Messages

61

General Discussion / Re: Tapatalk

« on: June 05, 2019, 08:25:26 AM »

Is this forum still supported under Tapatalk? Not seeing it when I search the app.
Kinda caused me to be AWOL a bit cause I'm not often behind a computer.

Oh btw Tallman sorry bout doing it like this. I tried to PM you and keep getting an error codde "function name must be a string" so....I dunno if that's another issue or its just me alone.

62

Football / Re: TTFA News Thread.

« on: June 04, 2019, 10:00:17 AM »

When are elections again?

Will those who vote develop a conscience and shame by then?

63

Football / Re: Kenwyne Jones Thread

« on: December 10, 2017, 02:44:28 PM »

So.... one last hurrah?

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64

Football / Re: Kenwyne Jones Thread

« on: November 20, 2017, 08:40:29 PM »

 Thanks for everything Skipper. All the best in the future.

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65

General Discussion / Re: Bridge to Tobago a good option

« on: October 18, 2017, 12:15:20 PM »

I would be skeptical about a bridge for the simple reason that it requires long term planning...maturity and foresight.
That Chinese bridge started in 2009....basically straddling two elections and potentially two governments. AT 15 Billion the funding would either need to be in the form of a loan and such...and depending on who did it and when.....would have another  set of row.

If it is done then it absolutely has to be a toll bridge. Then the water is another issue....I've heard the sea floor is another concern due to the plate margins.

66

Football / Failure to plan... means planning to fail.

« on: October 17, 2017, 04:54:01 PM »

Copied from a Facebook posting. It's LONG but it's food for thought.. and shows the importance of long term planning. The thing is... do we have anything resembling a long term plan?

After a great European Championship showing Iceland just qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Iceland's success is partially due to training and certifying more qualified coaches per capita than any other national coaching system. However, this can't be the only reason because other countries have a far bigger total number of UEFA/FIFA qualified coaches. There had to be more to the Icelandic soccer phenomenon than quickly meets the eye so I did some digging. Here’s how Iceland's soccer culture is different from that of other countries.

1. Iceland has upwards of 120 government funded small boarded outdoor soccer fields on the grounds of schools in communities around the country. These small ice-hockey style fields have become magnets for kids of all ages. They are artificial so the only thing that stops the kids playing is deep snow. Because they are boarded the ball stays in play and the walls provide kids with a rebound surface to shoot against. Having a wall to shoot against accelerates development considerably.

2. Prior to the financial crash that crippled Iceland’s banks, the Icelandic government funded domed indoor stadiums so its residents could play indoors even on the darkest, coldest winter days. Iceland now boasts 11 large domed indoor fields. This allows clubs to offer year-round, day-long access for teams of all ages. Visualize a plane hangar filled with crowds of kids and hundreds of soccer balls. Even the island of Heimey, population just over 4,000, has one. As a consequence Icelandic soccer has changed from a summer only to a year-round sport with no rain-outs or cancellations.

3. Icelandic kids have fewer competing options and soccer is the sport of choice for most Icelandic kids. In other cultures soccer isn’t as popular. Hockey reigns in Canada. Gaelic football is number one in Ireland. Aussie rules is king down under. India & Pakistan love Cricket. In Iceland soccer is by far the biggest and most popular sport.

4. Prior to the government’s investment in small boarded synthetic outdoor fields and large indoor fields soccer was played on poor full-size grass fields. Use a natural grass field every day for a week and it will start to get threadbare. Use it for a month and it will be ruined. When the government paid for 120 synthetic outdoor 5-a-side fields, 11 large indoor stadiums and heated synthetic outdoor fields in most communities, it provided everyone with the opportunity to double, triple and quadruple time spent training and playing.

5. Even though Iceland has the best indoor facility coverage per capita in the world indoor space and time is still very limited. The demand for practice time is so great that multiple different soccer teams usually share one large indoor field for practice. While this may appear to be a disadvantage it turns out it’s a positive. This is the essence of street soccer. Players who develop by playing small-sided games in tiny spaces become more skillful and competitive under penalty area type pressure than players who practice outdoors with more space and time. It probably wasn’t intentional but by default Iceland’s government may have helped accelerate child development by forcing multiple teams to practice simultaneously, each in a space smaller than an outdoor penalty area.

6. Mixed age groups. Many Icelandic communities don’t have enough players for dedicated single year age group teams and practices. Girls have to play with boys and different ages are thrown together to make games and practices work. While this could be negative it turns out this is good for development. Younger players with good potential play up. Players with weaker potential play down. Good girl players compete with boys. In the Icelandic system, the talented male or female player is more likely to be pushed up to a higher level of soccer. One that can help her/him transition to an even better level later.

7. The availability of indoor facilities and good coaches has caused parents to get their kids involved as early as 2 or 3. At the youngest levels, players are engaged in creative, fun training so they want to continue playing in their schools and neighborhoods.

8. Schools have made soccer a big part of their physical education curriculum. Every school in Iceland has a boarded all-weather 5-a-side pitch and a sports hall that can be used for their curriculum or pick-up games at recess.

9. Players and families at all levels intermingle with each other. From the professional players to the U3’s, everyone is involved at all levels of the local club. Clubs are like large families. Younger players watch the top teams play and some of the older players help coach or referee the younger players. This creates a connectivity throughout the entire club and helps breed a mindset towards soccer as a lifestyle, not just a hobby. There is community pride in soccer. So much so that communities are proud to have produced good players and especially proud when one of their own makes a national team. The close-knit nature of Icelandic players is an undeniable factor.

10. Good Icelandic players leave the nest early. In Iceland, you have to go abroad to play at the highest level. If you are potentially a professional you have to leave, you have to sacrifice. If you're 16, 17 or 18 with enough talent to make it you have to be willing to travel and live in a foreign country.

11. Icelandic players have unusually high levels of spirit, character, and passion. Icelanders are traditionally tough! When you peel away the layers Icelandic people have had to adapt to life as a battle. That spirit of struggle has endured. As a result, Icelanders have a deeper reserve of character to draw upon when the going gets rough. Passion goes hand in hand with struggle and character. People who play hard and dig deep embrace life with a passion that is rare. When a game is on the line they find a way to win. Heimir Hallgrimsson the National team coach says, “We're willing to work hard and go the extra mile and I think that's the strength of the individual here. We're used to bad weather. We're used to walking to school when it's windy and tough. So I think we're kind of used to a strong headwind in life, in general. We're willing to go the extra mile to get the result. I think that's our advantage."

It’s good to note that the smallest country to have previously reached the World Cup finals was Trinidad & Tobago in 2006 (1.3 million people), followed by Northern Ireland (1.85 million), Slovenia (2.08 million), Jamaica (2.89 million) and Wales (3.1 million).

Perhaps Brian Blickenstaff from Vice Sports puts it best. “This is a team from a rock in the North Atlantic occupying the same latitudes as central Alaska. It's a place so inhospitable and hard to reach that humans didn't settle it until 874. I mean, it's called Iceland for God's sake. There are no bad odds here. Here, bad odds are called life. Here, you live and thrive through careful planning and execution and hard, hard work—or you don't live at all.”

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67

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 11, 2017, 07:02:20 AM »

Me eh going and lie...i real enjoy this. Couldn't get out of work so I missed it live. However especially after that flooding issue I really wanted this... given that they set up a tripod to get the pics of the piggy banking... after they declined the invitation to train elsewhere.

In my view we could have gotten 14 points from this Hex. We threw it away in so many ways.

Anyhow....let dem take dat idmc.

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68

Football / Re: ARSENAL FORWARD

« on: March 07, 2017, 08:50:26 PM »

And further to that...if you think Wenger should go....could you Arsenal fans give suggestions as to viable replacements?

69

Football / Re: RIP Weary (Joann Charles)

« on: March 07, 2017, 07:26:04 PM »

Not to pre-empt Browns report but the place was ram out. A lot of people feeling the loss. It wasnt the usual platitudes, many spoke of her mindset of "not necessarily getting it done her way but getting it done the right way"...and how they appreciated her tough love approach. A common trend was how selfless she was and how devotion to sports and service was really her guiding principles. Browns words on our behalf was really heartfelt and well received. We really lost a good one.

I guessing details to follow.

70

Football / Re: RIP Weary (Joann Charles)

« on: March 02, 2017, 08:48:55 PM »

This was a shocker. Wow. My condolences to the family.

The hard part is how I found out.

I doing something in work and a man ask me..."Eh...who's dah woman who dead boy? I say which woman? He say I see you tag in something dey on facebook...pull it up and show me...and I say..."BUH WHA DE HELL...WHEN DIS HAPPEN?"

Wow.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
(Jas 4:14)

Oh gorm Bourbon boy....ah sorry to spring it on yuh so....I didn't know how to start to tell ppl.....

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Understood. I could imagine the confusion. Death is something while we've come to expect...unless we know a situation intimately....we wont expect it right now. C'est la vie.

71

Football / Re: RIP Weary (Joann Charles)

« on: March 02, 2017, 07:57:33 PM »

This was a shocker. Wow. My condolences to the family.

The hard part is how I found out.

I doing something in work and a man ask me..."Eh...who's dah woman who dead boy? I say which woman? He say I see you tag in something dey on facebook...pull it up and show me...and I say..."BUH WHA DE HELL...WHEN DIS HAPPEN?"

Wow.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
(Jas 4:14)

72

Football / Re: EFL Cup Thread

« on: February 26, 2017, 08:36:15 PM »

Good game by Southampton. Feel for them though.

Before this season I was telling a friend that while Zlatan is class....far too many times he hasnt stepped up and dragged his team when the going gets tough.

Today I officially retract that position.


Imagine for the free kick...seeing Pogba stand behind it...and thinking..."nah...too far....to get that to rise and dip...nah...Pogba cant do that. But then again there is Zlatan.......boom goal."

He on the list for best free transfer ever.

73

Football / Re: Dennis Lawrence Thread

« on: February 03, 2017, 01:58:32 PM »

He getting any friendly games before the qualifiers at least?

74

Football / Re: Dennis Lawrence Thread

« on: January 31, 2017, 03:10:19 AM »

Being a Yes Man is a prerequisite it seems. And no the media doesnt have the spine to ask the hard questions generally.

I honestly cant wait until DJW term is over. Then again for some reason Dave Cameron continues to be WICB president...so...maybe that would be in a  time further advanced than I think.

Ah mean...look at the initial post in this thread. Insider made it in 2013. And used the words "soon'. Things change.....and things happen.

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75

Football / Re: Dwight Yorke and David John-Williams appointed to FIFA Committees

« on: January 19, 2017, 08:28:10 PM »

I not sure how I feel about this.

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76

Football / Re: I heard Lawrence got the job

« on: January 19, 2017, 04:30:24 PM »

The technical committee say Stuart Charles and the TTFA board pick Dennis Lawrence.

I could imagine how DJW taking this. 

Lasana say he appeared to be visibly pissed

He should go by FT Farfan and get a tractor and use that to haul he backside.

Imagine when they discussing Fervier....he offer to recuse himself from the discussions.
They agreed.
He vex.

So he just on scenes then?

Anyhow..I could live with this choice. I was always saying if we giving people with little experience..AT LEAST give one of ours who trying to get a break nah.

And 3 year contract? Hmm..interesting.

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77

Football / Re: Franck Dumas for coach?

« on: January 12, 2017, 07:56:32 PM »

Well hear nah....if this is what we looking to pick better we give Yorke a chance. He eh go get one otherwise......and honestly I cant see it ending worse than this.


Side note...WDMC is it with DJW and Equatorial Guinea?

78

Football / Re: Charles-Fevrier hesitant about T&T job

« on: January 12, 2017, 11:11:22 AM »

Thesis..Antithesis...Synthesis.




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79

Football / Re: Building a local team could be a step in the right direction.

« on: January 12, 2017, 06:53:01 AM »

Yuh know....it all well and good to think and want a local team that consistently is training.
Anybody could give me an example of what country uses that and it working?

As Palos said....naturally with our best local players being exposed they would most likely move abroad and therefore not be local based again.
Plus getting them to train.

Spain...Germany..Holland...they had a football blueprint for their teams....using all clubs...for all age groups. Fitness standards established. So even if players domestically based...they at least following a coherent plan.

What do we have? The Pro-League is woeful. Men struggling to make it abroad and coming back home and starring. The intensity low. The quality low.

With all due respect to those who have gone before......times have changed..and while we not saying the previous PRINCIPLES may not apply...the execution and application of those principles would have to evolve to fit the current context.

Just last night I read a letter Gally wrote to Wired868. Yuh getting the bitterness and tote in it. Saying he had the most exciting local team...and is the most successful local coach...and basically saying he should be given a chance. Again with all due respect to Gally...the players he had at his disposal..the context of football then....as  compared to the situation now...is vastly different. I cant see it being immediately expected that the same results would happen.

That was in 1987 to 1990. We didnt adapt and evolve to meet the change. We struggling to catch up now. We cant expect ideas that worked 30 years ago to work the same way now. The way names being thrown about as to who should be the coach....my question is...for those who were trying to justify DJW selection of Saintfeild....how many coaches have international certification? What are we really going towards? Success is an achievement of purpose...whats the purpose of what we trying to do?

The technical director or technical committee...what are their plans? Is there a short..medium and long term plan? Are there specific targets? Are there metrics with which we can gauge progress?

If you dont know where you going...then any road will take you there.


And when you add the agendas and favoring of special persons and feeding at troughs...well.....you make things even worse.

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80

Football / Re: Charles-Fevrier hesitant about T&T job

« on: January 12, 2017, 06:37:53 AM »

So..the technical committee done approach Fevrier for the job? Since Boss man DJW doh do that. They call Fevrier from DJW phone or something cause they wanted his phone number?

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81

Football / Re: Saintfiet engages discussion with players

« on: January 12, 2017, 06:34:33 AM »

Sanfiet will surprise many people.

Well...

He surprise me.

I thought he would have held on to get fired and get the pay.

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82

Football / Re: The Fire Tom Saintfiet Thread

« on: January 11, 2017, 09:53:51 AM »

Tom is no longer. End of the Saintfiet "era".

https://mobile.twitter.com/OfmSport/status/819200841513127936/photo/1

http://mobile.lesoir.be/1413437/article/sports/football/football-international/2017-01-11/tom-saintfiet-demissionne-deja-son-poste-selectionneur-trinite

Well look at that.

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83

Football / Re: Thread for T&T vs Haiti Game (08-Jan-2017)

« on: January 08, 2017, 03:17:18 PM »

links...even radio....ah desperate enough  to  listen to Andre Baptiste.

Odd that the match is not on 95. What has happened to 95's partnership with the TTFA?

Right now a PNM rally getting broadcast. Which you feel would pay more..TTFA or PNM?

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84

Football / Re: How much money has the PNM allocated to the TTFA & Football to date?

« on: December 18, 2016, 08:24:15 PM »

So..hear wha going on.

My scanner too small to scan the whole newspaper page. I had to fold it in half to try to get it..and it being 4 pages...so its 8 files. I couldnt really rejoin that well...but....also due to where the folds happened....it still not as coherent. I hadda cook for work in the morning.....so...really...I eh have time to fight up.

Look a link for a PDF that I put the pics that I scanned. Its from sendspace.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/af2ilk


Specifically to reference the topic...this is for financial statement  for year ended December 2015. Meaning last year.

The statement of comprehensive income and accumulated deficit.


Income                                         2015                             2014
Grants                                        $7,958,216                      $15,980,871
Gate Receipts                               $3,573,288                     $2,214,698
Subscriptions and fees                  $436,725                         $48,100
Donations                                   $341,840                         $112,000
Reversal of liabilities: (Note         $40,182,873                     
Other Income                               $164,305                        $529,727
Interest Income                           $690                                 $79

Total                                         $52,657,937                       $18,885,475



Hopefully its clear enough for the discussion to proceed intelligently.
Unfortunately I have to prepare food to go on the plantation tomorrow.

But I'll assume that any government contribution would be under grants. And given that this was up to the end of 2015...this may still be under or from the PP. It gave an approximately 50% cut in the grants total.


On an aside....I went to check for this statement on TTFA website....the old one is kinda unavailable(www.ttffonline)....so I think this implicitly means this eh even available online.

85

Football / Re: How much money has the PNM allocated to the TTFA & Football to date?

« on: December 18, 2016, 06:58:24 PM »

Today TTFA financial statements were published in the Express. I'll try to scan it soon.

86

Football / Re: Troussier wanted US$100,000 monthly.

« on: December 11, 2016, 10:33:10 AM »

So....why was he second choice if he was the best for the job?


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87

General Discussion / Re: State of Emergency....Good concept, poor execution?

« on: December 10, 2016, 06:11:36 AM »

Is it time for another one? Will it make a difference? 

It didnt then.

I doubt it would now.


Getting all the illegal firearms from wherever they are is a risky enterprise. And since the borders so porous they just would come back in.
And even if.....when would they be prosecuted and convicted?

Then the drugs factor. People dont seem to realise that stopping the drug trade would also result in an uptick of killings. If a man takes drugs on consignment and it gets intercepted.....you think the person who supplied the drugs going and say..."Oh shucks...hard luck dey. Doh worry about the payment nah boy..these things happen."

This place is a festering mess and it will have to get much worse before it gets better.

88

Football / Re: TTFA set to appoint obscure Belgian; ex-Bangladesh coach

« on: December 07, 2016, 11:42:20 PM »

So we get a coach from Dollar Rescue?

Well ....we cant be angry if we get what we pay for.


It damn good for we.

Yuh just date yuhself. B yuh old

I hear that all the time.

I just grow up around "mature" people.....so it does have moments like dat.

89

Football / Re: TTFA set to appoint obscure Belgian; ex-Bangladesh coach

« on: December 07, 2016, 05:44:49 PM »

So we get a coach from Dollar Rescue?

Well ....we cant be angry if we get what we pay for.


It damn good for we.

90

General Discussion / Re: 2016 Local Elections Results

« on: December 07, 2016, 05:37:30 PM »

Right..a couple things:

One..people eat the chain up again about "low voter turnout". It was about 34% which is as per normal for LGE.

Two...UNC win the popular vote. However all the UNC corporations had turnouts of approx 40% as compared to the others which averaged below that and they only won the popular vote by 6000. Seems like the base was especially energized.

Three...Seems like representation doesnt matter...cause Terry Rondon has been a very active..visible and involved CEO for Sangre Grande and that moved from a clear PNM corporation to a tie. Interesting.

Four....we forgetting that the last LGE there was a difference...the ILP had a following....so...consider the results with that context.

Five...all the issues with austerity etc would never be solved from a LGE....it may affect sentiment...but anybody knowing the system should know that shouldnt matter. The issue of actually localizing what a community can do for itself through its representative or councilor should have been the focus.



Now..with the FOREX issue.

Trinis complain about a lack of availability of foreign exchange. When oil prices and oil production low..which is one way the supply affected. Not to mention the "dirty float" that is maintained. However if market forces were allowed to dictate...the ripple effects of that float would be ridiculous. But...we complain about no foreign exchange being available...yet every day..especially on weekends...Pricemart full....people rushing starbucks...and people prime up and waiting for Black Friday sale. Buying local eh a matter of buying it here. Francis fashion and all the other greed merchants eh doing anything that the average man cant do...just their volume is different.  Buying local means that all the things we consume should be produced here to keep our local economy going. But no of course we dont see it like that. We dont produce certain things here naturally..but the things that have local equivalents..why not support that? Especially given the fact that from all FOREX available..the first thing that needs to be reconciled is credit card payments.

The tax matter is simply a lazy way to generate revenue...more like a nuisance tax. If (as is usually the case) the local businessman has too high a markup..that 7% eh going and discourage you from purchasing it from online yourself anyhow...cause you still getting it cheaper. So the hue and cry about how its pandering to business interests etc is foolishness. Yuh know what else is foolishness? When the state of Florida...where the gross majority of skybox companies and freight companies operate out of...implemented a 9% sales tax for the simple reason that they realised they could raise revenue from it due to their strategic location. Yet locally..nobody made a fuss..and happily paying the tax that benefiting another country and doing nothing for them locally. But....7% to do something here? Of course nobody wants to do that.


We really a ridiculous place yes.