Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Tallman on April 26, 2012, 05:25:01 AM
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Ramphal brews Trini flavour at Chelsea
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFF)
Except for Dennis Lawrence and Dwight Yorke, you will not find another Trinidadian on the staff of an English Premiership club. Of course Yorke and Lawrence are past players, with the former now a coach with the Manchester United Reserve team and Lawrence on the technical staff of Wigan Athletic. Others like John Granville was a goalkeeper coach at Swindon Town and local-based Terry Fenwick managed Portsmouth. Then comes a chap from Chaguanas who decides to further his studies in Information Technology in England and then chooses to apply for a job as a bartender with Chelsea Football Club eight years ago. Fast forward to present day and Kendall Ramphal holds a senior managerial position for Bars and Concessions with the 2012 European Champions League finalists.
The 33-year-old Ramphal doesn’t simply pour drinks over the counter for those among the 40,000 plus fans that frequent Stamford Bridge every weekend. He assists other senior managers in overseeing all of the 75 bars and restaurants at the Stadium, looks after all of Chelsea’s formal receptions including their end of season players dinner and ensures that all is well for the post-match get together involving the players and their spouses and immediate family. Definitely a proud ‘Trini’ in London who doesn’t actually have to kick a ball to receive a salary from one of the top clubs in world football today. “It started off with me seeing the ad in the newspaper for the bar supervisor role and deciding to apply for it eight years ago when I first moved to England. They loved my personality and said they’d never had some from Trinidad or the Caribbean work for them and I got the job,” Ramphal recalls.
“After five games, they offered me the role as a manager for one of the bars and I haven’t looked back since. I had to put my studies to rest because this became a full time job which has seen me reach the level of a general manager position for all of the club’s bars and concessions,” said a proud Ramphal who enjoyed Chelsea’s triumph over Barcelona on Tuesday with some 400 fellow Chelsea staff members over a big screen at Stamford Bridge. That night, he gave yours truly a tour of the home and away dressing rooms and the press conference rooms via Skype, making special mention of Didier Drogba and a now worthy Fernando Torres shirt on the hangers already in place for Chelsea’s next fixture against Queen's Park Rangers on Sunday. Ramphal, who resides in Wimbledon, works at all of Chelsea’s home matches and has attended several other FA Cup Finals and also works at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. He also has past work experience in the bar business with Arsenal, Fulham and Wembley.
He credits world renowned restaurant company Levy for his training and experience. Levy operates restaurants for several major US sporting leagues as well as Walt Disney and Chelsea. The Couva Government Secondary graduate missed the 2008 Champions League Final which Chelsea lost to Manchester United but is set to travel to Munich next month for the 2012 final. “Roman Abramovich treats his staff very well. In 2008 he gave tickets to all the staff members and chartered two planes to Moscow but I couldn’t make it. Next month I’m definitely making up for that.” Dwight Yorke’s been to a Champions League final before, winning the medal in 1999 and maybe Ramphal will be the second Trinidadian to put his hands on the Champions League trophy in celebration mode when it returns to Stamford Bridge next month.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/field/image/ramphal.jpg)
Kendall Ramphal shows off the Champions League Trophy
during its appearance at the Barcelona vs Chelsea clash at
Stamford Bridge last week.
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His jacket looks a bit short and tight,try and look a bit more trendy mate. ;D
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His jacket looks a bit short and tight,try and look a bit more trendy mate. ;D
well among other things we now know you is not no fashion plate
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His jacket looks a bit short and tight,try and look a bit more trendy mate. ;D
well among other things we now know you is not no fashion plate
Dam rite I'm not,but I do like nice things and anyway clothes doesn't have to be fashionable to be nice.
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Nice :beermug:
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Massive achievement!!
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Mix de fitball
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Mix de fitball
:rotfl: :beermug:
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Mix de fitball
:rotfl: :beermug:
Dis man like real shyte for real :beermug:
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I swear you can find ah Trini anywhere! :beermug:
Big Up!
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Mix de fitball
:applause:
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Fuentes say de man give him ah tour via Skype yes... lol.
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Mix de fitball
:rotfl: :beermug:
Dis man like real shyte for real :beermug:
Oh Lawwwwdddddd! Yuh Win.
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but de man "mixing" fuh de fitball...