W Connection news round-up.

[FireBrand]

Whitley wants to stay at Connection.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).

Trinidad and Tobago World Cup midfielder Aurtis Whitley is committed to signing an extension with W Connection for the 2008 when his short-term contract expires at the end of March.

Whitley a former San Juan Jabloteh star, signed with ‘Savonnetta Boys’ in September 2007 after his San Juan club—the club he spent 11 years of his professional career with—terminated his contract. He signed a short-term deal with Connection where he finished off last season.

When quizzed over his future in football, the 30 year old Whitley told ‘ttproleague.com’, “I love it here (at W Connection) and here is where I want to be for the new season,” said the re-called T&T midfielder.
Whitley has been burning the surface during pre-season with W Connection and head coach Stewart Charles Fevrier is already counting the midfielder in for the new season.

“Whitley is with us right now and it’s just a matter of him coming to a contract agreement with the President (David John-Williams) of the club,” said Fevrier.
Whitley says his commitment to the club is on a high adding, “I want to play more and more football at a competitive level.”

Whitley, Phillip to miss Brazil trip

However Whitley will not be a part of the W Connection pre-season tour of Brazil this month (March). Whitley along with his W Connection teammate goalkeeper Marvin Phillip are called to national duty with the T&T National Senior Team.

The duo will be part of national team head coach Francisco Maturana for friendly internationals against El Salvador at home and away to Jamaica on March 19 and 26 respectively.

“It’s football. I will be missing the Brazil trip because of national duty. The national team requested Marvin (Phillip) and I and it was our coach’s decision to make the decision. It’s only two players and I guess he (Fevrier) saw no problem with it.”

[FireBrand]

Fevrier gets high profile assistant.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).

Former English Premiership and Portugal based professional Clint Marcelle is the latest addition to the W Connection technical staff for the 2008 season.

Marcell who last played abroad professionally with Barnsley FC in the English Premiership has been working alongside W Connection head coach Stewart Charles Fevrier as assistant coach for the past weeks ahead of the new season. Enjoying life with W Connection, the 39 year old Marcelle said, “It is exciting and this is just the start of it all.”

Marcelle is working closely with Fevrier on preparing W Connection for their pre-season tour of Brazil this month (March).

In 2006, Marcell featured as player/coach with South based club Starworld Strikers. In Europe Marcelle plied his trade across the stretch with Arnold Town (England), Grimsby Town (England), Tamworth (England), Sc**thorpe United (England), Harrogate Town (England), Darlington (England), Felgueiras (Portugal), Barnsley (England), Goole Town (England), Hull City (England), Hucknall Town (England), Scarbrough (England), Armthorpe Welfare (England).

Confident of his new assistant Coach Fevrier told ‘ttproleague.com’, “He (Marcelle) has played professionally in Portugal and England and his has a high enough pedigree to bring a wealth of knowledge to W Connection.”

W Connection’s assistant coach position has been in a wavy mode since a car accident saw Englishman Ben Davis relieved to a wheelchair with a broken leg. Davis is now branding a cast on his leg and is expected to begin therapy in four weeks.

“We have more than one team. We have the reserves that works closely with the seniors so there is always room for Ben when he is ready to return,” said Fevrier.

[FireBrand]

Brazil tour to sharpen W Connection ahead of 2008 season.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).

The 2007 Courts Pro Bowl, First Citizens Cup and Lucozade Sport Big Six Champions W Connection will base in Sao Paulo, Brazil as part of their 2008 pre-season plans in March.

The trip which will last between March 10th – 31st is expected to give head coach Stewart Charles Fevrier the perfect atmosphere to get his guys in top form for rugged season ahead in the TT Pro League. The ‘Savonnetta Boys’ are expected to play five competitive matches which will be organized by W Connection Brazilian midfielder Jose Luis Seabra.

Commenting on his choice of pre-season destination, Fevrier said, “As a coach my philosophy comes from Brazilian football. Brazilian football is pleasure and also Brazil is the Mecca of World Football. I’ll like my players to see how ordinary Brazilian footballers live and play the football.”

Fevrier added, “The trip is also keeping with the philosophy of our (W Connection) football which is possession and no one plays a wonderful passing game like the Brazilian.”

The W Connection Coach said that the tour is really geared at the development of his players and that the travelling bunch of players will be young.

He said, “We have a lot of U-20 players travelling to Brazil. We want to give the younger players an opportunity to improve on their game and experience first-hand the professionalism of the game in other countries.”

In January 2007 W Connection travelled to Brazil to prepare for their CONCANCAF Club Championship matches against Chivas of Mexico. The time in Brazil seemed to have helped the ‘Savonnetta Boys’ in the TT Pro League as well winning three knockout titles in 2007. But as Fevrier explained, their trip to Brazil is more focused on player development rather than preparing to win.

“We have a number of young players that we want to prepare for the professional team. We need to give them this opportunity to develop their game and we will then see who will be making our rooster for the next season,” said the former Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team coach.

Stewart Charles Fevrier will name his full travelling squad later this week which already includes veteran defender and captain St Lucien Elijah Joseph (the oldest in the squad), Nickcolson Thomas, Andrei Pacheco and Hughton Hector.

W Connection will also welcome the return of midfielder William Da Silva Oliviera when they travel to Brazil, goalkeepers Murilo Da Costa and Joao Mansano, defender Douglas Da Costa and Jose Luis Sebra all Brazilians. However Fevrier couldn’t say the same for midfielder Gefferson Goulart as he is rumoured to travel to Angola on a possible offer.

[Trini _2026]

Look how whitley got excused from  w connections preseason tour......

[morvant]

it have ah certain side who have about the same amount ah guyanese as them have brazilians but nobody go say nuttin

[Star Child]

it have ah certain side who have about the same amount ah guyanese as them have brazilians but nobody go say nuttin

The shittest Brazilian better than the best Guyanese. Thats a no brainer. Caledonia have not win a silverware in donkey years now, W Connection wins a lot, do the math bra.

I mean there is nothing wrong if Caledonia pick good Guyanese players but not the whole team from Guyana and also Shabazz is Guyana head coach, so there is a lack of interest somewhere. In Morvant I am sure there is many good ballers there.

All other clubs in T&T develop T&T players, even W Connection who have so many Brazilian players have at least 4/5 national players on they team. If Tinto and Smith gets picked up by some MLS team and with Marvin Oliver gone how many T&T nationals will Caledonia have on they side. I am sure Guyana could pick the whole of Caledonia side and play international football with them.

You have to be mad to support a team who clearly is a disrespect to your community.

[ZANDOLIE]

Look how whitley got excused from  w connections preseason tour......

They probably let him go as he is a vet, and already played against far better players they will encounter on this tour.  Fevrier is obviously more flexible than Fenwick and less confrontational. I like that Fevrier is taking lots of younger players. After all the W-connection U-17 and U-15 won the youth PFL league last year.

Anyway with all the players returning home this season PFL will have another season of dramatic improvement.
One thing for sure if they get that mix of youth and experience right they will win this league hands down and put up a serious challenge for Champions Cup.

[ZANDOLIE]

it have ah certain side who have about the same amount ah guyanese as them have brazilians but nobody go say nuttin

The shittest Brazilian better than the best Guyanese. Thats a no brainer. Caledonia have not win a silverware in donkey years now, W Connection wins a lot, do the math bra.

I mean there is nothing wrong if Caledonia pick good Guyanese players but not the whole team from Guyana and also Shabazz is Guyana head coach, so there is a lack of interest somewhere. In Morvant I am sure there is many good ballers there.

All other clubs in T&T develop T&T players, even W Connection who have so many Brazilian players have at least 4/5 national players on they team. If Tinto and Smith gets picked up by some MLS team and with Marvin Oliver gone how many T&T nationals will Caledonia have on they side. I am sure Guyana could pick the whole of Caledonia side and play international football with them.

You have to be mad to support a team who clearly is a disrespect to your community.

that is exactly why connection has the best youth teams in the country, they spent a lot of time and resources on development. Cali will get there eventually, but they not there right now, they have been getting good licks in the youth league

[morvant]

it have ah certain side who have about the same amount ah guyanese as them have brazilians but nobody go say nuttin

The shittest Brazilian better than the best Guyanese. Thats a no brainer. Caledonia have not win a silverware in donkey years now, W Connection wins a lot, do the math bra.

I mean there is nothing wrong if Caledonia pick good Guyanese players but not the whole team from Guyana and also Shabazz is Guyana head coach, so there is a lack of interest somewhere. In Morvant I am sure there is many good ballers there.

All other clubs in T&T develop T&T players, even W Connection who have so many Brazilian players have at least 4/5 national players on they team. If Tinto and Smith gets picked up by some MLS team and with Marvin Oliver gone how many T&T nationals will Caledonia have on they side. I am sure Guyana could pick the whole of Caledonia side and play international football with them.

You have to be mad to support a team who clearly is a disrespect to your community.

yuh fass and outer yuh place.

my community is ah disrespect to my community

[kaiser]

zandolie, correction ,jabloteh win the youth league and without losing ah game in the u 15  they would have won the u 17 but almost the whole side was on the u17 national team duty

[Deeks]

I guess Arsenal, Chelsea and Manu disrepect their respective communities because they do not any players from there. Absolutely none.

[Sando prince]

Oh gosh we know connection have a couple of Brazilians but Cali is overflown with Guyanese..Now am not saying anything wrong with having foreign based, especially in a professional league but when you have a coach who has ALOT of players from the same country he has connections with it makes you wonder...and if Cali youth system is not doing anything to help local players progress to the next level then am guessing they would just continue to go to guyana..ah guess that is their solution 

[ZANDOLIE]

zandolie, correction ,jabloteh win the youth league and without losing ah game in the u 15 they would have won the u 17 but almost the whole side was on the u17 national team duty

Yeah boss, my bad, Connection won both the youth knockout titles at the end of the season. They have some good players on Jablo youth teams.

[Flex]

Shabazz has secret replacement for Oliver.
By: Randy Bando.

Caledonia AIA Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz bragged this week that he found the perfect player fill the void left by midfielder Marvin Oliver for the 2008 season.

Oliver moved to cross-town rivals and 2007 League Champions San Juan Jabloteh on a one year contract, leaving the ‘Stallions’ with a sour taste in their mouth.

Marvin Oliver may have left a huge crevice in the Caledonia squad but on Monday Shabaaz told ‘ttproleague.com’ that he has a secret to unfold before the start of the 2008 season.

“I am not willing to say who he is right now. I want to keep it our (Caledonia) big secret for now,” said Shabaaz. However Shabazz was willing to add that his ‘secret star player’ is Canadian based and that he wears a dreadlock hair style just as his former superstar Marvin Oliver.

If so, then this player can well be Guyanese Kanata Mannings. Mannings a Guyanese Senior Team player and U-23 captain wears the dreadlocked hairstyle and he was based in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) with Italian Shooters.

Mannings a member of the Guyanese club Pele FC is a regular with his national senior team—coached by Shabazz—despite being an U23 player.

Shabazz also released that the Guyanese National Senior will base in Trinidad over the next couple of months as part of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Caledonia AIA are already equipped with a host of Guyanese internationals Charles Pollard, Anthony Abrams, Howard Lowe, Nigel Codrington, Shawn Beveny, Walter Moore and goalkeeper Richard Reynolds. Kanata Mannings could just be another in 2008.

[morvant]

thanks flex..... throw salt on meh wounds

[dinho]

Like Shabazz does compete in de Andre Samuel league... 

[Sam]

Ah next Guyanese, lard father, put ah hand.

Now VB finally have a T&T club team to support.

[Deeks]

Guyana is we Caricom brother(or sister) whichever way you want to look at it! What should really happen is for 2 or 3 Guyanese team to play in the proleague and also let St. Vincent, Grenada, St.Lucia and Antigua national teams play in the proleague. That is about 18 teams. The national teams of the smaller island will be getting much needed practice for their WC. At the same time the proleague will be spreaing its wings to the smaller islands.

[KND2]

Shabazz is using his brain
to make a name for himself he cannot do that with calidonia.
but he can do it if Guyana make a lil world cup run.

Kill 2 birds with one stone.

If the entire Guyana team playing in the PFL they will probably be th only world cup team in concacaf that training together constantly at least 70% of the team.

That alone should allow them to improve.

good for Shabazz.

[Deeks]

KND2 I agree with you. Everything just seems to fall conveniently for Shabazz. But if it works, more power to him. But he better win with both teams.

[vb]

Shabazz has secret replacement for Oliver.
By: Randy Bando.

.

Caledonia AIA are already equipped with a host of Guyanese internationals Charles Pollard, Anthony Abrams, Howard Lowe, Nigel Codrington, Shawn Beveny, Walter Moore and goalkeeper Richard Reynolds. Kanata Mannings could just be another in 2008.

If this article is correct, it means 7 members of the Guy. NATIONAL team are playing for them.

Usually Guyanese internationals have made a good name for themselves in TT, Pollard, Hercules and Jerome could have played for any team in TT.

If all of these players are truly internationals, I would have expected better from Cali. NE did better with half that amount of Guyanese internationals 

Just remember, if Sund or any Eng. tema started grumbling about hw many Trinis were on theiir side and having a quota of foreigners, some would want to cry racism etc.

EVERY club in TT is aware of the community base. This is why they have strong youth programs, eg. NE Stars, Connection, Rangers etc.

However, there is a paucity of talent, you look elsewhere.

Peace,
VB

[Big Magician]

SEND MORE SEAWALL

[Sam]

VB, why yuh doh haul yuh Guyanese cunny...

Nobody eh saying that no Guyanese shouldn't play in T&T, not de whole blasted Guyana national team playing for a T&T club and it so happen de same club coach is the same national team coach for Guyana as well. Shabazz is milking Caledonia to help Guyana. If we looking elsewhere for talent then Guyana is not de solution. Take yuh Guyanese ass outta here VB....

Hercules and Jerome was good players, especially Hercules but Jerome and Pollard cannot walk into any T&T team....

Caledonia have 10 Guyanese players on they side, and you comparing them to Sunderland....

Is like Mc Comie is coach for T&T national senior team and Manchester United at the same time and he only buying T&T players to play for them, and yet they cannot win anything. You feel that could have happened in the UK or any other club in the world.... yea right....

[SHOTTA]

allyuh notice they keepin the earl jean on a hush hush...............and to all the haters the name a d game is beat people and we have nuff men from the hole to get the job done

big up to shabazz and blessings to cali

[spideybuff]

this is why the law wasn't changed to accommodate Seabra during the world cup campagn, otherwise the whole Guyanese national side woulda be in Trinidad and next thing u know they gettign citizenship easy, easy and is they mammy and tantie and neh neh they bringing with them.

Think about it...30 man guyanese squad multiply by a minimum of four to include their family and is over 100 guyanese in the country easy, easy and they have citizenship...and from that it keeps multiplying.

The laws in place for a reason, tha's why it cah change for everybody fance...even if we cah see it most of the time.

[vb]

allyuh notice they keepin the earl jean on a hush hush...............and to all the haters the name a d game is beat people and we have nuff men from the hole to get the job done

big up to shabazz and blessings to cali

Everybody uses their connections to their advantage.

Fenwick, the WC Coachk, and Shabazz.

How Fen. gets away with being a Manager and agent is beyond me.

It matters not where they are from  but that they can play.

Losing, doesn't mean they can't play. When NE was losing, Jerome and others moved on.

I wonder if Shabazz is working  as an undercover agent and getting a comission on the signing of these palyers.

Sam, a Guyana cunny better than Margarine or sand bulling any day boss

Take it on Maracas beach eh, TIDCO might charge yuh for rape 

VB

[Sam]

Jose Luiz Seabra, Willian da Silva Oliveira, Murillo da Costa, João Mansano and Douglas da Costa (Brazil), Eligah Joseph (St Lucia), Cristion Viveros and Oscar Velasco (Colombia), Gerard Williams (St Kitts), Clyde Leon, Teba Mc Knight, Dwight Crichlow, Nickcolson Thomas, Kelvin Modeste, Hughtun Hector, Andrei Pacheco, Dwight Scott, André Quashie, Leroy Jones, Keron Smith, Kemuel Rivers, Marvin Manswell, Adisa Hutson, Shannon Winchester, Anthony Paris and André Ettienne (T&T).

W Connection’s Staff

Technical Director—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Team manager—Raymond Mc Lean
Assistant Coach—Clint Marcelle
Assistant Coach—Desmond Bailey
Goalkeeping Coach—Trevor Nothingham
Equipment Manager— John Jerry
Massage Therapist—Chandeo Boodoosingh
Marketing Director—Renee John Williams

[vb]

Jose Luiz Seabra, Willian da Silva Oliveira, Murillo da Costa, João Mansano and Douglas da Costa (Brazil), Eligah Joseph (St Lucia), Cristion Viveros and Oscar Velasco (Colombia), Gerard Williams (St Kitts), Clyde Leon, Teba Mc Knight, Dwight Crichlow, Nickcolson Thomas, Kelvin Modeste, Hughtun Hector, Andrei Pacheco, Dwight Scott, André Quashie, Leroy Jones, Keron Smith, Kemuel Rivers, Marvin Manswell, Adisa Hutson, Shannon Winchester, Anthony Paris and André Ettienne (T&T).

W Connection’s Staff

Technical Director—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Team manager—Raymond Mc Lean
Assistant Coach—Clint Marcelle
Assistant Coach—Desmond Bailey
Goalkeeping Coach—Trevor Nothingham
Equipment Manager— John Jerry
Massage Therapist—Chandeo Boodoosingh
Marketing Director—Renee John Williams

Well said, your most eloquent post in a while.

Yet notice the amount of foreigners, but this is what top notch pro football is all about. The youth programs will either find them or not and then you might lost them to another club.

Peace,
VB

[Trini _2026]

I notice shane careldon not there

[ZANDOLIE]

I notice shane careldon not there

Yeah I noticed a few missing names, Frias is probably on international duty. Nice to see Fevrier include Shahdon Winchester in the mix.