Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Flex on November 28, 2011, 06:28:06 AM
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National football consultation today.
T&T Express Reports.
Acting Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation president Lennox Watson has assured that the local governing body will be present at today's national football consultation, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Movie Towne, Port of Spain.
The open seminar allows enthusiasts the opportunity to add their contribution on the state of Trinidad and Tobago football. Coaches, analysts, fans and players will give their views on what went wrong with the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, the state of Trinidad and Tobago football, and the best way forward.
The idea of a consultation was forged by Sport Minister Anil Roberts in response to T&T's early exit from World Cup qualifying after the Soca Warriors were beaten 2-1 by Guyana in the first leg of a two-match series at Providence National Stadium on November 11.
Although Trinidad and Tobago won the return match 2-0 in Port of Spain on November 15, they finished a point behind Guyana (13 points), who advanced to the third round as the lone qualifier out of Caribbean Zone Group B.
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Ah understand it start late, and is not ah great turnout.
Notable people in attendance are Jamal Shabazz, Rudolph Thomas, Anton Corneal, Marlon Morris, Brent Sancho, Wayne Cunningham, Dion La Foucade, Peter O'Connor, and Shaun Fuentes.
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Dexter Skeene also in de audience.
Our presentation was made about a half-hour ago, and generally got a good response. It lasted about 10 minutes.
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Dexter Skeene also in de audience.
Our presentation was made about a half-hour ago, and generally got a good response. It lasted about 10 minutes.
:beermug: patriot
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An Invitation to a Psuedo Press Conference Starring:
:bs:
Lennox Watson as Watson
With special advise...err...guest Jackarse as Mr. Holmes
Watson to Holmes: "By heavens, Holmes, I believe that they are not really after us. No one showed up to protest our existence".
Holmes to Watson: "No, it's not quite so bad as that, my dear Watson. I have pre-comatosed most of the would be rebel protesters. It's the unofficial force—the revolutionary irregulars you have to worry about. Currently, that force is leaderless".
Watson to Holmes: "I have extended invitations to press reporters I can manipulate and who will not ask probing questions I cannot answer".
Holmes to Watson: "You have learned well over the years. Good".
Watson to Holmes: "You were right Holmes. It worked out very well. The people bought it hook, line, and sinker. Excellent".
Holmes to Watson: "Elementary, my dear Watson. From your viewpoint as President, you will have the advantage of knowing their habits and weaknesses. You know my methods, Watson. How often have I said when you have eliminated the opposition whatever remains must be the truth".
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This sham will achieve nothing. What is being said there has been said ad nauseam previously. There will be nothing new revealed. There are no secrets in modern football. Both the Ministry and the TTFF are involved in a PR exercise and the former has the financing to support the latter. Watson is in the media talking about the "new" focus of the TTFF being youth development but the Eastern FA, of which he is still effectively the president, has one of the worst youth development programmes and one of the weakest competitions in the TTFF - two and three teams in an age category. Meantime, the TTFF held a "screening session" for Under 15s yesterday in Ato Boldon Stadium - for the ENTIRE country! On the basis of that they will send a national team to an Under 17! tournament in Colombia in the next days. And when those little boys get the beatings they will get the entire country will want to know why. This initiative is the brain child of the TTFF's two technical advisors (unofficial) - you know who they are. Stay tuned for more mind games...
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Floor presentations
Anthony Walcott - Spoke about mental training
Kevin Harrison (North East Stars)
Started off with "We have seen change of players, change of coaches, but for 20 years no change of the TTFF." Also advocated that the TTFF and referees settle their differences ASAP because it is hurting the Pro League.
Calvin Toussaint (Tunapuna Titans)
Kern de Frietas (Trinidad Express) - Made a point of our failure to keep records/statistics.
Niam Khan (Safari Publications) - Spoke about sponsorship
Lennox Sirjusingh (former referee) - Noted that oil and gas is 45% of T&T's economy, but not one team is sponsored by an oil/gas company. Complimented socawarriors.net on our recommendations. Scouting for national duty must be ongoing, and not just before a tournament, and must start at youth level.
Mr. Gordon - Focussed on referees. Not enough qualified/certified refs to do games in Tobago.
Soca Warrior Fusion (fan club) - Talked about fan empowerment
Tony Harford (AllSport Promotions) - Outlined costs of putting on national team games.
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Much thanks for the updates Tallest
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...As I said above...
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Fuentes on facebook want to know what the locals can offer :beermug:
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Big up Tallest
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Thanks Patriot for representing... and T for the updates! :beermug:
It would be interesting to know some details from our presentation. Care to give a synopsis when you get the chance Brain?
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Dexter Skeene also in de audience.
Our presentation was made about a half-hour ago, and generally got a good response. It lasted about 10 minutes.
Thanks Tallman :beermug:
What was our presentation about? Not asking for details but what did we cover?
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Some tweets from the Ministry of Sport
Anton Corneal is on the floor. He says the major problem with development programs in football is lack of sustained funding.
Guyana national coach Jamal Shabazz on the floor. He says he still sees 'courting of the dictatorship' in TT rather than following a process.
Hillan Morean is on the floor discussing issues of governance, structure
Peter O'Connor on the floor. He says dynamic between coach and team is critical to success
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This sham will achieve nothing. What is being said there has been said ad nauseam previously. There will be nothing new revealed. There are no secrets in modern football. Both the Ministry and the TTFF are involved in a PR exercise and the former has the financing to support the latter. Watson is in the media talking about the "new" focus of the TTFF being youth development but the Eastern FA, of which he is still effectively the president, has one of the worst youth development programmes and one of the weakest competitions in the TTFF - two and three teams in an age category. Meantime, the TTFF held a "screening session" for Under 15s yesterday in Ato Boldon Stadium - for the ENTIRE country! On the basis of that they will send a national team to an Under 17! tournament in Colombia in the next days. And when those little boys get the beatings they will get the entire country will want to know why. This initiative is the brain child of the TTFF's two technical advisors (unofficial) - you know who they are. Stay tuned for more mind games...
Mr President,this must be a sham because when you look at the people attending this National Football Consultation it's made up of those who should not be around Football or who you dislike,where is Keith Look loy your main man and where is Mr Brathwaite,you talking about change.
You said the Eastern FA has one of the worst Youth development programs and one of the weakest competitions in the TTFF,yet Santa Rosa FC plays in that league and will continue to participate,i think they went on some tour recently,why don't they play Eddie Hart League may be that's better.The best way for Look Loy to solve this problem is to start a break away league with the six club that vote for change.
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You all looking at the people who on the floor,they not talking on a forum they standing up in public and saying what they have to say,this is what we have to do if we want change,these are the people we don't like,this is where we have to protest and make your voices heard,ah mean what Corneal and Shabazz doing there,i'm sure no one asked why he still works for the TTFF.
If we can't ask the tough questions when it matters there can't be changes.It have a certain reporter MIA these days check to make sure he is alright,he is part of the anti TTFF crew,i always look forward to his articles.
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FC Santa Rosa - or any other club - is free to decide if it wishes to participate in TTFF (read, "FIFA") football or "minor league" football. That said, no club, with ambition to rise to the top of the local game, would sacrifice FIFA-affiliated football for "minor league" play. It would be outside of the mainstream, its players would not be considered for national team selection - and FC Santa Rosa has players in different national teams. Let us be clear - the TTFF and the local game DO NOT BELONG to the current TTFF clique. Why should people run and leave them to have their way? FC Santa Rosa has been fighting them in the Eastern FA for years and will continue to do so, I am certain.
Now, to the "consultation". We have seen multiple re-incarnations of this talk shop over the many years the TTFF clique has been in power. People vent and pose and then nothing happens. Nothing personal, but Shabaaz is talking about people "courting the dictatorship", is he? How else has Caledonia survived all these years other than by "courting the dictatorship"? And how else is he continuing to represent the TTFF and the GFF at the same time - as he did in Mexico recently at a FIFA conference (before Guyana eliminated us)? How is that even conceivable? This is how and why the TTFF clique continues to hold on to power. There are too many people in football who depend on the status quo for favours big and small.
Talk and posturing pal. Smoke and mirrors. As I said above, stay tuned for more mind games...Meantime, the clubs have to organize to move these people. Everything else is talk...
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FC Santa Rosa - or any other club - is free to decide if it wishes to participate in TTFF (read, "FIFA") football or "minor league" football. That said, no club, with ambition to rise to the top of the local game, would sacrifice FIFA-affiliated football for "minor league" play. It would be outside of the mainstream, its players would not be considered for national team selection - and FC Santa Rosa has players in different national teams. Let us be clear - the TTFF and the local game DO NOT BELONG to the current TTFF clique. Why should people run and leave them to have their way? FC Santa Rosa has been fighting them in the Eastern FA for years and will continue to do so, I am certain.
Now, to the "consultation". We have seen multiple re-incarnations of this talk shop over the many years the TTFF clique has been in power. People vent and pose and then nothing happens. Nothing personal, but Shabaaz is talking about people "courting the dictatorship", is he? How else has Caledonia survived all these years other than by "courting the dictatorship"? And how else is he continuing to represent the TTFF and the GFF at the same time - as he did in Mexico recently at a FIFA conference (before Guyana eliminated us)? How is that even conceivable? This is how and why the TTFF clique continues to hold on to power. There are too many people in football who depend on the status quo for favours big and small.
Talk and posturing pal. Smoke and mirrors. As I said above, stay tuned for more mind games...Meantime, the clubs have to organize to move these people. Everything else is talk...
You see,here lies the problem,if they were a clique somebody would have kicked them out long time but they are not,they are the TTFF that's why it's so difficult,if you have back up you going to last,you eh see is the same thing happen in the North.
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I hear that Coops...
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Just a few points from today....
Patriot came over real good and gave props to Warrior Fusion and invited them here.
Mainly a lot of ole talk and pie in the sky ideas. Although there were some good plans, no one addressed how they would be funded.
Tony Harford was quite convincing, explaining why games cost so much to put on. He did concede that some of TTFF should go, but not all. He said there were some good people there. He also mentioned that he had spoken to TTFF accountants KPMG who confirmed that TTFF accounts were accurate....however there were other accounts associated to, but not the responsibility of TTFF which were the problem.
Anil Roberts promised to combine all of the proposals and they would be assessed by a team and built into a single plan to move football forward. This plan would then be presented as a discussion document.
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and the sham...the smoke and mirrors continue.........
So Anil going to put all this together and come up with a proposal huh? Really????
Sounds like nobody talk about neither an immediate nor long term plan for the national team....
How and who is going to chart the development of players at every level....
who is going to set the standard for coaches..Shabass or Cornmeal?
But wait we had a Technical Director but he was declawed...so I guess the first appointment would be that of a Technical Advisor to put into place what was going to be done 6 years ago...brilliant absolutely brilliant.
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and the sham...the smoke and mirrors continue.........
So Anil going to put all this together and come up with a proposal huh? Really????
Sounds like nobody talk about neither an immediate nor long term plan for the national team....
How and who is going to chart the development of players at every level....
who is going to set the standard for coaches..Shabass or Cornmeal?
But wait we had a Technical Director but he was declawed...so I guess the first appointment would be that of a Technical Advisor to put into place what was going to be done 6 years ago...brilliant absolutely brilliant.
socawarriors.net put in a proposal calling for a comprehensive plan, and highlighted specific issues that the plan needs to address. if you are going to criticize what you think people did not say why didn't YOU say it? it was an OPEN FORUM. where were you when we called for submissions? waiting for somebody else to do the work?
it would not be a sham if every football lover did their duty and flood the ministry with marching orders for lennox watson and his ilk or take two seconds to sign the damn petition. that would very hard for the minister to ignore.
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So who is Soca Warrior Fusion btw?
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So who is Soca Warrior Fusion btw?
http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=43778
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and the sham...the smoke and mirrors continue.........
So Anil going to put all this together and come up with a proposal huh? Really????
Sounds like nobody talk about neither an immediate nor long term plan for the national team....
How and who is going to chart the development of players at every level....
who is going to set the standard for coaches..Shabass or Cornmeal?
But wait we had a Technical Director but he was declawed...so I guess the first appointment would be that of a Technical Advisor to put into place what was going to be done 6 years ago...brilliant absolutely brilliant.
socawarriors.net put in a proposal calling for a comprehensive plan, and highlighted specific issues that the plan needs to address. if you are going to criticize what you think people did not say why didn't YOU say it? it was an OPEN FORUM. where were you when we called for submissions? waiting for somebody else to do the work?
it would not be a sham if every football lover did their duty and flood the ministry with marching orders for lennox watson and his ilk or take two seconds to sign the damn petition. that would very hard for the minister to ignore.
Breds, it have too many sheepish ppl in T&T fuh dat tuh happen. they would complain how they have tuh go to work or they have serious business to attend, but not in ah million yrs would they make such ah consorted effort to support the cause. just ask how much forum members was there beside patriot, but they love football. big phat lie!!
they would take ah day off tuh go meet ah gyul if they were promised ah good time, and spend their money to stay the whole day in de hilton or crown plaza making woopie, but they wouldn't dear take ah day off tuh show their support for football and their disgust toward the federation.
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What this man shabbaz doing there? for the life of me, this is ah gargantuan fackin contradiction if yuh ask me.
what de fack he have tuh do wid we football after he dun clearly take sides! i tell yuh, if this man was ah mexican or ah columbian they woulda bun down he fackin house and run him outa town long time, he woulda have tuh move to guyana or some neighboring country with the bare clothes on his back. only in fackin trinidad this could happen boy!!
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and the sham...the smoke and mirrors continue.........
So Anil going to put all this together and come up with a proposal huh? Really????
Sounds like nobody talk about neither an immediate nor long term plan for the national team....
How and who is going to chart the development of players at every level....
who is going to set the standard for coaches..Shabass or Cornmeal?
But wait we had a Technical Director but he was declawed...so I guess the first appointment would be that of a Technical Advisor to put into place what was going to be done 6 years ago...brilliant absolutely brilliant.
socawarriors.net put in a proposal calling for a comprehensive plan, and highlighted specific issues that the plan needs to address. if you are going to criticize what you think people did not say why didn't YOU say it? it was an OPEN FORUM. where were you when we called for submissions? waiting for somebody else to do the work?
it would not be a sham if every football lover did their duty and flood the ministry with marching orders for lennox watson and his ilk or take two seconds to sign the damn petition. that would very hard for the minister to ignore.
Sometimes I swear allyuh have no understanding..... let me make it as simple for you as possible....the process aka the consultation is a sham....it will achieve zero nada nilch zip....it is merely meant to placate people like you.
At the end of the day who are the people making the decisions about TnT football?
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and the sham...the smoke and mirrors continue.........
So Anil going to put all this together and come up with a proposal huh? Really????
Sounds like nobody talk about neither an immediate nor long term plan for the national team....
How and who is going to chart the development of players at every level....
who is going to set the standard for coaches..Shabass or Cornmeal?
But wait we had a Technical Director but he was declawed...so I guess the first appointment would be that of a Technical Advisor to put into place what was going to be done 6 years ago...brilliant absolutely brilliant.
socawarriors.net put in a proposal calling for a comprehensive plan, and highlighted specific issues that the plan needs to address. if you are going to criticize what you think people did not say why didn't YOU say it? it was an OPEN FORUM. where were you when we called for submissions? waiting for somebody else to do the work?
it would not be a sham if every football lover did their duty and flood the ministry with marching orders for lennox watson and his ilk or take two seconds to sign the damn petition. that would very hard for the minister to ignore.
Sometimes I swear allyuh have no understanding..... let me make it as simple for you as possible....the process aka the consultation is a sham....it will achieve zero nada nilch zip....it is merely meant to placate people like you.
At the end of the day who are the people making the decisions about TnT football?
I don't agree in theory. I have seen the power of people coming together for change. I remember the Free Nelson Mandela march in London in the 80's. Most British people had never heard of him until then! But you all seem to believe that Trinis don't care enough. Well that maybe so, but while there are people out there who haven't just given up, there is hope. MEP, don't you see the contradiction in your post?
it is merely meant to placate people like you You're telling someone who is trying to bring about change that you have already been placated and are now apathetic. Let them continue to try to elicit change. Maybe one day, in some way, they will succeed. Trinis don't march? So who the hell was Uriah Butler??
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Sometimes I swear allyuh have no understanding..... let me make it as simple for you as possible....the process aka the consultation is a sham....it will achieve zero nada nilch zip....it is merely meant to placate people like you.
At the end of the day who are the people making the decisions about TnT football?
if this happened in Europe or N.america people would be bumping gum about how 'progressive' their football is. but since its here it really eh worth the effort right?
you can hide behind that bullshit about 'placating people like you' and 'at the end of the day' all yuh want. i'll make it simple for YOU as possible. the MoS asked for submissions. people like YOU who always complaining and bitching and moaning could not be bothered to even spend a five minutes to make an effort. and to justify your lazy-ass, do-nothing, negative, take-it-in-the ass-like-a-bitch-attitude you come up in here and bawling how you KNOW is a sham. how you know that....you is f**king nostradamus?
it have people on this site who contributed to this thing that do far more than you ever facking do or will ever do for football, so f**k off with yuh bullshit. allyuh men does prefer to run yuh mouth but when time for action comes allyuh NOWHERE to found. and is one setta 'them eh go take we on, or 'its a sham! . tallman sit down and take time and care to write up a proposal and now where all the facking forum big-mouths? less than 300 sign it. no amount of deflection or hiding or petty insults go take away from the fact that nobody trying. stick that in yuh facking craw
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Sometimes I swear allyuh have no understanding..... let me make it as simple for you as possible....the process aka the consultation is a sham....it will achieve zero nada nilch zip....it is merely meant to placate people like you.
At the end of the day who are the people making the decisions about TnT football?
if this happened in Europe or N.america people would be bumping gum about how 'progressive' their football is. but since its here it really eh worth the effort right?
you can hide behind that bullshit about 'placating people like you' and 'at the end of the day' all yuh want. i'll make it simple for YOU as possible. the MoS asked for submissions. people like YOU who always complaining and bitching and moaning could not be bothered to even spend a five minutes to make an effort. and to justify your lazy-ass, do-nothing, negative, take-it-in-the ass-like-a-bitch-attitude you come up in here and bawling how you KNOW is a sham. how you know that....you is f**king nostradamus?
it have people on this site who contributed to this thing that do far more than you ever facking do or will ever do for football, so f**k off with yuh bullshit. allyuh men does prefer to run yuh mouth but when time for action comes allyuh NOWHERE to found. and is one setta 'them eh go take we on, or 'its a sham! . tallman sit down and take time and care to write up a proposal and now where all the facking forum big-mouths? less than 300 sign it. no amount of deflection or hiding or petty insults go take away from the fact that nobody trying. stick that in yuh facking craw
Again asshole yuh so cluesless....it's not about how much people contribute to a proposal,,,the fact is the same people who have been making or not making decisions for the last 30 years have the final say... Do you think they will all of a sudden have an ephinany and do things differently????? then you are more stupid than I thought because yes all they are doing is placating idiots like you...
wonderful proposal zanders well done.....NEXT...that is how they think....ask yuhself why we football in such ah state...
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Harford: Good time for TTFF to fix football
By Kern De Freitas
Not all that bad.
That's how sports promoter/broadcaster Anthony Harford sees the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
During his contribution at yesterday's National Consultation on Football at Movie Towne's Banquet and Conference Centre at Invaders Bay, Harford acceded there were a number of issues rightly flung at the feet of the Federation, currently led by acting president Lennox Watson.
The Federation was knocked by a number of organisations and individuals, who either presented or simply submitted recommendations on the way forward for T&T football, given the slump of the national team which saw Trinidad and Tobago drop out of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup at the first hurdle, after losing to both Bermuda and Guyana.
Harford, though, said part of the problem is that one man–Works Minister and former TTFF special adviser Jack Warner–had been allowed to control football for more than three decades.
He further suggested that non-qualification for the 2014 World Cup second round qualifiers might be a blessing in disguise, giving T&T football the chance to improve some of their operating procedures.
He defended the TTFF, however, over calls for a wholesale change of officials.
"There are people (in the TTFF) who need to say 'it's time for me to go, I've served my time'," Harford told the gathering, which included former national players, coaches, fans, officials, referees and T&T Pro League representatives.
"There are people who need to say that, but not the whole organisation. Because there are some good and honest people there," claimed the All Sport Promotions managing director.
Harford also revealed that in conversation with one TTFF auditor, he learned that the problem with the financial audits submitted by the Federation to the courts during the ongoing 'Soca Warriors' legal action against them is not that account, but the fact that parallel accounts were also set up.
And the seasoned broadcaster also said that while some presenters had proposed showing national matches, broadcasters needed to pay for the rights to do so, and he added that the Caribbean Football Union had long ago sold T&T's rights up until 2014, so that the TTFF "have nothing to get".
In another interesting and lively contribution, Pro League chairman Larry Romany described the process of changing T&T football as a "complex" one.
Romany, who is also president of the T&T Olympic Committee, estimated that approximately 300,000 Trinidadians follow football at some level, more than half the following of cricket, which is also significantly more than that for the third choice sport in T&T, track and field.
Officials need to invest most heavily into development from the primary school level, Romany said, in order to ensure long term sustainability for football.
He criticised what he called Trinidad and Tobago's "seasonal" approach to football, adding that citizens need to "understand the importance of development of sport in a sustainable manner that will make us proud".
Other contributions came from the T&T Referees Association and the socawarriors.net website, along with other local teams, while TTFF vice-president Rudolph Thomas spoke very briefly, thanking the Ministry of Sport for their initiative in hosting the event, in hopes of charting a new way forward for T&T football.
"We are in dire straits in the TTFF" Thomas said, "and only if we pool our office and ideas we will be able to move forward. So the TTFF is indeed grateful for this opportunity to share with the stakeholders in football the kinds of possible solutions that would make going forward meaningful (the) need to engage stakeholders in football..."
In his feature speech, Minister of Sport Anil Roberts said Trinidad and Tobago football is currently in a "nightmare".
He added that yesterday's event was not an attempt by the Ministry to "interfere" with the autonomy of any sporting body, but felt it was a good way to begin healthy dialogue in the interest of football.
Roberts insisted that T&T must "get over the tabanca" and focus on rebuilding the football and annouced that within a year at least 65 recreation grounds in Trinidad and Tobago will be upgraded, so that local football can return to the communities in hopes of regaining crowd support.
He also divulged the Ministry's hard-line stance on what he called the "fraudulent attempts" by some sporting bodies that inflate their budgets and keep a portion of the money to themselves.
"We in sport cannot continue to waste money," Roberts stated, saying that money that goes to sport from Cabinet means less money in other areas for hospital beds, MRI machines and other important things such as roads and bridges and other infrastructure.
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This article really show me how the media can twist things. Harford was one of the last speakers and he came to the mike with venom in his voice saying that all of us are wasting time in this room because not one person mentioned Jack Warner and the fact that we allowed one man to run and ruin football in this country for the past 30 years. That we could not have a consultation about the good of the game and not be willing to speak about the elephant in the room. His entire contribution criticised Warner and the TTFF. He only made one "soft" statement which was that "they are not all bad". However, this article makes it sound like others were criticising the TTFF and Harford defended them.
Larry Romany also said that cricket's participation is half that of football, not the other way around as the article says.
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This article really show me how the media can twist things. Harford was one of the last speakers and he came to the mike with venom in his voice saying that all of us are wasting time in this room because not one person mentioned Jack Warner and the fact that we allowed one man to run and ruin football in this country for the past 30 years. That we could not have a consultation about the good of the game and not be willing to speak about the elephant in the room. His entire contribution criticised Warner and the TTFF. He only made one "soft" statement which was that "they are not all bad". However, this article makes it sound like others were criticising the TTFF and Harford defended them.
Larry Romany also said that cricket's participation is half that of football, not the other way around as the article says.
This is what i'm talking about,they still scared of JW,come out in the open and speak alyu minds and is change alyu want?i like Roberts he is my favourite,he likes the Minor League concept Football in all the communities which i agree with.
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Sometimes I swear allyuh have no understanding..... let me make it as simple for you as possible....the process aka the consultation is a sham....it will achieve zero nada nilch zip....it is merely meant to placate people like you.
At the end of the day who are the people making the decisions about TnT football?
if this happened in Europe or N.america people would be bumping gum about how 'progressive' their football is. but since its here it really eh worth the effort right?
you can hide behind that bullshit about 'placating people like you' and 'at the end of the day' all yuh want. i'll make it simple for YOU as possible. the MoS asked for submissions. people like YOU who always complaining and bitching and moaning could not be bothered to even spend a five minutes to make an effort. and to justify your lazy-ass, do-nothing, negative, take-it-in-the ass-like-a-bitch-attitude you come up in here and bawling how you KNOW is a sham. how you know that....you is f**king nostradamus?
it have people on this site who contributed to this thing that do far more than you ever facking do or will ever do for football, so f**k off with yuh bullshit. allyuh men does prefer to run yuh mouth but when time for action comes allyuh NOWHERE to found. and is one setta 'them eh go take we on, or 'its a sham! . tallman sit down and take time and care to write up a proposal and now where all the facking forum big-mouths? less than 300 sign it. no amount of deflection or hiding or petty insults go take away from the fact that nobody trying. stick that in yuh facking craw
Again asshole yuh so cluesless....it's not about how much people contribute to a proposal,,,the fact is the same people who have been making or not making decisions for the last 30 years have the final say... Do you think they will all of a sudden have an ephinany and do things differently????? then you are more stupid than I thought because yes all they are doing is placating idiots like you...
wonderful proposal zanders well done.....NEXT...that is how they think....ask yuhself why we football in such ah state...
the pathetic whinyness and cry baby nature of your posting is depressing. when it comes down to it you're just another slave cussing massa and chopping his cane. i have often asked myself why football is in such a state. here is my answer. the only thing that kept jack, camps and friends in power all these years was people throwing up their hands in despair and looking away. they want you to do that so they can hold that grip tighter and tighter. the ttff LOVES people like that. and all the big talkers who cyah even be bothered to spend a two minutes or pay for a facking postage stamp.
keep talking empty words and wallowing in your negativity. thanks for representing the views of the coward-arse bitch faction of the site, you did well. allyuh big talkers waste one setta bandwidth and ink on Controversial and his attention seeking tactics and then come crawling here to tell me what and what is not a waste of time. football lovers my ass!
i'll say it again...its nowhere done yet. the MoS is in full and complete charge of the TTFF. if you think lennox watson was happy to sit there and smile while people destroyed the fed in front his face yuh dead wrong. the MoS made promises and is up to the people to make sure they keep these promises. so when the time comes the football community will be called upon again. i hope that people will not abstain or turn your backs when you are most needed! I done!
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This article really show me how the media can twist things. Harford was one of the last speakers and he came to the mike with venom in his voice saying that all of us are wasting time in this room because not one person mentioned Jack Warner and the fact that we allowed one man to run and ruin football in this country for the past 30 years. That we could not have a consultation about the good of the game and not be willing to speak about the elephant in the room. His entire contribution criticised Warner and the TTFF. He only made one "soft" statement which was that "they are not all bad". However, this article makes it sound like others were criticising the TTFF and Harford defended them.
Larry Romany also said that cricket's participation is half that of football, not the other way around as the article says.
"Kevin Harrison (North East Stars)
Started off with "We have seen change of players, change of coaches, but for 20 years no change of the TTFF." Also advocated that the TTFF and referees settle their differences ASAP because it is hurting the Pro League."
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Videos of Harford and Corneal from consultation. Harfords breakdown down of national team costs is enlightening.
http://www.youtube.com/v/o6u5M2xIgug
http://www.youtube.com/v/dfYogVWlSgM
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Ministry of Sport hosts Football Development Consultation
news.gov.tt
About 75 individuals turned up for the Ministry of Sport's National Consultation on Football held at Movie Towne Banquet & Conference Centre on Monday. Representing a wide cross-section of interests - athletes, coaches, supporter organisations, clubs, referees and media - there were more than 20 oral presentations made on the way forward for football.
The Consultation was the brainchild of the Honourable Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport and came after a disastrous campaign by the national senior team in their quest to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. A call was made to football organisations as well as other interested parties to submit recommendations on how the country's football stock could be improved from grassroots to elite level.
Officials from the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation did attend but took a back seat, preferring instead to listen to all the ideas presented. Vice President Rudolph Thomas in brief remarks to the audience at the start apologised for not meeting the expectation many would have had to hear something from the governing body for local football but indicated that the TTFF is grateful to the Ministry for the initiative and pledged to work with all stakeholders to turn around the fortunes of football.
In what might have turned out to be a fiery blasting of the TTFF for perceived injustices in the past, most contributions instead focused on specific solutions to the problems such as introducing physical education on the primary school curriculum; developing policies, structures and a philosophy for Trinidad & Tobago football; increasing the number of spectators and thereby revenue streams for the TT Pro League and a more community-focused approach to the pathway from grassroots to elite.
Among the individuals present at the Consultation were TT Pro League President Larry Romany, Guyana national coach Jamal Shabazz, former TTFF Assistant Technical Director Anton Corneal, W Connection boss David John Williams and socawarriors.net member Brian Springer.
The next step for the Ministry, according to Minister Roberts, will be to compile and condense all the recommendations into a discussion paper which will be circulated among the Consultation attendees as well as the wider public for comment.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/drUBKL89SU4
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http://www.youtube.com/v/dfYogVWlSgM
Like allyuh eh watch de video or wha? Harford call we out at 02:32. He say how man on socawarriors.net say he eh know what he doing and how he running ah 2x4 organization ;D
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The Ministry of Sport is assuming the TTFF's responsibilities, and the TTFF clique are happy for the financial backing that will prolong their collective life....
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http://www.youtube.com/v/52octU-fOGs
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http://www.youtube.com/v/52octU-fOGs
:applause: :applause:
Patriot, much appreciated brother.
Many of us on here talk and talk and talk, but there are a few of us who actually walk the walk and for this I an truly grateful to you all who actually put yourselves out there to affect some sort of change and on the ground support.
Thank you all very much.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/52octU-fOGs
:applause: :applause:
Patriot, much appreciated brother.
Many of us on here talk and talk and talk, but there are a few of us who actually walk the walk and for this I an truly grateful to you all who actually put yourselves out there to affect some sort of change and on the ground support.
Thank you all very much.
Weall said :beermug: :beermug:
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Good job breds ! Thanks for representing us.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/6m03mlANpWw
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Videos of Harford and Corneal from consultation. Harfords breakdown down of national team costs is enlightening.
I hope now you understand why I took you to task last week for some of your criticism of All Sport. No I did not have this information, but all along I was preaching patience and caution with All Sport, give them a chance rather than prematurely conclude from nothing that they are crooked or inept.
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Videos of Harford and Corneal from consultation. Harfords breakdown down of national team costs is enlightening.
I hope now you understand why I took you to task last week for some of your criticism of All Sport. No I did not have this information, but all along I was preaching patience and caution with All Sport, give them a chance rather than prematurely conclude from nothing that they are crooked or inept.
The points he made were enlightening, but he still did not explain where the income from sponsors is, how much they received from T shirt sales and if the management fee was their fee. I actually tried to talk with him so I could tell him I was one of his critics and the reason why I raised concerns (as I believe he must have read my comments on this site), but he was surrounded by people after the event.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/52octU-fOGs
:applause: :applause:
Patriot, much appreciated brother.
Many of us on here talk and talk and talk, but there are a few of us who actually walk the walk and for this I an truly grateful to you all who actually put yourselves out there to affect some sort of change and on the ground support.
Thank you all very much.
:salute:
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The points he made were enlightening, but he still did not explain where the income from sponsors is, how much they received from T shirt sales and if the management fee was their fee. I actually tried to talk with him so I could tell him I was one of his critics and the reason why I raised concerns (as I believe he must have read my comments on this site), but he was surrounded by people after the event.
How much income could there have been in just 3 months though? When nothing was going on with the national program... how much sponsorship and T-shirt sales(??) could there be? As for the comments... I seem to recall him responding some time back to some of the nonsense criticism by Controversial.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/dfYogVWlSgM
Like allyuh eh watch de video or wha? Harford call we out at 02:32. He say how man on socawarriors.net say he eh know what he doing and how he running ah 2x4 organization ;D
He said WE. We get totally broad brushed for the comments of one fool.....steups!!
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The points he made were enlightening, but he still did not explain where the income from sponsors is, how much they received from T shirt sales and if the management fee was their fee. I actually tried to talk with him so I could tell him I was one of his critics and the reason why I raised concerns (as I believe he must have read my comments on this site), but he was surrounded by people after the event.
How much income could there have been in just 3 months though? When nothing was going on with the national program... how much sponsorship and T-shirt sales(??) could there be? As for the comments... I seem to recall him responding some time back to some of the nonsense criticism by Controversial.
Flex, Birchall, Anthony Harford. When yuh big yuh large!!!..... ::) ::)
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The points he made were enlightening, but he still did not explain where the income from sponsors is, how much they received from T shirt sales and if the management fee was their fee. I actually tried to talk with him so I could tell him I was one of his critics and the reason why I raised concerns (as I believe he must have read my comments on this site), but he was surrounded by people after the event.
How much income could there have been in just 3 months though? When nothing was going on with the national program... how much sponsorship and T-shirt sales(??) could there be? As for the comments... I seem to recall him responding some time back to some of the nonsense criticism by Controversial.
Flex, Birchall, Anthony Harford. When yuh big yuh large!!!..... ::) ::)
Although this forum is here to express personal opinions, people have to understand that this is now recognised as a legitimate voice, so when there is criticism posted by individuals, the whole site gets blamed!
Look at the abuse here this week for Birchall, Jack & Sancho. Even though it was selective individuals and others praised those players, they will still tell their friends that supporters on SW.net are a bunch of ungrateful a**holes. Although they will not be referring to everyone...thats not how it will be heard!!
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Although this forum is here to express personal opinions, people have to understand that this is now recognised as a legitimate voice, so when there is criticism posted by individuals, the whole site gets blamed!
Look at the abuse here this week for Birchall, Jack & Sancho. Even though it was selective individuals and others praised those players, they will still tell their friends that supporters on SW.net are a bunch of ungrateful a**holes. Although they will not be referring to everyone...thats not how it will be heard!!
Unfortunately is the negativity that is remembered the most... just human nature really. How many of us are motivated to call, write or email whenever we have a positive customer service interaction? But let it be negative... we quick to complain, lol
Back to the discussion though, I always liked Tony Harford, back when he was a sportswriter and budding renaissance man. I think it probably made me a little biased in giving A/S the benefit of the doubt, but his frankness at the forum kinda confirm what I thought of him and his company. Let's see if it continues and/or bears fruit. Everything he said relative to Jack was on point... and some may see it as criticism, truth is he was just stating fact. You can't invest so much power in any one individual, nothing against that individual, but the day they leave the organization there's a leadership/functional void. TTFF now realizing that, and unfortunately is we and we football to ketch.
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Although this forum is here to express personal opinions, people have to understand that this is now recognised as a legitimate voice, so when there is criticism posted by individuals, the whole site gets blamed!
Look at the abuse here this week for Birchall, Jack & Sancho. Even though it was selective individuals and others praised those players, they will still tell their friends that supporters on SW.net are a bunch of ungrateful a**holes. Although they will not be referring to everyone...thats not how it will be heard!!
Unfortunately is the negativity that is remembered the most... just human nature really. How many of us are motivated to call, write or email whenever we have a positive customer service interaction? But let it be negative... we quick to complain, lol
Back to the discussion though, I always liked Tony Harford, back when he was a sportswriter and budding renaissance man. I think it probably made me a little biased in giving A/S the benefit of the doubt, but his frankness at the forum kinda confirm what I thought of him and his company. Let's see if it continues and/or bears fruit. Everything he said relative to Jack was on point... and some may see it as criticism, truth is he was just stating fact. You can't invest so much power in any one individual, nothing against that individual, but the day they leave the organization there's a leadership/functional void. TTFF now realizing that, and unfortunately is we and we football to ketch.
Have to say, I was impressed too. But, my point remains...even if there had been $10 from a t shirt sale and $50 from an ad, it should have been listed to avoid any suggestion of non transparency. Theres non point producing a balance sheet (even an interim one) without all information. To avoid any doubt Harford could have listed "income from sponsorship - $0"
After all of the murky dealings in the past, the last thing Harford should want is missing items from the balance sheets. I have never said All sport were corrupt, but they have left themselves with a query over their heads which they could have avoided. Transparency is just that - transparent.
I ain't interested in seeing a stripper who keeps on her clothes because she doesn't like people seeing the wart on her ass. Show it all - warts and all!
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Have to say, I was impressed too. But, my point remains...even if there had been $10 from a t shirt sale and $50 from an ad, it should have been listed to avoid any suggestion of non transparency. Theres non point producing a balance sheet (even an interim one) without all information. To avoid any doubt Harford could have listed "income from sponsorship - $0"
After all of the murky dealings in the past, the last thing Harford should want is missing items from the balance sheets. I have never said All sport were corrupt, but they have left themselves with a query over their heads which they could have avoided. Transparency is just that - transparent.
I ain't interested in seeing a stripper who keeps on her clothes because she doesn't like people seeing the wart on her ass. Show it all - warts and all!
Fair enough... but you weren't as neutral then as you're suggesting today. You basically accused them of being in cahoots with the old administration and that nothing had changed and that they were inept... suggesting that an open-bid process would have resulted in a more efficient third-party overseer. Your overall implication was that their work was substandard and that the accounting provided was inaccurate.
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Have to say, I was impressed too. But, my point remains...even if there had been $10 from a t shirt sale and $50 from an ad, it should have been listed to avoid any suggestion of non transparency. Theres non point producing a balance sheet (even an interim one) without all information. To avoid any doubt Harford could have listed "income from sponsorship - $0"
After all of the murky dealings in the past, the last thing Harford should want is missing items from the balance sheets. I have never said All sport were corrupt, but they have left themselves with a query over their heads which they could have avoided. Transparency is just that - transparent.
I ain't interested in seeing a stripper who keeps on her clothes because she doesn't like people seeing the wart on her ass. Show it all - warts and all!
Fair enough... but you weren't as neutral then as you're suggesting today. You basically accused them of being in cahoots with the old administration and that nothing had changed and that they were inept... suggesting that an open-bid process would have resulted in a more efficient third-party overseer. Your overall implication was that their work was substandard and that the accounting provided was inaccurate.
I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
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I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
I think your concerns were fair... given the climate as you suggest. I just thought they had to be tempered a bit by reality. I don't trust Roberts and don't particularly like him, and I too was suspicious of the A/S involvement. But what I saw from them, including Harford taking the time to respond to criticism here, was a willingness to engage critics. This alone was a marked departure from the past, and indicated a willingness to be accountable, at least in that small regard.
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I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
I think your concerns were fair... given the climate as you suggest. I just thought they had to be tempered a bit by reality. I don't trust Roberts and don't particularly like him, and I too was suspicious of the A/S involvement. But what I saw from them, including Harford taking the time to respond to criticism here, was a willingness to engage critics. This alone was a marked departure from the past, and indicated a willingness to be accountable, at least in that small regard.
:beermug:
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I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
I think your concerns were fair... given the climate as you suggest. I just thought they had to be tempered a bit by reality. I don't trust Roberts and don't particularly like him, and I too was suspicious of the A/S involvement. But what I saw from them, including Harford taking the time to respond to criticism here, was a willingness to engage critics. This alone was a marked departure from the past, and indicated a willingness to be accountable, at least in that small regard.
:beermug:
:beermug: FS & Bakes have finally agreed on something!!
I think I am going to throw a party to celebrate!! :wavetowel: :chilling: :cheers: :party: :afro: :thumbsup:
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what sport do trinbagonians like the most..it's a good question..because after that question comes investors...who takes it all..who is showing generosity is it questions? where are our supporters why cant we full up stadiums...pick your team and support...we always look for politician solutions..while its a people concern...another solutions we could make smaller stadiums for the championship and bring much heat inside...
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I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
I think your concerns were fair... given the climate as you suggest. I just thought they had to be tempered a bit by reality. I don't trust Roberts and don't particularly like him, and I too was suspicious of the A/S involvement. But what I saw from them, including Harford taking the time to respond to criticism here, was a willingness to engage critics. This alone was a marked departure from the past, and indicated a willingness to be accountable, at least in that small regard.
:beermug:
:beermug: FS & Bakes have finally agreed on something!!
I think I am going to throw a party to celebrate!! :wavetowel: :chilling: :cheers: :party: :afro: :thumbsup:
Haha :rotfl:
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I would agree with that assessment. Unfortunately I have a tendancy to see whats not there, rather than what is. Given the current climate, you have to bend over backwards to prove you are not like the past regime and things have changed.
Like an adulterer, the smallest indescretion will be assumed that you are hiding something.
Given that All Sport was an appointment, not a result of a tender process I felt my concerns were justified. I here you about having just 3 months, but accounts is accounts, and I saw plenty advertising and shirts on sale at every match, so I guess I was suspicious.
harford and all at TTFF need to be ultra transparent in order to rebuild confidence and trust. I sincerely hope they achieve this!!
I think your concerns were fair... given the climate as you suggest. I just thought they had to be tempered a bit by reality. I don't trust Roberts and don't particularly like him, and I too was suspicious of the A/S involvement. But what I saw from them, including Harford taking the time to respond to criticism here, was a willingness to engage critics. This alone was a marked departure from the past, and indicated a willingness to be accountable, at least in that small regard.
:beermug:
:beermug: FS & Bakes have finally agreed on something!!
I think I am going to throw a party to celebrate!! :wavetowel: :chilling: :cheers: :party: :afro: :thumbsup:
Haha :rotfl:
Why yuh laughing!? This is a special occasion well worth celebrating!! :party: :wavetowel:
The next time I am going to throw a party like this but maybe an even bigger one is when Controversial publicly admits that he was wrong about something but I feel I will see T&T qualify for another senior World Cup before that happens!! ::)
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what sport do trinbagonians like the most..it's a good question..because after that question comes investors...who takes it all..who is showing generosity is it questions? where are our supporters why cant we full up stadiums...pick your team and support...we always look for politician solutions..while its a people concern...another solutions we could make smaller stadiums for the championship and bring much heat inside...
According to the survey quoted by Tony Harford...its easily football. But, thats playing, not watching.
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:beermug: FS & Bakes have finally agreed on something!!
I think I am going to throw a party to celebrate!! :wavetowel: :chilling: :cheers: :party: :afro: :thumbsup:
We've agreed on plenty in the past... FS just kinda loss he head over the past 6 months since Jack get caught up ;D
Ah worthier cause for celebration is TrinBa post... dat man finally making some sense lol
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:beermug: FS & Bakes have finally agreed on something!!
I think I am going to throw a party to celebrate!! :wavetowel: :chilling: :cheers: :party: :afro: :thumbsup:
We've agreed on plenty in the past... FS just kinda loss he head over the past 6 months since Jack get caught up ;D
Ah worthier cause for celebration is Trinba post... dat man finally making some sense lol
Fair enough but I still celebrating anyway as the party done start, please don't be a party pooper!!
I am Trini after all and any excuse is a good excuse to party and celebrate!! :wavetowel: :cheers: :party:
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http://www.youtube.com/v/95zgcV-7V2I
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http://www.youtube.com/v/DmWUuFETE-o
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Talking bout hitting the nail on the head.
Not much to disagree with in Romany's words. . .
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Very insightful! No surprise he calls himself a sport scientist. Wish more like him would leave administration and get involved in development
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http://www.youtube.com/v/DmWUuFETE-o
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: It's the most sense i've ever heard anyone make on Football in T&T in a long time,i hope this Symposium is not a one and done by the MOS,we need to have more of these discussions,with the contributions of all the stakeholders i think Football can be saved because at some time people will have to act.
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Restructuring the local football landscape
By Narada Wilson
The restructuring of the local football landscape is compelling, crucial and requires a great deal of knowledge, time and creativity. For far too long when things go wrong, our leaders or persons in charge have scrapped the old and presented something new that may have worked elsewhere but not respecting the dynamics of our sporting culture.
The facts to consider are that Trinidad and Tobago is made up of primarily 2 ethnicities that represent about 75% of the population. English native speakers with direct access to US culture even though a former British colony. A Caribbean island of 1.3 million people that enjoy two main sporting passions. Topping it off with our love for carnival, the oil/gas industry and education accolades make our dynamics totally different from most.
The persons entrusted with the project of restructuring arguably the most popular sport in the country must have a track record of success in sport management over the last 10 years. The industry is growing at a critical speed and strategies used 15 years ago are no longer applicable. The country cannot again fail at another football reinvention, as it is now risking the entire image of the local game.
Key points for restructuring would start with improving participation. What is required is the implementation of mechanisms to encourage our children both boys and girls to want to play football. For this to happen, the image of the sport, visibility of its local players, and post career opportunities must be highlighted. Our culture is heavily motivated by education so the school is seen as a positive and safe institution, there is a need for more talks between football stakeholders and the Ministry of Education or school departments to encourage academies/youth teams to use school facilities for their activities. These grounds are more centrally located, they provide parking and security which at the youth level are decisive factors for the parents.
Coaching education/certification should be another priority in the restructuring process. For far too long our better coaches are only amassed at the elite football positions. This is not to say that those charged with grassroots coaching aren’t qualified, but the majority are not. This means that our players are entering the national youth systems with technical deficiencies. The federation must continue to regularly qualify these coaches and offer incentives to do so. This can come in many forms like discounts for sporting equipment, preferential access to coaching badges, waived tournament fees etc. Our grassroots and youth football head coaches should at some point all be in possession of the equivalent of a “C” or “B” license.
The competitive football framework is the most tedious of the lot. The Super League has been able to reach communities far and wide. The persons charged with running the organization are interested in doing the work, but what is missing is additional funding. The Super League is an amateur or at best semi-pro league by definition. Funding by government or the federation is needed and should not be denied, their contribution warrants it. They are not here for a month only or a one-off tournament. The funding should be able to cover uniforms for the season, transportation from one central point to and from the game venue, a stipend and refreshments for players on game day and inter-island travel.
The Super League and Pro League need to play in an inter-league tournament/cup format possibly divided into north and south zones, which then leads up to an eventual winner for the first half of the football season. After which the clubs return to play in their respective leagues for the second part of the season, so the most amount of elite football can be played throughout the year.
The Pro League after almost 20 years, may be the hardest hit if the restructuring is done right. The local fans have not bought into 9 months of constantly supporting football at this level. Reasons for this are less disposable income, more access to international football matches, alternative entertainment options etc. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) may seem to work because it is only a few days over a 2-month period, and the players involved are world renowned, but compare it to local/first class cricket or community leagues and the difference is clearer. The players of the Police and Defence Force teams receive their salaries as service men while plying their trade in the league. It may be in the best interest to add other teams that can offer the same. It provides stable employment, constant physical training and added value of civic duty. A serious look should be given bringing the Prison Services and Fire Services into the discussion. Additionally, the University of the West Indies (UWI) and University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) joining, can bridge the gap for our elite youth players from secondary school to professional status. This alternative has been missing, and leads to the talent getting lost after attaining scholarships abroad. They will be student athletes and will continue to receive already existing bursaries/stipends or benefits. This will give way to 5 or 6 teams that don’t need additional governmental assistance.
Trinidad and Tobago´s population only realistically need a 10-team pro level football league at best. Clubs that are not able to finance or operate at the highest level can look at entering the Super League as the financial obligations would be less. The shares of those clubs can be bought over and costs the government or financiers less in the long term. Those that want to remain, can look at merging or remaining as is, once finances can be met. The ‘owner mindset’ speaks to resources under their control in order to achieve personal objectives. This mentality of entitlement needs to be put aside, as the business mindset of football is necessary for its survival.
The final piece of the puzzle is with the responsibility of the media. The country presently has the most number of national athletes more specifically footballers playing abroad. Those are the stories that should be dominating the sports segment of the local print media. There are online media houses able to do it, proving the information is attainable. There is no need for the foreign sports headlines to take up more than two pages, that information is everywhere to be found therefore local news should be priority one. As for television, again there is a need to limit foreign highlights, reason being that occurrence has been viewed by many, multiple times in real time before the primetime news airs. The internet age is here, the highlights of our athletes abroad are easily accessible. This gives to our local fans and more importantly the young ones, the belief that local athletes are also making a mark globally, which in return grooms better prepared minds for the successful generation to come.
About the Author: Narada Wilson is a sport executive at The Brazil Link (TBL).
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Restructure the decision-making and the decision makers.
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So how many league nationwide divisions of football do you all think are viable in T&T?
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These people just full of it. I think the league should have about 18 teams. 10 div. 1 And 8 div2. Promotion and demotion to create competition. I also think the teams in both divisions should play each other to create a regular length season. This will create rivalry and competition in the proleague itself. Fans from div2 teams will come to support their team against a div1 team. Create upset. I here nor there if they want to do play off after regular season.
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I don't know which is the best number to accommodate in the Pro-League for the population of T&T. I would think a small number (no more than 10) would be manageable
But whatever the number, I think T&T needs to cultivate/adopt a standard of excellence across the board and pursue a truly professional standard of the sport.
Anything less or sub-par is realy a waste of time and resources