Leonson Lewis Thread

[palos]

natural born goalkeeper turned winger turned striker

Skills, athleticism, ball-at-your-feet skills, screening, fitness, power, speed, break away like Cornell Glen, single-mindedness, patriotism, goal scoring. Leonson had it all. A true winger who sored like a striker and tracking back fuh de full 90 minutes like real beas' eh.

If Leonson could go back in time and bring himself with his skills to today's market when T&T actually has name recognition for football, and we have real agents ang not back alley conmen who figure yuh cyah do better, he would geh a big contract easy peasy and make men like Highland look like joke.

By de way de fellah real fit even now!!! He eh easy.

Hmmm.....dis man soundin almost as good as Troy Marquis. 

[Tallman]

Yes, Leo was dat good. He was de cause of me getting subbed at half-time in junior intercol. Nothing more needs to be said.

[weary1969]

Well Tman dat seals it Leo was dat good

[reggae-fan]

I had the pleasure of watching both Leonson Lewis, Russel Latapy and another player called Micheal Rosales play in what was perhaps the Caribbean's only truely professional football club at the time Port Morant United (PMU). Lewis was a true striker, who was hands down the best player in the Jamaica league for the 3 or so seasons he played there. The PMU midfield was being marshalled at the time by Hug "Bingie" Blair, Russel Latapy, Wayne Palmer and former Jamaica stand out Alan "Skill" Cole (who to this day remains the caribbeans only player to have played professionally in the Brazil top flight)

In fact, Many Jamaicans who saw Latapy and Lewis play would quickly give Lewis the edge as the better player of the two.

[palos]

Yes, Leo was dat good. He was de cause of me getting subbed at half-time in junior intercol. Nothing more needs to be said.

De goalie get sub at half time?  WTF???  U mus be did really bad dat day boy Tallest! 

[injunchile]

Fellas it is a generational thing. Every generation would have us believe they were the best. I have been looking at football from the age of nine at the Grand Stand Grounds - Queens"s Park Savannah from the days of  The Glamour Boys. Malvern was my side but in all honesty I admired Corneal from Maple as well as Lincoln in Goal. Chalky Hamel Smith from Shamrock and a host of others. Leonson Lewis together with Sammy Llewelyn could have made any T&T team based on speed and the ability to take the ball from the half line  and run straight to goal and score. Kelvin Nancoo in the late 90"s and Raeburn from Fatima later on had that gift.
 In all honesty Carlos not in their league. Leonson Lewis is what you call Warrior- Helping the Defence and running at defence for 90 minutes. What I like about him was his passion for T&T- Blood- Sweat and Tears.
 Only Buggy Haynes can compare with his passion. Ask Coop's.

[dinho]

yep..he was really that good.

when the portuguese came to scout Latas in Jamaica, they said they'd take him only if they could get the #11. They were that impressed by him, that Latas move to Portugal at the time hinged on Leo going..as told by Leo in an interview. By the way, Leo in the same interview said he ddin't see himself in the same class as Latas..so lewwe set that record straight before man get tie up wit what I saying.

doh matter if you think the game against CPalace was a fete match. Real ballers get transfers to leagues after roughing up a club in a friendly. Plus they wanted him and his agent asked for way too much money. CPalace was a decent side then as well. wasn't the only time his agent kill a move to a higher league. Leo had to eventually fire the man.

Leo was top foreign scorer in Portuguese first division one season and the best striker for T&T in my lifetime.

If you never see the man play in his prime..nobody could convince you. BUt doh try and rate him by level of success he achieved abroad. De man is a Trini who had a shite agent who he eventually had to fire,and he was relatively old for team's to take a risk on when he started to come into his own as a striker. You really find Latas club career match his ability. Man like Christian Karembau who play for Real madrid for years and fellas like Fabio Rochenbach and Giovanni who was starters at Barca..dem men were better than Latas? The list is a long one. Club success hinges on a lot more than just ability and even performance.

When you from a small nation with no int'l pedigree, get notice relatively late and have poor management..well bredda..de man do reaal good to be one of the top strikers in Portugal in his prime. And he was only in the POrtuguese 2nd division one season longer than Latas.

And please doh compare the man to Jerren Nixon. Portuguese league much stronger than the Swiss..and Leo was far more accomplished at national level. Plus, he give us our only win ever against the US   (ok..dat doh matter but i felt like squeezing it in there).

LEO was de man at one time. Real boss

good post filho..

lewwe kill this fete match talk one time.. Cristiano Ronaldo is at Manchester United right now because of his performance in a same 'fete match' against them..

this man is one of the reasons i fall in love with trinidad football.. He was an amazing talent, he really had the full package..

i had the honor of playing against him about 4 yrs ago in a fete match against strike squad and he real pepper meh goal but i pull off some big save.. prob the best game i ever keep in goal. but even at this age, he still have touches like dat..

yes, he was really that good!

[Observer]

Yes, Leo was dat good. He was de cause of me getting subbed at half-time in junior intercol. Nothing more needs to be said.

lard!! ah sub get sub! 

[Big Magician]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

[palos]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

Dey nearly on par wit Falkirk & St Johnstone dem so.

In a few years, somebody go post how Densil Theobald was de real deal, had grace, skill, could head de ball, power in both feet, captain T&T, dribble men at will, was de full package and coulda even wine on a plane to boot.  How he play professionally in Scotland and Hungary and even play in a World Cup too.  Actually, kiffysmooth might tell yuh dat all now..

So it go.

[Big Magician]

wine on a plane to boot.... nice one Palos

[Bakes]

yea palos...he was that good... ask anyone in Coimbra and  Boavista, and

If Leo was THAT good, how come he didn't go to a top club like Porto for example?  The vast majority of his professional career was spent in the Portugese Second Division no?  No disrespeck but the Portugese Second Division is about equivalent in quality if not lesser dan de Scottish 1st Division.

Wheyyy Palos you real disappoint mih here fella. 

I haven't read all the posts in this thread so maybe someone might have mentioned this by now, but Tallman did an excellent interview with Leo in Miami a li'l while back...and this was answered.  I obviously can't attest to the truth of it, but Leo cited collusion between his agent and his club's management as the reason for limited opportunities elsewhere.

As he put it, bigger clubs, especially Newcastle were interested in him, but his club's management got with his agent (who was chummy with them) and inflated the asking price thereby discouraging the other teams from pursuing him.  In exchange for denying his client opportunities elsewhere, his agent received periodic kickbacks from the club.  So he rather cut off his own nose in order to spite he face of professional opportunities.

[palos]

yea palos...he was that good... ask anyone in Coimbra and  Boavista, and

If Leo was THAT good, how come he didn't go to a top club like Porto for example?  The vast majority of his professional career was spent in the Portugese Second Division no?  No disrespeck but the Portugese Second Division is about equivalent in quality if not lesser dan de Scottish 1st Division.

Wheyyy Palos you real disappoint mih here fella. 

I haven't read all the posts in this thread so maybe someone might have mentioned this by now, but Tallman did an excellent interview with Leo in Miami a li'l while back...and this was answered.  I obviously can't attest to the truth of it, but Leo cited collusion between his agent and his club's management as the reason for limited opportunities elsewhere.

As he put it, bigger clubs, especially Newcastle were interested in him, but his club's management got with his agent (who was chummy with them) and inflated the asking price thereby discouraging the other teams from pursuing him.  In exchange for denying his client opportunities elsewhere, his agent received periodic kickbacks from the club.  So he rather cut off his own nose in order to spite he face of professional opportunities.

Thanks

[vb]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

Dey nearly on par wit Falkirk & St Johnstone dem so.

In a few years, somebody go post how Densil Theobald was de real deal, had grace, skill, could head de ball, power in both feet, captain T&T, dribble men at will, was de full package and coulda even wine on a plane to boot.  How he play professionally in Scotland and Hungary and even play in a World Cup too.  Actually, kiffysmooth might tell yuh dat all now..

So it go.

Boy de only ting worse than these pitiful attempts at attention, is the fact that some ppl actually taking you on.

VB

[Bakes]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

Dey nearly on par wit Falkirk & St Johnstone dem so.

In a few years, somebody go post how Densil Theobald was de real deal, had grace, skill, could head de ball, power in both feet, captain T&T, dribble men at will, was de full package and coulda even wine on a plane to boot.  How he play professionally in Scotland and Hungary and even play in a World Cup too.  Actually, kiffysmooth might tell yuh dat all now..

So it go.

Boy de only ting worse than these pitiful attempts at attention, is the fact that some ppl actually taking you on.

VB

I juss coming to say dat I suspect is juss play he playing de ass 

[pass(10trini)]

Fellas it is a generational thing. Every generation would have us believe they were the best. I have been looking at football from the age of nine at the Grand Stand Grounds - Queens"s Park Savannah from the days of  The Glamour Boys. Malvern was my side but in all honesty I admired Corneal from Maple as well as Lincoln in Goal. Chalky Hamel Smith from Shamrock and a host of others. Leonson Lewis together with Sammy Llewelyn could have made any T&T team based on speed and the ability to take the ball from the half line  and run straight to goal and score. Kelvin Nancoo in the late 90"s and Raeburn from Fatima later on had that gift.
 In all honesty Carlos not in their league. Leonson Lewis is what you call Warrior- Helping the Defence and running at defence for 90 minutes. What I like about him was his passion for T&T- Blood- Sweat and Tears.
 Only Buggy Haynes can compare with his passion. Ask Coop's.

Coop's you answer dem nice. I could not have said it better(I not from your time though)

Boss Boss Boss player, striker. I was a real Leo fanatic so doh start meh Palos.

[Filho]

palos. time to face the music. yuh ask de question and the answer was a resounding 'YES'

if this was a poll, it woulda be lopsided.

when yuh realize yuh eh get the answer yuh want to hear, yuh say mankind not in touch wid reality, but somehow you know de real deal. ruuuyyyt 

as for all those who say is a generational thing..of course it is. it always is. from de stefano to kaka is a generational thing.

but i have to thank yuh boy palos....this Leo thread make me happy. My faith in the T&T football watching public has been restored 

[Anbrat]

Putting aside the generational ting, we have to give Jack he jacket. Leonson Lewis was a class act. Exciting to watch! Always a threat, athletic, skilful and speedy. Definitely a stand out!

[Bakes]

Fellas it is a generational thing. Every generation would have us believe they were the best. I have been looking at football from the age of nine at the Grand Stand Grounds - Queens"s Park Savannah from the days of  The Glamour Boys. Malvern was my side but in all honesty I admired Corneal from Maple as well as Lincoln in Goal. Chalky Hamel Smith from Shamrock and a host of others. Leonson Lewis together with Sammy Llewelyn could have made any T&T team based on speed and the ability to take the ball from the half line  and run straight to goal and score. Kelvin Nancoo in the late 90"s and Raeburn from Fatima later on had that gift.
 In all honesty Carlos not in their league. Leonson Lewis is what you call Warrior- Helping the Defence and running at defence for 90 minutes. What I like about him was his passion for T&T- Blood- Sweat and Tears.
 Only Buggy Haynes can compare with his passion. Ask Coop's.

Coop's you answer dem nice. I could not have said it better(I not from your time though)

Boss Boss Boss player, striker. I was a real Leo fanatic so doh start meh Palos.

You fall asleep on yuh keyboard or what?

[elan]

Leonson was good but no way he in the region of Yorke. Man United and Chelsea was interested in me one time too, but my agent get greedy and I suck salt    . How come Aston Villa made sure they got Yorke and they really came to look at someone else? I does wonder about men on this forum sometimes, a man post a video of LL scoring aginst Barbados yes and using that as argument.

he score against Crystal Palace and we use that to compare him to Yorke who buss up the net against all them big clubs in Europe. The agent mess up one transfer, two transfers, you will retain him to mess up the third one? I am a big fane of leonson Lewis, but we getting carried away. 

[Bakes]

Leonson was good but no way he in the region of Yorke. Man United and Chelsea was interested in me one time too, but my agent get greedy and I suck salt    . How come Aston Villa made sure they got Yorke and they really came to look at someone else? I does wonder about men on this forum sometimes, a man post a video of LL scoring aginst Barbados yes and using that as argument.

he score against Crystal Palace and we use that to compare him to Yorke who buss up the net against all them big clubs in Europe. The agent mess up one transfer, two transfers, you will retain him to mess up the third one? I am a big fane of leonson Lewis, but we getting carried away. 

If a team comes and offers a $250,000 contract... the agent sees 3-5% of that, roughly $15,000 max on that contract.  Let's say the contract is for 5 yrs...for the incumbent club to keep the player they'd have to match or beat that price... obligating them to pay the player $50,000 per year for the duration of the contract. Now if they're in collusion with the agent they can give him $30k, and have him sign the player for $200,000... or $40k per year.  The total they'd pay on that contract is $200k + $30k= $230,000, a savings of $20,000. 

The player trusts his agent and so leaves all the negotiations to him.  He has no idea what was being offered by the competing club (20 yrs ago transfer fees and such was hardly ever reported in the papers, let alone for smaller name players)...all of that info went thru the agent.  Especially if you have a young naive caribbean yute dealing with these sharks in Europe.  So check the figures... club re-signs the player for $200K... the agent gets his typical 3-5% commission... PLUS the $30k the club gave him.  So whereas on the open market he could get a bigger contract for the player, but by colluding with the club instead of $15,000 commission, he gets $40,000 in commission and kickback.

In case you don't know it, the world is rife with crooked agents (just google the name Tank Black for starters).  So before you start laughing and dismissing the talk as exaggeration, think ah little bit about what it is you read.  Then again, I wasn't there and only regurgitating what Leonsen Lewis himself said.  For all we know he could be lying, right?

[Ngozi]

It eh have no nostalgia bout Leonson ....the man was a demon spawn......In comparison to Nixon personally Nixon is more skilful.....both at top speed I'm not sure because both of them was extremely quick and I mean realll toes ...men does talk about Carlos being quick compared to leo he is a joke .......Leo was definitely more athletic than Nixon and stronger ...the man used to come to benedicts practice and sweat with us and when leo just in his shorts alone ...men stunned the man cut as hell with little or no body fat and things like bicycle kicks scissors kicks diving headers stuff like that he all up for that........on a through ball it make no sense chasing him...its a lost cause.....to me he isnt as clinical as he could have been but his presence always created space for others because his pace had to be respected  very dangerous player........I remember seeing a game when he played with boavista vs porto and his team lost 5-2 ... he scored both goals and was literally walking through porto defense they had no answer for him ...........too strong too fast and too determined....I always say with no disrespect to Gally if the strike squad had a Leo beenhakker...we'd have qualified with a game to spare.....Palos as for the fete match with Crystal Palace they played the national team two games and I went to both games...firstly the goal of no fete match is to lose 4-0 especially if the man score all 4 goals secondly if it was a fete match then someone didnt tell Ian Wright because he was running Trinidad defense ragged  the previous game was drawn 2-2 it wasnt no fete match...leo scored one of the two goals ...Ive seen leo play alot and in a different time he would have had a bigger impact ...that was pace and athleticism that money couldnt buy.... I even here some Yardie rate him up when he and latas played for a jamaican team name Port Morant and yuh know them doh like giving trinis props ........overrated ....Helll No!

Looks like all dem coaches at dem european & british top clubs must be have no eye fuh talent den.  Big up Leo.  Case is proven without a shadow of a doubt.  He score a beaver trick against Crystal Palace.  Dat seals it. 

Not only them coaches maybe me too. In my opinion Leo was good but please dont try to take it further people. a good analogy for me is that if the top footballers that I have seen from the days of Gally to now were olympic sprinters Leo would have made the second rounds. He couldn't make the semis far less the finals. Good fast fit player, not much brain. If twinkle toes Brewster had his size and speed the record books might have been re-written.

I've seen smarter players yorke, latas, nixon but note I'm maintaining athleticism and speed and he isn't as dumb a player as you think and he was def going past the second rounds

[Filho]

Leonson was good but no way he in the region of Yorke. Man United and Chelsea was interested in me one time too, but my agent get greedy and I suck salt    . How come Aston Villa made sure they got Yorke and they really came to look at someone else? I does wonder about men on this forum sometimes, a man post a video of LL scoring aginst Barbados yes and using that as argument.

he score against Crystal Palace and we use that to compare him to Yorke who buss up the net against all them big clubs in Europe. The agent mess up one transfer, two transfers, you will retain him to mess up the third one? I am a big fane of leonson Lewis, but we getting carried away. 

cuz the coach liked Yorke better from what he saw. noone denying Yorke is a seeerious BORSE. that doh mean Yorke was a different level. Yorke was more of what Ron Atkinson was looking for. Aston Villa didn't take Latas..what does that mean? Plus Yorke was a teenager. Bringing in a coachable youth will always be a more attractive proposition, all other things being equal. And doh be a clown. With everything being said, you take away that people using goals against C Palace to compare him to Yorke..big steeups. That is just one highlight in a great career.

In any case..people hadda realize that Yorke, Latas, Leo and Marcelle were trailblazers. No Trinis before excelled like them in any of Europe's top leagues. Things real different now where every man jack getting a trial with ah EPL club. the networking with clubs in Europe infinitely better now. Latas, Leo and Marcelle in particular did it the reaaaal hard way. Big up them three. Not that it was a walk in the park for Yorke. BUt with Yorke, they signed potential. Much harder to get signed when you are already considered the finished article. And in them days..teams taking 3 foreign players..fullstop. None of this 3 non-Euro players. So breds...some of allyuh jess doh get it. Latas, Leo and Marcelle in the Portuguese 1st division is near miraculous.

respeck

[Observer]

Good Pro. Served the country well. Filled many with memories to talk about. Lets move on.

[kicker]

Good Pro. Served the country well. Filled many with memories to talk about. Lets move on.

Best post in the thread.

[Ngozi]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

Dey nearly on par wit Falkirk & St Johnstone dem so.

In a few years, somebody go post how Densil Theobald was de real deal, had grace, skill, could head de ball, power in both feet, captain T&T, dribble men at will, was de full package and coulda even wine on a plane to boot.  How he play professionally in Scotland and Hungary and even play in a World Cup too.  Actually, kiffysmooth might tell yuh dat all now..

So it go.

Saddist anybody with a footballing brain will NEVER say that about Densil Theobald  allyuh does always upset my day when allyuh talk about this man ..... how is this man on my national team ... how is this possible have we really fallen so far .... In a discussion about Leo  ...densil name should never prop up ..or even peek out

[kicker]

Saddist anybody with a footballing brain will NEVER say that about Densil Theobald  allyuh does always upset my day when allyuh talk about this man ..... how is this man on my national team ... how is this possible have we really fallen so far .... In a discussion about Leo  ...densil name should never prop up ..or even peek out

Oh gaawwd boy Ngozi, because I rate Observer post as the best post of the thread, you hadda come and make a besss post too? ....

Big post breds

Ah give yuh some respect here:

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=20761.210

cheers 

[100% Barataria]

excuse me....he could head de ball also...ask el salvador

palos...Benfica, porto and sporting Lisbon ..das  forever portugal big 3... in we lifetime that wont change... you saying everbody else playing in the portugese 1st division is shithongs ??
is that the same for players in the EPL outside the big 4 in sunderland, Fulham etc

Dey nearly on par wit Falkirk & St Johnstone dem so.

In a few years, somebody go post how Densil Theobald was de real deal, had grace, skill, could head de ball, power in both feet, captain T&T, dribble men at will, was de full package and coulda even wine on a plane to boot.  How he play professionally in Scotland and Hungary and even play in a World Cup too.  Actually, kiffysmooth might tell yuh dat all now..

So it go.

Saddist anybody with a footballing brain will NEVER say that about Densil Theobald  allyuh does always upset my day when allyuh talk about this man ..... how is this man on my national team ... how is this possible have we really fallen so far .... In a discussion about Leo  ...densil name should never prop up ..or even peek out

Doh mean to hijack this thread eh, but oh gosh, ah cyar agree more, ah really feel he have some incriminaating photos of the powers that be (as someone said before) a la "Bank Job", absolutely unbelieveable

[sub1]

I had the pleasure of watching both Leonson Lewis, Russel Latapy and another player called Micheal Rosales play in what was perhaps the Caribbean's only truely professional football club at the time Port Morant United (PMU). Lewis was a true striker, who was hands down the best player in the Jamaica league for the 3 or so seasons he played there. The PMU midfield was being marshalled at the time by Hug "Bingie" Blair, Russel Latapy, Wayne Palmer and former Jamaica stand out Alan "Skill" Cole (who to this day remains the caribbeans only player to have played professionally in the Brazil top flight)

In fact, Many Jamaicans who saw Latapy and Lewis play would quickly give Lewis the edge as the better player of the two.

Not surprising at all. Many Jamaicans also say that Boyd was good and Fuller too. One Jamaican even say that Tappa was the best midfielder in the caribbean and many have said that Gayle and Hinds were better than Lara. So this is not surprising given the Jamaican's penchant for bestowing greatness on the quite ordinary. You have to realise RF that you all are nothing more than football neophytes. As such even Telesford would have been considered great back then.

[Ngozi]

Saddist anybody with a footballing brain will NEVER say that about Densil Theobald  allyuh does always upset my day when allyuh talk about this man ..... how is this man on my national team ... how is this possible have we really fallen so far .... In a discussion about Leo  ...densil name should never prop up ..or even peek out

Oh gaawwd boy Ngozi, because I rate Observer post as the best post of the thread, you hadda come and make a besss post too? ....

Big post breds

Ah give yuh some respect here:

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=20761.210

cheers 

lol oh lawd