Give FOOTBALL back to the CLUBS

[Tallman]

Give FOOTBALL back to the CLUBS
By Noel "Sammy" Llewellyn (Trinidad Express)


It was the opening of the National Soccer League (NSL) at the Oval in 1974 and Mrs Maud Petit presents the St Paul Travel Service Trophy to the Defence Force's representative. At centre is Jack Warner.

Part 1. of this article: SOCCER needs a SHAKE-UP

Then from the middle of the 1970s, the next "Caesar" took over with a different style of dictatorship. Some "sold out" their clubs for "petty" favours and "funny" positions. Yes, coaches, referees, people holding down managerial positions etc. fell under his spell. It was a period where many were accused of twisting the media to attain their goals.

A whole lot of changes were made in Trinidad and Tobago football, and the game was "hijacked" by a certain group of "elitist" people who for sure didn't have the game's best interest's at heart.

I fully understand that sometimes we have to go "backward" in order to see where we're going "forward". But the question arises: What are we going forward with? We need to take a long, careful look at ourselves in the mirror to find out what direction we're going to take, and where are we are going wrong since it's positive results we're looking for and our main focus right now should be to make the necessary changes. Changes are imminent. Eventually, all things (old) must be a thing of the past.

I would like to know who introduced the National League in 1974, taking away that community support from some of our indigenous clubs-having two teams from the North playing in South, and two teams from the South playing in the East.

Obviously, Trinidad and Tobago was not ready for a national league at the time, unless it was a professional one. Who stopped the Haywood Shield, the Red Cross Classic, the North versus South classic?

Who stopped the first professional football team in Trinidad and Tobago, Pro Pioneers, formed by Selby Brown, Everald "Gally" Cummings, Desmond "Baby" Headley, and yours truly, and later financed by Euadne Gordon. For a short period after the team was financed by Kenrick "Foots" Belcon and the name was changed to KSI Phoenix. It was one of the best teams put together, and coached by the late Arthur "Jap" Brown.

They were the first club team in Trinidad and Tobago to beat Haiti's national team on two occasions 2-1, and they also played against the New York Cosmos with world class players like Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, Georgio Chinaglia, and Francisco Marinho, and drew 1-1. The team was later coached by Cummings.

Who stopped the clubs of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association from voting for who they wanted to run the association? Who stopped the Coaches Association, with its president Dennis Yhip?

By now we should of had our own style of football, with all the coaches under one umbrella, developing a proper youth programme, playing one style of football...so it won't matter what age you were, you could just fall right in. Brazil had no problem with Pele at 16 years of age.

Who stopped Arthur Suite from running the first Professional Football League in Trinidad and Tobago-The Premier Soccer League-and banned all of its players when a team from that League, ASL were the first team of any kind in Trinidad and Tobago to beat an English First Division team, Arsenal FC, 3-2. And the first club team from Trinidad and Tobago to beat the Cuba national squad 1-0.

I would like to know who re-introduced a Professional League in 2000, 20 years too late and cannot get the support of the people. I will like to know the ones responsible for all these changes and the demise of football in Trinidad and Tobago. These are the people who should be banned from football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Is anyone counting? Do you know that between 1984-2004 there have been more than 20 changes in that senior team's head coaching positions? Yes, folks an average of more than one a year. And I'm sure it's not going to stop.

This year some more changes will have to be made after the World Cup qualifying rounds for the development and future of our football because we will go through the same thing again...Jack Warner, vice president of FIFA, president of CONCACAF, president of Caribbean Football Union, and sole owner of this country's football with all the "hard work" that he's doing for football, as they say, trying to improve Trinidad and Tobago chances of reaching a World Cup Finals. It would a crying shame if you were never to see T&T reach a World Cup Finals.

I respect you as an administrator for what you achieved...the sky is the limit. But you never kicked a lime in your life except for some minor league in Central Trinidad in the late '60s or early '70s, so you know nothing technically about the game of football. So take a little time and listen to this player that you BANNED FOR LIFE from football in Trinidad and Tobago in 1977 at age 26 because he refused to play for "chicken and chips" and asked for money instead. A footballer who had 45 caps, wearing national colours, scored 35 goals, was Footballer of the Year 1975 and 1976. Played for the Los Angeles Aztecs in the North American Soccer League, under the late Rinus Michels, one of the best coaches in the world in his day, the father of Dutch football, the inventor of Total Football.

Here are some suggestions I hope you will consider for the reconstruction and future of this country's football:

First I don't believe the first interest in having a successful national team is the hiring of a foreign coach. The talent, skill, knowledge and knowing our culture is here in Trinidad and Tobago to have a world-class coach come from Trinidad and Tobago.

A lot of people are scared to come forward because of the way coaches are being treated in the country. They would not like the reduction of their manhood for a job they are qualified for in terms of their history of success with clubs The respect for our local coaches must be given in terms of money and not favours. A foreign coach will be contracted for a period of six months to fulfill Jack Warner's dream of reaching a World Cup Finals at the cost of about US$250,000, with there being no guarantee it will become a reality. But a local coach would be contracted for the same job and be paid about $10,000 per month and some favours. These figures may not be accurate, but the difference in pay packages might be. I say, respect your own!

Jack by now you should realise things just do not happen overnight, even with money and power. Without proper planning you're only spinning top in mud.

As I mentioned earlier sometimes we have to go backwards and follow our tracks to see where we're going forward to make sure we're on the right track. Take a good look at our tracks with foreign coaches-Michael Laing (England), Kevin Verity (England), Ian Porterfield (Scotland), Zoran Vranes (Yugoslavia), Rene Simoes (Brazil), Leo Beenhakker (Holland), Jan Zwarkruis (Holland)-millions of dollars spent, and still being spent on these foreign coaches without success.

Stop letting money think for you. With your "power" of office give back the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to the clubs of the Federation. Let them vote for who they want to start the reconstruction of football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ollie Camps, I had great respect for you as manager of the national team before I was banned for life from football in Trinidad and Tobago, but as president of Federation, you are something of a rubber stamp.

Remove all the advisers and directors you appointed to the Federation, including yourself as special adviser. Advise all the coaches from 1970 to 2005 (35 years) to give new young coaches, with new ideas, the opportunity to coach. Thank them for their services. Let them know the revolving coaching system you were using did not work, having a pool of coaches with coaches getting two and three chances whether it's the senior or junior national team doing the same thing over and over again.

We need some new advisers and technical directors. Organise a Players Retirement Plan, since 90 per cent of our players depend on football for a living with nothing to fall back on. Especially players with at lease 25 caps or more.

Introduce a Players Association or Union to represent and look after the welfare of players. Re-introduce the Coaches Association, having all the coaches working together, with one vision, developing a proper youth programme and creating our own style of football with some continuity.

Bring football back to the ownership of the people, through the clubs. It will take dialogue. Most important with the clubs, the media have an important part to play, but we have to be fearful of some reporters.

There are brilliant football minds at home and abroad willing to give their services to the cause of the reconstruction of football in Trinidad and Tobago, but they are afraid. Take a look at USA politics at this stage: I see the people being afraid of the government when it should be the other way around-the government being afraid of the people. Trinidad and Tobago football is like that: the people, who are the footballers and the "clubs" are afraid of the government of football in Trinidad and Tobago. With what's at stake the rage inside of me is battling to tame my scream!

The people responsible have gone too far.

Some day in the near future our players will not have to leave our shores to seek fame and fortune abroad, for our people will recognise them as world-class players. Some day in the near future our coaches will not have to leave our shores to take coaching courses so they can be recognised as a coach (period) by this country's Football Federation.

Some day in the near future with the right structure and people in place, Trinidad and Tobago's senior national team will reach a World Cup Finals. And it will happen while I'm still alive.

Last but not least, I call on Trinidad and Tobago's administrators to place their egos on the back burner. I know for a fact there are favours and monetary incentives, involved for being loyalist, but our children's future is at stake. Make way for the future generation administration.

Although we have produced exceptional talent in the game a la Leroy De Leon, Cummings, Steve David, Warren Archibald, Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy, and other professionals with potential, this country's football to me is at a standstill since most of the Caribbean islands have caught up with us and this is what has inspired me to write this article on the ills and demise of football in Trinidad and Tobago from the mid-70s to 2005.

Tell all those who criticised me after I protested the price of tickets for the World Cup qualifying game against the USA on Ash Wednesday 2005 that I around too long!

[Observer]

This is a boss article. I often wonder why others who have worn the shirt do not speak out about the state of our football. Imagine we call it pro league at home and 40 people yes 40 people watching a game. Now this is just one example, but Sammy is right and he asking some very serious questions that people have been afraid to ask

[Trini _2026]

<sup>First I don't believe the first interest in having a successful national team is the hiring of a foreign coach. The talent, skill, knowledge and knowing our culture is here in Trinidad and Tobago to have a world-class coach come from Trinidad and Tobago.

A lot of people are scared to come forward because of the way coaches are being treated in the country. They would not like the reduction of their manhood for a job they are qualified for in terms of their history of success with clubs</sup>

Why do these people keep knocking on foreign coaches and culture sayiNg they dont understand us blah blah blah .I alway maintain when these so called trinidadians SAY THAT  is a blasted attempt to............... i need not say more.This read has some sour grapes for warner.

Who we GET najir LOOK HOW HE DID  BSC won games by fluke then  got exposed when he had less talented players.Coaches like beenieman and Simones has one thing  most local coachs  lack which being  good motivator , getting the best out of our players on the field   . THEY EH goING FOWARD AND SAY PLAYERS CANNOT TRAP AND PASS LIKE BSC AND LIKE NAJIR BLAMING STERN JOHN AND  SAYING  COLLIN SMAUEL IS  HYPE.

[Coop's]

Sammy i admire you for doing this,is like a weight come off my shoulder,it's going to hurt some people but the story have to be told.
     The thing is we can't be anything but ourselves,we watching too much Football on TV and trying to be what we are not,you will always find people have different opinions on what's best for Football in the country,but if you haven't been there you will never know(know the history).It's a pity you don't here much from past Administration/Players,there are so many stories like this to tell but is who have the guts.
     I tried it once and my 89 Shell Cup team was disbanded after making it to the final and the Strike Squad went on to play it,they won off course.     

[Observer]

<sup>First I don't believe the first interest in having a successful national team is the hiring of a foreign coach. The talent, skill, knowledge and knowing our culture is here in Trinidad and Tobago to have a world-class coach come from Trinidad and Tobago.

A lot of people are scared to come forward because of the way coaches are being treated in the country. They would not like the reduction of their manhood for a job they are qualified for in terms of their history of success with clubs</sup>

Why do these people keep knocking on foreign coaches and culture sayiNg they dont understand us blah blah blah .I alway maintain when these so called trinidadians SAY THAT  is a blasted attempt to............... i need not say more.This read has some sour grapes for warner.

Who we GET najir LOOK HOW HE DID  BSC won games by fluke then  got exposed when he had less talented players.Coaches like beenieman and Simones has one thing  most local coachs  lack which being  good motivator , getting the best out of our players on the field   . THEY EH goING FOWARD AND SAY PLAYERS CANNOT TRAP AND PASS LIKE BSC AND LIKE NAJIR BLAMING STERN JOHN AND  SAYING  COLLIN SMAUEL IS  HYPE.

No Triniman I don't think that is what is being said. Sammy said the "First interest in having a successful National Team" etc etc. I think what he is saying is the structure discourages those locals that can contrubute to us having a successful National team. Be it locals who can guide talent at the youth level and nurture that talent towards the senior team etc. Or even potential locals who may be as effective in structuring the senior team but do not get the same support as say Beenie etc. Or those locals who can administer a workable structure for the restructuring of the football league etc etc. In short peoples whom may contribute to the overall good of the game. He then goes on to give examples of such peoples who were banned, discouraged, ostracized and forced to give up on the game. Just look at the picture from the site where it showed JohD vs Fatima I mean stands full packed to capacity. Yet when myself and another forum member went to see a final four in T&T Colleges (two years ago) it did not have 500 people. I also went to see an FA cup final that had less than 150 people. Come nah man yuh see a problem wid dat! I doubt you know who Sammy is and about his contribution to local football, but let me tell you this article asking some serious questions, in all the right areas.

[KND2]

Hopefully One Day we can get back to a good Democratic State in TnT Football. I like to see at least somebody starting a grassroots organization to try to help. It pays to have different people and leadership in charge.

The Fact that Jack has been in charge since 1970's has destroyed the development of our game.

The same can be said for Panday, Manning and Robinson.

We need term limits
We need fresh blood
We need new ideas

[E-man]

this needs a bump - nice historical perspective. I was searching for info on Arthur Suite after reading about him in a political article and found it.

The part 1 link is broken. Here is the right link http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=1563.0

[ZANDOLIE]

 

[takenoprisoners]

"Bring football back to the ownership of the people, through the clubs. It will take dialogue. Most important with the clubs, the media have an important part to play, but we have to be fearful of some reporters."

Sammy is right. Football should belong to the community. Football has been taken away from our community and both have suffered as a result.
I grew up in the days of the great Malvern - Maple  rivalries crowd control was a big problem. Colts, Providence, Shamrock, Casuals, Paragon, Midvale , Notre Dame, Sporting Club,Dynamos, along with CIC and QRC, and Fatima all had great rivalries. The Northern Amateur Football League(NAFL) produced Gerry Brown, Luton Town was a big team from Cadiz Rd made up from guys who grew up together liming under the same lamp post.The teams were all about community.
Many games used to end because the crowd storm the field. Dem Police horse used to work overtime to keep the fans (most times 4-deep) from encroaching on the sidelines. The football on display was the most eye pleasing, crowds were well entertained on and off the field. Part of the entertainment was the vendors like the nutsman who used to "shadow" up and down the sideline with a pitch-oil tin full of hot nuts in one hand and flinging the nuts accurately behind his back shouting " nuts already shelled................at five"  cents a pack. My team was the Woodbrook "glamour boys" Malvern. Imagine five forwards who could dribble  ( no stepover BS) with Carlton "the General" Franco orchestrating an attack from the backward centre forward position with Kelvin Berassa at inside right, Ken Hodge at inside left, Arthur "Jap" Brown at right wing and Eddie Hart at left Wing. They played with a flair like only a Trini  could produce. They played a brand called cha cha cha immortalised by Squeaky Hinds who came before them. In today's game cha cha cha would be regarded as disrespect.
Maple the archrivals had Carachillo, Mc Deigan, Sedley Joseph, Eddie Aleong( boss linkman), Andy Aleong and Alvin Corneal. That was a tough side and it was always a battle. Game used to go down to the wire. Six o'clock it getting dark, a whistle go "tweet' referee pointing to the penalty spot, penalty for Maple. That was automatic, men storm the field oui!
The game today has become too sterile, creativity is dead. The fans have dried up, we have allowed our football to be hijacked by those who do not love the game. We somehow have to take the game back to the community. The Savannah used to have POSFL and NAFL games scheduled during the week all with upwards of two thousand fans at each of three to four games. How could the leagues be banished? Where are the great teams of yester-year? Where have the fans gone? Why have the fans gone?

[Mr Mc]

Where have the fans gone? Why have the fans gone?

The fans are now talking on their bmobile cell phones, while surfing the net, making making plans to go to Zen in their foreign used car.

Times have changed, folks talking about 20+ years ago, one has to consider the factors outside of football that have also contributed to the decline of its popularity.

[palos]

I don't think there is any decline in interest in FOOTBALL at all in T&T.

I think there is a decline in interest in LOCAL Football...yes.

There are a number of reasons for it.  Principal among them is people have much more CHOICE to acquire their entertainment.  If I have a CHOICE of watching Ronaldinho and Messi play against Robinho and Cannavaro from de comfort of my living room on meh 50" Plasma, OR going to fight up with traffic to go in de Manny to watch Lester Peltier & Atullah Guerra play against Otis Whitley and Earl Jean....guess wha I doin?

[Big Magician]

allyuh know "Arthur Suite" married to "Connie Chung" ?....
she name is now Connie Suite

[Mr Mc]

I don't think there is any decline in interest in FOOTBALL at all in T&T.

I think there is a decline in interest in LOCAL Football...yes.

There are a number of reasons for it.  Principal among them is people have much more CHOICE to acquire their entertainment.  If I have a CHOICE of watching Ronaldinho and Messi play against Robinho and Cannavaro from de comfort of my living room on meh 50" Plasma, OR going to fight up with traffic to go in de Manny to watch Lester Peltier & Atullah Guerra play against Otis Whitley and Earl Jean....guess wha I doin?

50" Plasma!!!!

lime by Palos this weekend!!!

do you guys get an HD signal back home for HD TVs as of yet?

[ZANDOLIE]

The PFL is too far removed from the communities, literally and figuratively. That is partly the price of professional football. Cali home stadium is the L.G. but look how far that is from the bulk of their base. To me the PL is improving their product (the Tobago fiasco not withstanding) but they still suffering growing pains. As competition gets intense between teams they will eventually have to rely on filling their stadiums. That is when they must be astute enough to hone in on cultural undercurrents like North-South rivalry and the "ghetto army" thing Shabazz try to promote against Defence force. But its not becoming for a coach to act as promoter.

That is why I could see the merits of Jemmott doing "community service". It was not his to do but if PL teams should strive for a greater presence in the communities they serve. I do not see a downside to entering small goal teams in tournaments, maybe older semi-retired players, or regular players in the off season, or sponsoring more youth tournaments or position their "star" players in more visible in the community. But one step at a time.

[Cowen]

allyuh know "Arthur Suite" married to "Connie Chung" ?....
she name is now Connie Suite

 

Suite to bad 

 

[d_#1Trinba]

thats an embaracing topic...Knowing that we are an island..and that a stadium must be used for track and field and soccer at least..but i know that the players knows that we are playing for something..we 're not different...

[E-man]

Give FOOTBALL back to the CLUBS
By Noel "Sammy" Llewellyn (Trinidad Express)


It was the opening of the National Soccer League (NSL) at the Oval in 1974 and Mrs Maud Petit presents the St Paul Travel Service Trophy to the Defence Force's representative. At centre is Jack Warner.

You know I was just rereading the caption to this photo and wonder if it is meant to say Simpaul Travel Service.

It looks like the company was registered back in 1972 and then reregistered in 1997 according to the rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt

SIMPAUL TRAVEL SERVICE
Business #409521
38 WESTERN MAIN ROAD ST. JAMES
Registered on: 1972-03-25
Name Suffix:
Status: STRUCK OFF AND DISSOLVED

SIMPAUL TRAVEL SERVICES
Company #106645
22-24 DUNDONALD STREET, PORT OF SPAIN
Continued on: 1997-10-09
Name Suffix: LIMITED
Status: ACTIVE

[diamondtrim]

This article loses its substance behind the thinly veiled stream of pretended disdain. It is the cancer that certainly destroys the credibility that may have been enjoyed by any author.

Nevertheless, the points made cannot be ignored. Rather, objective analysis must be considered.

People, time, culture and interests, among other things, have changed. It is more than annoying when authors seem to wholeheartedly expect no variation to long ago practices. How many times have we heard, in direct relation to our football, "Well Malvern and Colts was big sides and d savannah used to be ram". C'mon folks...while this statement may be true, it is simply a testament to how things WERE, and shows no respect or even the slightest observation of how things ARE.

I will not waste my grammatical constructs highlighting the influx of activities that may have taken our collective concentration away from football to other things.

Why do we consistently aim to compare the strike squad to the team of 73 to the club teams of 69 to the present national and club teams. If a loaf of bread cost 5 cents in 72 does it mean that it should cost the same today?

People are not that interested in the PFL simply because it is of low quality. We would more readily pay a PFL entrance fee to a sports bar that shows real football. No administrator, president, secretary or jefe can ever improve our quality of football if we simply do not have the necessary talent to foster.

People constantly extoll the virtues of local coaches, when time and time again, these very same local coaches have found themselves exposed once they step on the international stage. Bertille's deficiency was cruelly exposed by Beenhakker.

Granted, that some foreign coaches may not even be as good as local coaches, but other than Gally, who coached in a completely different time and culture and may be hardpressed to find similar success in the present, whom do we have?

Blame Jack for destroying our football. Of course. It appears to be the only escape for those reluctant to admit that we lack greatly in football talent. Once in a generation we are blessed with truly genuine talent, and even this talent had to be nurtured more by the individual's own desire than any coach's influence.

I love my country and our football. I pay the high prices to see every game. I support wholeheartedly.

But I am prepared to accept that we are simply not good enough to challenge futher than the Caribbean region. At least not now.

We seem to have Jack to blame for that too.

[zuluwarrior]

Connie Suite good one magician ah shure Arthur think bout that before he get it when he got it he  decided to marry she .

[palos]

By Noel "Sammy" Llewellyn (Trinidad Express)

First I don't believe the first interest in having a successful national team is the hiring of a foreign coach. The talent, skill, knowledge and knowing our culture is here in Trinidad and Tobago to have a world-class coach come from Trinidad and Tobago.

A lot of people are scared to come forward because of the way coaches are being treated in the country. They would not like the reduction of their manhood for a job they are qualified for in terms of their history of success with clubs The respect for our local coaches must be given in terms of money and not favours. A foreign coach will be contracted for a period of six months to fulfill Jack Warner's dream of reaching a World Cup Finals at the cost of about US$250,000, with there being no guarantee it will become a reality. But a local coach would be contracted for the same job and be paid about $10,000 per month and some favours. These figures may not be accurate, but the difference in pay packages might be. I say, respect your own!

Jes curious.  Sammy beratin de man for paying a foreign coach more money than a local for doin de same job.  But if our local coaches were so good, yuh doh think somebody from another country woulda hire dem to coach dem team?  Not even Grenada hirin we coaches so while I understand de SENTIMENT about "world class coaches" coming from T&T, the REALITY is much different.

The proof is in the pudding.  These same local coaches take our players to regional & international tournaments and get PASTED! 

Me...football is a business.  If de local coaches not good enough...and the evidence has shown that they're not, you go with the foreign coach.  Yuh could imagine if T&T was to start makin car and de government mandate dat everybody have to buy de made in T&T car wha bacchanal would ensue?  Yuh doh buy local jes because it local.  It have to bring QUALITY to de table, something dat we lackin in coaching. 

Is not to diss de local coaches many of whom doin dey best wit limited resources but facts is facts.  It eh have no place for emotional arguments in business and as ah say, football is business.

[trinikev]

This article loses its substance behind the thinly veiled stream of pretended disdain. It is the cancer that certainly destroys the credibility that may have been enjoyed by any author.

Nevertheless, the points made cannot be ignored. Rather, objective analysis must be considered.

People, time, culture and interests, among other things, have changed. It is more than annoying when authors seem to wholeheartedly expect no variation to long ago practices. How many times have we heard, in direct relation to our football, "Well Malvern and Colts was big sides and d savannah used to be ram". C'mon folks...while this statement may be true, it is simply a testament to how things WERE, and shows no respect or even the slightest observation of how things ARE.

I will not waste my grammatical constructs highlighting the influx of activities that may have taken our collective concentration away from football to other things.

Why do we consistently aim to compare the strike squad to the team of 73 to the club teams of 69 to the present national and club teams. If a loaf of bread cost 5 cents in 72 does it mean that it should cost the same today?

People are not that interested in the PFL simply because it is of low quality. We would more readily pay a PFL entrance fee to a sports bar that shows real football. No administrator, president, secretary or jefe can ever improve our quality of football if we simply do not have the necessary talent to foster.

People constantly extoll the virtues of local coaches, when time and time again, these very same local coaches have found themselves exposed once they step on the international stage. Bertille's deficiency was cruelly exposed by Beenhakker.

Granted, that some foreign coaches may not even be as good as local coaches, but other than Gally, who coached in a completely different time and culture and may be hardpressed to find similar success in the present, whom do we have?

Blame Jack for destroying our football. Of course. It appears to be the only escape for those reluctant to admit that we lack greatly in football talent. Once in a generation we are blessed with truly genuine talent, and even this talent had to be nurtured more by the individual's own desire than any coach's influence.

I love my country and our football. I pay the high prices to see every game. I support wholeheartedly.

But I am prepared to accept that we are simply not good enough to challenge futher than the Caribbean region. At least not now.

We seem to have Jack to blame for that too.

You make some good points, but i want to address your statement about the PFL (bolded above). The lack of interest is not because of the PFL's low quality, but because of its low quality RELATIVE TO the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League, etc., which is now available on tv for most ppl. I honestly do not believe that the quality of local football back in the days of Malvern and Colts was any better than that of the PFL now. The fact is, the European leagues were not readily available to us then, so fans gladly attended the local games to get their football fix.

The PFL is also very poorly marketed. Many Trinbagonians probably don't even know what the PFL is, far less actually know the teams and when/where games will be played. We cannot expect large crowds if the product isn't advertised.

[Deeks]

My biggest problem with the PFL is that the clubs should play closer to their home base. Seeing that the PFL has to compete with Euro. TV football, the clubs in the PFL have to make it more convenient for the "home" fans to support their own PFL clubs. Why should Jabloteh and AIA play in Arima. Sometimes Tobago playing AIA or Jab. in Ato. I think both Jabloteh and AIA should share the same facility. For instances I think they should build a small stadium in Aranguez which is closer to the fans in SanJuan/EL Socorro/ Barataria/Santa Cruz, La Canoa,MT D'or, Mt Lambert/ Morvant/Caledonia/Laventille. Gosh, you think they can't build a small stadium(nothing fancy) like Lamport in TO. I sure them two clubs can rouse the interest of their fan base if they play closer to home sharing one mini stadium.

Now Arima and Chaguanas should have teams in the PFL. They have stadiums. Couva, Chaguanas, Caroni(CCC or Triple C) should have their own team. Connection should focus in Sando/Marabella/P. Town. Arima should have a team with the focus on Five Rivers,Arouca, D'abadie.

The last point. It is high time the PFL and all clubs should try and invest or encourage East Indian kids to continue to play pass primary and high school. Our football needs to grow outside the ihought that football is a black man  sport in TT. We just need to harness more talent out in TT.

[kicker]

I don't think there is any decline in interest in FOOTBALL at all in T&T.

I think there is a decline in interest in LOCAL Football...yes.

There are a number of reasons for it.  Principal among them is people have much more CHOICE to acquire their entertainment.  If I have a CHOICE of watching Ronaldinho and Messi play against Robinho and Cannavaro from de comfort of my living room on meh 50" Plasma, OR going to fight up with traffic to go in de Manny to watch Lester Peltier & Atullah Guerra play against Otis Whitley and Earl Jean....guess wha I doin?

Yuh should switch to LCD...more energy efficient, lighter, less screen burn and longer lasting quality...and LCD technology is also closing the gap on plasma in  terms screen picture quality (especially in the area of contrasts)...LCD is the future lol

But seriously while there is merit to what you're saying, there's more to your statement than just quality/entertainment- for e.g. the lower leagues in England are well supported (even if not so much in pure numbers because the communities are generally smaller...definitely so in passion and dedication to the cause season in season out) and many of the fans of the smaller teams couldn't care less wha goin' on with Manchester United & Chelsea...so it's not just entertainment- communities will bond to their teams when they feel that sense of community...a sense of community that is lacking in T&T (and by extension T&T football).

[kounty]

I remember when caledonia was throwin bram an ting.  anybody have a sense that they is the club with the most community support, or identification (well maybe besides grande)?

[Deeks]

It hard for me in foreign to tell how close which club is to their community. Only the locals can verify.

[truetrini]

I will not waste my grammatical constructs highlighting the influx of activities that may have taken our collective concentration away from football to other things.

I jes want tuh know what de arse dis mean!  yuh wha? is grammatical constructs yuh say dey yuh know?

next thing is lexemes yuh ressing on we...oh gosh breds yuh have truly returned!

[Football supporter]

I found this interesting and thought I'd share it here.


Give FOOTBALL back to the CLUBS
Author:
Noel "Sammy" Llewellyn
Date Published:
2005-06-09
Source:
Trinidad Express

Then from the middle of the 1970s, the next "Caesar" took over with a different style of dictatorship. Some "sold out" their clubs for "petty" favours and "funny" positions. Yes, coaches, referees, people holding down managerial positions etc. fell under his spell. It was a period where many were accused of twisting the media to attain their goals.

A whole lot of changes were made in Trinidad and Tobago football, and the game was "hijacked" by a certain group of "elitist" people who for sure didn't have the game's best interest's at heart.

I fully understand that sometimes we have to go "backward" in order to see where we're going "forward". But the question arises: What are we going forward with? We need to take a long, careful look at ourselves in the mirror to find out what direction we're going to take, and where are we are going wrong since it's positive results we're looking for and our main focus right now should be to make the necessary changes. Changes are imminent. Eventually, all things (old) must be a thing of the past.

I would like to know who introduced the National League in 1974, taking away that community support from some of our indigenous clubs-having two teams from the North playing in South, and two teams from the South playing in the East.

Obviously, Trinidad and Tobago was not ready for a national league at the time, unless it was a professional one. Who stopped the Haywood Shield, the Red Cross Classic, the North versus South classic?

Who stopped the first professional football team in Trinidad and Tobago, Pro Pioneers, formed by Selby Brown, Everald "Gally" Cummings, Desmond "Baby" Headley, and yours truly, and later financed by Euadne Gordon. For a short period after the team was financed by Kenrick "Foots" Belcon and the name was changed to KSI Phoenix. It was one of the best teams put together, and coached by the late Arthur "Jap" Brown.

They were the first club team in Trinidad and Tobago to beat Haiti's national team on two occasions 2-1, and they also played against the New York Cosmos with world class players like Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, Georgio Chinaglia, and Francisco Marinho, and drew 1-1. The team was later coached by Cummings.

Who stopped the clubs of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association from voting for who they wanted to run the association? Who stopped the Coaches Association, with its president Dennis Yhip?

By now we should of had our own style of football, with all the coaches under one umbrella, developing a proper youth programme, playing one style of football...so it won't matter what age you were, you could just fall right in. Brazil had no problem with Pele at 16 years of age.

Who stopped Arthur Suite from running the first Professional Football League in Trinidad and Tobago-The Premier Soccer League-and banned all of its players when a team from that League, ASL were the first team of any kind in Trinidad and Tobago to beat an English First Division team, Arsenal FC, 3-2. And the first club team from Trinidad and Tobago to beat the Cuba national squad 1-0.

I would like to know who re-introduced a Professional League in 2000, 20 years too late and cannot get the support of the people. I will like to know the ones responsible for all these changes and the demise of football in Trinidad and Tobago. These are the people who should be banned from football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Is anyone counting? Do you know that between 1984-2004 there have been more than 20 changes in that senior team's head coaching positions? Yes, folks an average of more than one a year. And I'm sure it's not going to stop.

This year some more changes will have to be made after the World Cup qualifying rounds for the development and future of our football because we will go through the same thing again...Jack Warner, vice president of FIFA, president of CONCACAF, president of Caribbean Football Union, and sole owner of this country's football with all the "hard work" that he's doing for football, as they say, trying to improve Trinidad and Tobago chances of reaching a World Cup Finals. It would a crying shame if you were never to see T&T reach a World Cup Finals.

I respect you as an administrator for what you achieved...the sky is the limit. But you never kicked a lime in your life except for some minor league in Central Trinidad in the late '60s or early '70s, so you know nothing technically about the game of football. So take a little time and listen to this player that you BANNED FOR LIFE from football in Trinidad and Tobago in 1977 at age 26 because he refused to play for "chicken and chips" and asked for money instead. A footballer who had 45 caps, wearing national colours, scored 35 goals, was Footballer of the Year 1975 and 1976. Played for the Los Angeles Aztecs in the North American Soccer League, under the late Rinus Michels, one of the best coaches in the world in his day, the father of Dutch football, the inventor of Total Football.

Here are some suggestions I hope you will consider for the reconstruction and future of this country's football:

First I don't believe the first interest in having a successful national team is the hiring of a foreign coach. The talent, skill, knowledge and knowing our culture is here in Trinidad and Tobago to have a world-class coach come from Trinidad and Tobago.

A lot of people are scared to come forward because of the way coaches are being treated in the country. They would not like the reduction of their manhood for a job they are qualified for in terms of their history of success with clubs The respect for our local coaches must be given in terms of money and not favours. A foreign coach will be contracted for a period of six months to fulfill Jack Warner's dream of reaching a World Cup Finals at the cost of about US$250,000, with there being no guarantee it will become a reality. But a local coach would be contracted for the same job and be paid about $10,000 per month and some favours. These figures may not be accurate, but the difference in pay packages might be. I say, respect your own!

Jack by now you should realise things just do not happen overnight, even with money and power. Without proper planning you're only spinning top in mud.

As I mentioned earlier sometimes we have to go backwards and follow our tracks to see where we're going forward to make sure we're on the right track. Take a good look at our tracks with foreign coaches-Michael Laing (England), Kevin Verity (England), Ian Porterfield (Scotland), Zoran Vranes (Yugoslavia), Rene Simoes (Brazil), Leo Beenhakker (Holland), Jan Zwarkruis (Holland)-millions of dollars spent, and still being spent on these foreign coaches without success.

Stop letting money think for you. With your "power" of office give back the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to the clubs of the Federation. Let them vote for who they want to start the reconstruction of football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ollie Camps, I had great respect for you as manager of the national team before I was banned for life from football in Trinidad and Tobago, but as president of Federation, you are something of a rubber stamp.

Remove all the advisers and directors you appointed to the Federation, including yourself as special adviser. Advise all the coaches from 1970 to 2005 (35 years) to give new young coaches, with new ideas, the opportunity to coach. Thank them for their services. Let them know the revolving coaching system you were using did not work, having a pool of coaches with coaches getting two and three chances whether it's the senior or junior national team doing the same thing over and over again.

We need some new advisers and technical directors. Organise a Players Retirement Plan, since 90 per cent of our players depend on football for a living with nothing to fall back on. Especially players with at lease 25 caps or more.

Introduce a Players Association or Union to represent and look after the welfare of players. Re-introduce the Coaches Association, having all the coaches working together, with one vision, developing a proper youth programme and creating our own style of football with some continuity.

Bring football back to the ownership of the people, through the clubs. It will take dialogue. Most important with the clubs, the media have an important part to play, but we have to be fearful of some reporters.

There are brilliant football minds at home and abroad willing to give their services to the cause of the reconstruction of football in Trinidad and Tobago, but they are afraid. Take a look at USA politics at this stage: I see the people being afraid of the government when it should be the other way around-the government being afraid of the people. Trinidad and Tobago football is like that: the people, who are the footballers and the "clubs" are afraid of the government of football in Trinidad and Tobago. With what's at stake the rage inside of me is battling to tame my scream!

The people responsible have gone too far.

Some day in the near future our players will not have to leave our shores to seek fame and fortune abroad, for our people will recognise them as world-class players. Some day in the near future our coaches will not have to leave our shores to take coaching courses so they can be recognised as a coach (period) by this country's Football Federation.

Some day in the near future with the right structure and people in place, Trinidad and Tobago's senior national team will reach a World Cup Finals. And it will happen while I'm still alive.

Last but not least, I call on Trinidad and Tobago's administrators to place their egos on the back burner. I know for a fact there are favours and monetary incentives, involved for being loyalist, but our children's future is at stake. Make way for the future generation administration.

Although we have produced exceptional talent in the game a la Leroy De Leon, Cummings, Steve David, Warren Archibald, Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy, and other professionals with potential, this country's football to me is at a standstill since most of the Caribbean islands have caught up with us and this is what has inspired me to write this article on the ills and demise of football in Trinidad and Tobago from the mid-70s to 2005.

Tell all those who criticised me after I protested the price of tickets for the World Cup qualifying game against the USA on Ash Wednesday 2005 that I around too long!

http://www.ttfootballhistory.com/node/1002