Players claim blacklist in effect.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Warriors Fume
Trinidad and Tobago's historic goalless draw against Sweden last June, on the twin island republic's World Cup debut in Germany, gave new meaning to the phrase "warrior spirit". But, these days, the "Soca Warriors" appear to have more problems with the enemy within.
The fight between players and administrators over promised bonuses seemed to have taken its toll on the rank and file, this week, as reserve goalkeeper Clayton Ince threatened legal action against his teammates in an effort to distance himself from the activities of the Football Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT).
It prompted a plea by national players Stern John and Kelvin Jack for the Trinidad and TobagoFootball Federation (T&TFF) to come clean on a supposed blacklist that has seemingly denied the country's most experienced players from wearing red, black and white.
John, who represents English Championship Division club Sunderland, is Trinidad and Tobago's record goal scorer with 67 items while his 100 international appearances is second only to ex-CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh captain Angus Eve, who has 117 caps. He also scored five of the country's six goals in a crucial run of 2006 World Cup qualifying fixtures, two years ago, which clinched a Play Off battle against Bahrain.
But John, who is still available for selection, has not heard from the T&TFF in months. His position is identical to 15 of his World Cup teammates who threatened to take the local football governing body to court over bonuses arising from the team's participation in Germany. Midfielder Densill Theobald initially stood with the dissidents but backed down after being supposedly threatened with omission from the national squad.
"I am a bit disappointed that I didn't get a call (for national selection) but we heard that we were blacklisted," John told the Express, "although the Federation never contacted me personally and told me this was the case. We didn't want to go down this road with the Federation but they left us no choice.
"We had meetings with Groden and so on but things just weren't adding up at all. Even some of the local players who are training now say that the are not fit for a team that just played in a World Cup. Everything we worked so hard for in the summer just went out the window. It is a joke."
Jack, who represents English League One club Gillingham, is equally unimpressed with the treatment meted out to the Warriors. The 30-year-old goalkeeper returned to full training last week after a lengthy lay off with severe tendonitis in his left knee that rendered him unavailable for club and country.
But he also stressed that the T&TFF's alleged response to their bonus dispute is having a negative affect on the team and was eroding the gains made by their 2006 World Cup appearance.
"Players talk obviously and we have seen that players have been available and the Federation has not selected them," said Jack. "Maybe the Federation can explain why players from Aurtis Whitley and Cyd Gray come up are not being selected. Aurtis Whitley is the best player in Trinidad so how come he is not being selected?
"That is a question for the coach to answer It would be very unprofessional not to select a player for non-footballing reasons."
None of the radical 16 Warriors were summoned for national duty since last November's friendly 4-1 loss away to Austria when Trinidad and Tobago's sole item came from Dundee United winger Collin Samuel-another player who found himself on the wrong side of the bonus battle. It spans a period of eight matches under coach Wim Rijsbergen.
Oliver Camps, the president of the T&TFF, insisted that he knew of no such "blacklist" and suggested Rijsbergen had omitted the likes of Kenwyne Jones, Brent Sancho and Samuel on his own accord.
"The coach is doing what he has to do," said Camps. "There is no blacklist; not that I am aware of."
Rijsbergen, a former Holland World Cup player, declined the opportunity to confirm or deny the existence of a blacklist.
"That is something between the Federation and me," said the Dutchman. "I cannot give you an answer on that."
John is anxious to know more about his international future, especially with the CONCACAF Gold Cup coming up in June.
"Hopefully we (the Federation and the players) can get everything sorted by then," said John. "It will be really disappointing if this whole thing hampers the team because I think we turned the corner at the World Cup.
"I think that is one of the strongest Trinidad teams we ever had."
A decision on Trinidad and Tobago's strongest present squad, according to Camps, is a matter for Rijsbergen.
The Radical 16:
Avery John, Anthony Wolfe, Atiba Charles, Aurtis Whitley, Brent Sancho, Christopher Birchall, Collin Samuel, Cornell Glen, Cyd Gray, Evans Wise, Ian Cox, Kelvin Jack, Kenwyne Jones, Marvin Andrews, Shaka Hislop, Stern John.