North East Stars/AC Port of Spain Thread

[Flex]

FYI

Athletic Club Port of Spain (AC Port of Spain) was originally called North East Stars and were based in Sangre Grande under then Chairman and main sponsor Mr. Darryl Mahabir.

After losing Darryl Mahabir the Club decided to change its name and relocate to Port of Spain.

[Tiresais]

Who's the main sponsor now? Chairman?

[Tallman]

North East Stars Founder and pioneering administrator Darryl Mahabir has died.

Mahabir, known to his friends and the football community as ‘Punjab,’ brought national renown to his hometown and environs through the exploits of the Sangre Grande Boys.

The club joined the TT Pro League in 2002, making the step up from the Eastern Communities Football Union League and immediately garnered the support of football fans in the team’s North Eastern orbit. In 2003, the Stars were crowned the best team in the nation, winning the country’s oldest up competition the TTFA’s FA Trophy. The team won the Pro League in 2004 and again in 2017. They were also a successful Cup side, winning the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield in 2010 and the Toyota Classic in 2012.

A successful businessman, Mahabir was praised in his lifetime for his desire to uplift the community and encourage youth to succeed.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ys8hxGFR0JI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ys8hxGFR0JI</a>

[Flex]

Football fraternity crushed as former North East Stars owner Mahabir dies.
T&T Guardian Reports.

The local football community was crushed on Wednesday following the untimely passing of Darryl Mahabir, the former North East Stars owner and director who became another statistic of the COVID-19 virus.

At 48, Mahabir was the owner of the tasty Darryl's Famous Foods formerly 'Japs' Chicken franchise who, because of his love for the game of football, entered the top flight T&T Pro League in 2002. That move helped in transforming the Sangre Grande community where he grew up, as it created many opportunities for people who lived there.

The team received a 'baptism of fire' in their first season, finishing last in the league with a dismal record of four wins, two ties, and 22 losses. They improved dramatically in 2003, however, jumping from last to third, as they went 19–7–10. They improved even further in 2004, surprising everyone by winning the league with a dominant 14–5–2 performance. They finished fifth in 2005.

On Thursdayday, two former players turned coach - Kevin Jeffreys and Derek King - hailed Mahabir as unique, saying he presented opportunities as coach and administrators to them.

Jeffreys said: "It mashed me up yesterday (Wednesday) when I got the news. Darryl did a lot for me and my family. One of the reasons I retired was because he saw me as a good manager, although I wanted to coach.

"He said 'you would be a good administrator' and he really gave me that opportunity to get to the other side of football, so I owe a lot to him. It is still unbelievable to me because I thought he would have been able to fight that cold, so when I got the call yesterday it was real emotional for me.

"At North/East Stars I did everything. I was a technical director initially, I was a club manager, I was a youth team coach, I was assistant coach, so North/East was an institution that afforded me a lot of experiences on the other side of playing.

"Darryl and I had a business arrangement as well. I used to provide salads for him in the early part of Japs. And after he took that sabbatical of two years, I think was 2007-2009, he wanted to come back out with the team, that's how Brent Sancho got involved."

And according to King: "Darryl would spend his last dollar to see football. He used to throw off-season tournament in Sangre Grande, because he just love the sport, I don't think you get plenty like him.

"Where we built that bond though, was when a survey was done among the T&T Pro League teams and they had North East coming last, and I told him 'boss you don't worry, we will win the league for you'.

"We went on to lift the title that year and he was really really shocked, because we didn't really had funding. And when he met with the players he was very honest with them and I don't think he is owing any player, any money."

North East is now defunct, having been taken over by businessman Ryan Nunes. The club is now called AC Port-of-Spain.

Under Mahabir, however, the club can boast of being champions once in 2004; Big Six Winners 2004; FA Trophy winners 2003; runners-up 2006, 2010–11; First Citizens Cup Runners-up 2006,2016/2017 2014; Toyota Classic winners 2012 and Lucozade Sport Goal Shield winners in 2010.

Watch North East Stars Founder Dies

[Deeks]

Rest in Paradise DM. I did not know him personally. When he founded NE Stars, I was told by Mike Grayson he was a QRC Old Boys. I was happy to see an Old Boy with a business support the local area football team. So off course I followed the team closely. I saw his battled to get a piece of land in the Grande area to build a proper football field. It fell to naughts. But he tried. Congrats on that effort. Condolences to his family. God Bless!

[asylumseeker]

Big RIP!

[Tallman]

AC Port of Spain's Jomoul Francois eyes return after fracturing leg
By Roneil Walcott (T&T Newsday)

After spending just over six months on the sideline after suffering a serious injury during the midst of the inaugural T&T Premier Football League (TTPFL) season in June 2023, AC PoS striker Jomoul Francois is targeting a return for the ongoing 2023/24 campaign next month.

Francois, 28, was one of the key figures for AC PoS as they made their charge for the TTPFL title last year – scoring eight league goals to go with exciting direct play up top. On June 20, Francois’ season came to an end during an AC PoS training session in Valsayn, as he fractured his right leg after trying to shoot to goal in a 50/50 duel with defender Kerron St Cyr. The injury occurred just four days before AC PoS’ season-defining game with Defence Force on the final day of the TTPFL season.

Army won the thrilling encounter by a 2-1 margin at the Arima Velodrome to finish the season on 56 points – one more than AC PoS – and clinch the TTPFL title. As he recalled the “unfortunate” incident which he said was a freak accident, Francois said he struggled to hold back the tears as he thought about the ramifications of his injury.

“All the pain came down on me. I was trying to lift my foot off the ground but I could not move. (My teammates) had to lift me off the field. It was a really big letdown for me, knowing it (happened before) the last game of the season,” Francois told Newsday. “It was like a final, if we had won the game, we would have won the league. Unfortunately, I did not even get to play so it was a bit difficult on my side.

“It was heart-breaking. It did not come my way so it was a bit difficult to get over.”

Francois, who made his T&T men’s debut under then-coach Dennis Lawrence in 2019, also felt as though his dreams of representing the national team could potentially fade away.

“Yeah, national team selection ran through my mind. All of these things ran through my mind,” he said.

The nippy forward was among a host of locally based players who turned out for the Soca Warriors in friendly action away to Jamaica in March 2023 under coach Angus Eve. Francois started the game in his favoured number nine position and played 62 minutes as T&T got a 1-0 win via a Reon Moore goal.

During his rehabilitation period, Francois said T&T team manager Richard Piper contacted him to see how the recovery process was going. Francois’ road to recovery included monthly visits to Medical Associates Hospital in St Joseph where was treated by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Emerson Budhoo. His last visit to Dr Budhoo was in November.

Francois then had two weeks of therapy sessions with The Sports Medic T&T in St Augustine, before they were paused during the Christmas period. Under AC PoS’ guidance, Francois said he will be resuming physiotherapy this week as he works his way towards his return.

He said, “The support (from AC PoS) was good. It could have been better. They helped with my doctor fees and stuff, so it was good.” When he suffered the injury last season, Francois was approaching the end of a four-month contract that would have covered the inaugural TTPFL season which spanned from March to June 2023. With AC PoS starting the 2023/24 season with four consecutive wins, Francois intends to rejoin the “Capital Boys” as they take another shot at the TTPFL title.

“I have not signed a new contract yet. I have not signed a contract with anyone, but most likely I will be signing a new contract with AC PoS.”

And though he wants to get back to the beautiful game, Francois is not rushing the process.

“So far, I am free to walk. I just have to do gym work on my foot to strengthen it back up and that is it. From there, I will start to run and be in training with the guys.

“For now, I would like to take it day by day. I want to get better and stronger, and then we will take it from there.”