and Aaron Downing have left Trinidad on a three-year contract with Royal White Star Woluwe FC of Belgium’s third division League.
According to assistant Coach of the ‘Savonnetta Boys’, Ben Davies, the youngsters are officially contracted with English Premiership Club Sheffield United and have been placed on loan to the Belgium Club who the English Club have interests with, so that they can later earn their European passports and be able to play in England.
Both Trinidad and Tobago under-20 players, Matthew Bartholomew and Aaron Downing are products of the W Connection youth system and the both players also represented W Connection’s senior team in the Pro League in 2006 and are now in very high spirits on their three-year European contact.
Although not knowing much about the Belgium Club, White Star Woluwe FC, both players are already committed and are looking forward to a brighter future.
Speaking with ‘ttproleague.com’ moments before their departure Bartholomew said, “I have worked hard for something like this and now it’s time for me to go and do my best. I don’t know much about the Belgium Club but I know that they are in the third division and it would be great to help them win the League and get promoted, so this would be part of my plans with the Club,” said the 2006 under-18 Pro League Youth Player of the Year.
Bartholomew now 18 years old hopes to be playing in England with one of the Premiership Clubs before his three years is up at White Star Woluwe FC.
Meanwhile 19-year-old Aaron Downing is now looking to erase the memories of 2005 when he broke his leg on a trial with Scottish Club Falkirk FC forcing him back home.
“I have been waiting a while now on an opportunity like this to come again after my failure to earn a contract with Falkirk FC in 2005 when I broke my leg on trial.”
“I have earned this contract now and I am looking forward to making the best of it. In Belgium I would like to help White Star Woluwe FC get promoted to the second division, and I also want to continue to grow as a player,” said Downing who is also eying the Premiership before his three year contract ends.
“This is a platform for me and I am going to do my best to go on and play with Sheffield in the Premiership,” ended the W Connection player.
Assistant coach Ben Davies of Vibe CT 105 W Connection who will accompany the players on the trip told ‘ttproleague.com’, “This is a great opportunity for both Matthew and Aaron and knowing what it’s like to leave your country I am traveling with them to make sure they settle in and the transition runs smoothly,” said the Manchester born W Connection assistant coach.
“We were able to secure these contracts through our contacts at Sheffield United who also have interests in Belgium and in Europe.”
Davies also explained the reason why both players where chosen, “Matthew and Aaron have been the leading young players at W Connection and in Trinidad and Tobago football. Matthew has been the top goal scorer at youth levels with W Connection and we see the talent of both players who have been playing with our team for about five years now. I hope that they make a name for themselves in Europe and open doors for more of our players and Trinidad and Tobago footballers in general,” added Davies.
Davies is expected to return to Trinidad on the 24th before leaving for Mexico to meet up with the W Connection senior team under head coach Stuart Charles Fervier as they get ready to take on Mexican champions Chivas in the second leg of the CONCACAF Club Championship quarterfinal round.
W Connection will go into the return leg in Mexico leading 2:1 on aggregate after defeating the Mexican Club 2-1 at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in the first leg of the home and away tie.
Connection's Ronaldo on trial.
By: Trinidad Express.
Vibe CT 105 W Connection are uncertain of having Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Viana in their side for the upcoming CONCACAF quarter-final match against huge Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara. The teams will then meet in a second leg in Guadalajara, Mexico, on February 28.
While the Trinidad and Tobago senior national football team were in Venezuela on their way to friendly matches against Panama and Costa Rica, Viana was on the same flight heading for his native Brazil to join a South Korean Club on trial.
W Connection are also without 19-year-old Aaron Downing and 18-year-old Mathew Bartholomew who both received work-permits on Tuesday and are off to Belgium after signing three-year contracts with England Premier League Club Sheffield United. They have been loaned out to a Belgium club who Sheffield United have a stake in.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is with a Korean club who are currently training in Brazil after being promoted to the K-League, top flight of professional football in that country.
They spotted Ronaldo during W Connection's tour there last month. He returned to Trinidad for W Connection's successful Caribbean Club Championship series in which they beat Harbour View (Jamaica) 3-2 and the Jabloteh 1-0 in the final.
Viana, a 28-year-old left-midfielder has been playing with Connection since 2000. With them, he has won several titles including a couple of T&T Pro League crowns.
David John-Williams, the owner of W Connection said that while no club want to lose quality players, their ranks are deep enough to absorb the loss and that trials and overseas contracts lead to personal development of the players themselves.
"Ronaldo is one of the most experienced players in W Connection. He is an important man in the team. He has played for us or seven years, but when one man goes at W Connection, another man rises," John-Williams quipped.
"We have the back-up to fill the ranks. The interesting thing about Downing and Bartholomew is that they came through the club's junior rank as 13-year-olds, which is fantastic."
Meanwhile, W Connection have already looked past losing players and have moved into camp in preparation for their game against Chivas, who are the most popular team in Mexico and won the 2006 Apertura, defeating Toluca 2-1 in December 2006. Chivas also are the only Mexican team to qualify in consecutive years for the South American Libertadores Cup. In the 2005 competition they shocked Argentina Boca Junior 4-0, while a super 2006 Copa Libatadores saw them reach the semis beating Brazil's Sao Paulo 2-1 along the way.
Despite Chivas' big reputation, W Connection are not being overawed, said John-Williams, who felt his team did well in their two previous tries at CONCACAF level when losing 2-1 to the Kansas City Wizard of the USA and the following year 6-5 on aggregate to Toluca, another big Mexican club. W. Connection had led Toluca by two goals before losing the away leg 3-2. The team also battled 3-3 in Trinidad.
"We would not have wanted to win the Caribbean Club Championship if we didn't believe we could have done well against teams like these (Chivas). The altitude is not bad. I think the biggest problem when we play there is dealing with the massive support they have and the weather conditions we may meet in the return leg."
