Trinidad and Tobago head coach Leo Beenhakker is hoping to have the support of the Pro League and its clubs as he sets out to prepare the best possible team for the remaining 2006 World Cup Qualifying matches and he can expect just that according to League Chief Executive Officer Dexter Skeene.
Beenhakker met with some of the League’s stakeholders earlier this month including club and League officials to give them an idea on his plans which included having access to selected players from the Pro League clubs for three day live-in camps weekly from the first week of May leading up to the qualifier against Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on June 4.
“I have met with the people involved in the League and they were quite surprised to hear some of the things that I discussed which obviously outlined ways in which they could play a role in the preparation of the team,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media.
“While several of the players who have been in the squad play abroad, there is still that need to have your players from the Local League because if you look back you would realize that some of your guys outside made their way up from the Professional League here and some home-based players are currently in the national team. What I want is to have access to these home-based players without there being conflict with the clubs here and I have plans to have them in live-in camps during the weeks leading up to our first game against Panama,” the former Dutch National Coach added.
The likes of Dennis Lawrence, Carlos Edwards, Hector Sam, Jason Scotland, Clayton Ince formerly of Defence Force, Silvio Spann and to a lesser extent Kenwyne Jones (W Connection), Conrad Smith (Caledonia Fire) and Cornell Glen (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh) have all come out of the Pro League since its inception in 1999. Currently midfield workhorse Angus Eve, Densill Theobald, Cyd Gray, Anton Pierre, Keyeno Thomas, Kerry Baptiste, Michael Celestine, Derek King, Jerren Nixon, Nigel Pierre and Atiba Charles among others are still part of Pro League clubs.
“The number of players who train and play for the national team who are currently part of the Pro League shows that there is need for cooperation between both parties and to hear the Coach’s plans and the League’s willingness to work along with is promising and the results from this will be seen over a period which hopefully will climax at the end of the campaign with a World Cup qualification,” Eve said from a home-based player’s perspective.
Because of Beenhakker’s request and his early attempts at establishing an understanding with the Pro League, Skeene revealed on Friday that already some adjustments have been made to the fixtures to accommodate the National team.
“That first meeting was very cordial and we at the Pro League are committed to working together with the Coach and the TTFF for benefit of football and the World Cup effort,” Skeene said.
“We don’t expect unreasonable demands but the League is aware that if Trinidad and Tobago qualifies for a World Cup will also reflect well on the League.As such we have reviewed our schedule and we should be able to allow him if not the requested three days, at least two and a half days per week to have the players at his disposal. As the CEO of the League, having been a past national player and knowing what it takes at that level, I will do my utmost best to ensure that the clubs cooperate to assist Beenhakker’s programme to create a winning situation on both ends,” Skeene stated.
Skeene added that he was optimistic in the early stages of the season saying that new sponsors will be on board with further details to be announced in due time.