Warner critical of the low standard of T&T football.
By: Gregory Trujillo (Guardian).
FIFA Vice President Jack Warner made a bold statement last week Sunday when he said “we have allowed our standard of football to fall too low”.
It was quite obvious that Warner himself was partially taking some of the blame when he said “WE”.
“Why is it our football is not better?” questioned the most influential man in world football in the CONCACAF region.
Warner was well within his rights to question the state of local football, given that only one player (Leston Paul) from this country drew the attention of English coach John Barnes during the Digicel Kick Start Clinics that was conducted in St Kitt’s and Nevis, Haiti, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and T&T.
“Imaging only one player from Trinidad and Tobago impressed former England international John Barnes,” said Warner, who went on to point out that two Haitians and two Kittians were among the eight selected to go to Sunderland for specialised training.
In the presence of many football administrators at the awards function of the Eastern Football Association, Warner stated: “Ask yourself if football today is as good as yesterday. If then, you’ll better ask yourself. Why?”
Speaking to a former top national footballer yesterday, who preferred to remain anonymous, he pointed out that “Warner should ask himself why did he allow football to get the way it is today when he is the one that is running it”.
“He is in charge. He selects the coaches and the players.”
“And, at the same time he has left out many people who could make a valuable contribution to the game.”
The former national player gave as an example the situation encountered by local coach Everard “Gally” Cummings, the man responsible for the success of the infamous “Strike Squad “ of 1989.
“Before 1989, hardly anybody used to look follow the national team with a passion. All this hard work is a spin-off from the ‘Strike Squad’ era.
“Before that, nobody used to paint the national flag on their faces, on their finger nails, or even dress their dog in red.
“Some people who never liked the colour red became comfortable with it because of the ‘Strike Squad’.
“Back then, Jack was just the secretary of a dying football federation.
“No that he is a powerhouse in world football what he has done is sidelined all who have made invaluable contributions. Who created that? Warner created his own monster.”
“The ‘Strike Squad’ attracted a full stadium even in warm-up matches. That’s when everybody started to point our we needed a bigger stadium.
“Gally was the first national coach to sell out the stadium, and the first to play with an all-local team. And he is out of football.
“People would come back to football when they see justice is being done. When the TTFF begins to shown accountability for money being spent. When local players and local coaches are treated with respect.
“When we start producing a local national team, we wouldn’t have to depend on outside players. When these overseas players can’t make it, we have no team.
The source said that Warner needs to do some soul searching and he will find out who is doing all the damage.
“There are so many people who have advocated that football should be developed from the primary level right up to senior level. Why have this not been done?
“Then, why did they destroy the zones in football?
“By doing so, they have interfered with football in Port of Spain, San Fernando, Point Fortin, Fyzabad, Princes Town, Arima, Chaguanas and other areas.
“In the old days, players were being screened in a structural manner before they made it to the national team.
“When a player reached the national team, the whole country knew who he was and what he could do.
“Also, coaches were being trained and were on display. Also the managers. All zones and clubs had managers.
The president of the federation came from a zone.
“Before they destroyed the zones, there wasn’t much crime in the communities because everybody was involved.
“If they could not make the zonal team, they still had their club team to represent. Everybody was active.
In the old days, minor leagues attracted hundreds of community teams.
“Right now, the football association is not a friend of the players. Therefore, the players are seeking avenues elsewhere where they could feel comfortable and not be victimised.
If the zones weren’t destroyed, there would not have been so much crime in the country.
“Right now, when a coach goes to the community to do a coaching programme, he is competing with the drug pusher.If you can’t sell football you could sell drugs.
“Taking football away from the zones has also interfered with the small businessman selling snow cones, sugar cake, ice block, channa and nuts.
“Football was destroyed when the federation took the best zonal clubs and formed a national league.
“When Warner honestly answers his own question, he would back off or resign.”
