Topics

31

Football / Non-League Manager wins Aston Martin in bet with Chairman

« on: February 10, 2013, 08:25:02 AM »

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/non-league-boss-wins-aston-martin-goal-glut-100140719.html


As Andre would say: Ah love it 

32

Football / Central hold trials for U17's, U15's and U13's

« on: February 06, 2013, 06:15:32 AM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4D1w5m7A5Q&feature=youtu.be

More trials to take place after carnival, so if you know any talented youths, ask them to check Centralf.C. facebook page.

33

Football / Sharks put experience on the bench!!

« on: January 09, 2013, 04:53:41 AM »

Central FC entertain senior citizens

Wednesday, January 9 2013  Newsday

TRINIDAD and Tobago PRO League club Central FC organised a football treat for eight senior citizens and a care-giver from the Couva Home for the Elderly on Saturday.

The California-based club arranged for a bus to collect the residents and carry them to Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, where Operations Director Kevin Harrison gave the group a mini-stadium tour, before taking up their seats to watch the club take on local rivals W Connection in a TT Pro League encounter.

Some of the spectators in attendance may have been surprised to see the elderly people decked out in Central FC jerseys parade out of the players tunnel and take up positions on the team bench, where they were welcomed by club’s Managing Director Brent Sancho.

“It was great to see these folks enjoy a day out,” said Sancho. “We met them when we donated a Christmas hamper. One of the residents said to us that people only remember the old folk at Christmas, and we realised that we, too, were guilty of doing that, so we decided that we would make a bigger effort to interact with the senior citizens as well as the youngsters from the Couva Childrens Home. I’m only sorry that we couldn’t provide them with a win!”

Central FC lost the game 3-0, but the result did not reflect the match which was hard fought by both teams.

“Although our VIPs were disappointed in the result, they thoroughly enjoyed their matchday experience and vowed to return to see another fixture,” said Harrison. “ We have to give thanks to Toyota who provided the bus and SIS who arranged for drivers. We would also like to thank the wonderful staff at Ato Boldon for their assistance and Julia Baptiste and Dexter Skeene of the TT Pro League for their support.”

Sancho said that the club were planning to bring youngsters from the Couva Childrens Home to their FA Trophy quarterfinal clash with Shiva Boys today.

“We’re a community club,” said Sancho. “And that means we have to work hard to interact with everyone from the very young to our elderly citizens. But we can’t do this on our own and we are grateful to our partners for their assistance.”

Harrison added, “football should be the glue that brings every element of our community together to take pride in their local teams. It’s a great opportunity for businesses, politicians and ordinary folk of every race and creed to unite as one voice and put their home town on the map.

“We’re proud to be Central and we want the citizens of Central to get behind us and promote their region as the best in TT.”

http://www.facebook.com/CentralFCTT?ref=stream

34

Football / Central F.C. xmas hamper distribution

« on: December 23, 2012, 01:44:03 PM »

Aside from giving away plenty of gifts to Caledonia in Friday nights game, the players and staff of Central F.C. have been busy in the Central region distributing Christmas hampers and toys.
Groceries were collected outside JTA supermarket in Couva and donations received from Universal Foods, Holiday Snacks and S.M. Jaleel and were made into hampers. Super Industrial Services also donated toys.
Names of needy people were provided by Mr Ramsingh and Couva Chamber of Commerce.
The Sharks visited Couva Childrens Home and Couva Home for the Elderly and were joined by Stern John, and then distributed hampers in Brickfield and Waterloo. 
As usual, apologies for the video quality and editing....someone please buy me a decent camera for xmas!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Nrka3QstSM8

If you enjoyed this, please forward it to your friends around the world. While we wish everyone a bountiful Christmas and New Year, while you raise your glass and eat your turkey, share a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves. Bless. 

35

Football / First World Cup football

« on: December 11, 2012, 09:27:34 AM »

Came across this and thought it may be of interests to students of football history!

http://www.soccerballworld.com/1930%20Soccer%20Ball.htm

36

Football / Central F.C. support Couva East Secondary school's 50th Anniversary

« on: December 02, 2012, 12:57:01 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G30PvIFR214&feature=youtu.be

37

Football / Central F.C. support hiv awareness event

« on: December 01, 2012, 05:46:04 AM »

Central FC supporting HIV project

Newsday  Saturday, December 1 2012

TT PRO League outfit Central FC will be supporting the VF Ladies awareness project, “One Pass You Don’t Need To Make” at St Mary’s Community Ground in Freeport today.

The project, which has received the financial support of PEPFAR, via the US Embassy, is designed to provide information to pregnant mothers concerning the prevention of the transmission of HIV from mother to baby.

“These are the kinds of awareness projects that Central FC feel very strongly about supporting,” said the team’s marketing manager, Marcelene Toussaint. “Although this is the first of six nationwide events by VF Ladies, they decided to launch the campaign in the Central region to acknowledge the clubs support.”

Toussaint added, “It’s important for Central FC to involve itself in all areas of the community, and this project gave us the opportunity to help promote women’s football as well as providing advice for pregnant women.”

The event begins at 1.30 pm and VF Ladies will be playing against the St Mary’s United women’s team with the kick off at 3 pm being carried out by former World boxing champion Ria Ramnarine.

VF Ladies captain, Christine Rose said, “We felt that we could use football to promote awareness of sensitive women’s issues. We hope the ladies of the Freeport community come out in force to watch the game and attend our female only coaching session next week. But while they are having fun and enjoying the football, they can also obtain vital information on how to prevent the transference of HIV from mother to baby. While the information may not be of use to them, they may be able to inform other mothers who may be concerned in the future.”

PEPFAR is the United States’ Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which is the United States of Americas initiative to help combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Today will be a busy day for Central FC as they are also collecting tinned and packet food outside of JTA supermarket in Couva to make into hampers which will be delivered to needy and deserving people in Central in time for Christmas.

“We’re hoping that the generosity of the community will help to provide some Christmas cheer for those less fortunate than ourselves in the Central region,” said Toussaint.

38

Football / Celtic vs Racing Club - "This was war"

« on: November 13, 2012, 10:11:13 PM »

Interesting film about the World Club Championship and the third game that should never have been played.

The whole Celtic team were fined two months wages after the third game. Despite the comments in the film, I'm not so sure that Celtic weren't as much to blame as the Argentinians.

http://www.celticfc.tv/freeview?vid=1145

39

Football / Elbowed Brazilian smears his blood on face of player

« on: November 10, 2012, 11:01:42 AM »

A Brazilian footballer has been given a two-match suspension for an extraordinary incident in which he smeared his  blood on an opponent's face.

Chicao of Brazilian third tier side Santa Cruz was left with blood streaming down his face after being caught with a flying elbow by Fortaleza's Esley just before half-time.

When he realised he was bleeding Chicao completely lost the plot, as our video shows, running after Esley to remonstrate with him in  time-honoured fashion by, er, rubbing gore on his cheeks.

Esley was already having a bad time of it - he'd scored an own goal earlier in the game - but the fun was just beginning. He and Chicao got into an argument that turned into a mass brawl, with both Esley and Chicao and their respective team-mates Everton Sena and Ciro Sena (no relation) being sent off.

It was Esley's Fortalez who had the last laugh, though: the game resumed calmly after half-time, with Carca and Asisinho both scoring to give the side a 2-1 win that kept them top of the league.

Not that the Fortalez man got away with it for long: he ended up with a five-match ban for his elbow to Chicao's face that started things off in the first place.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pdvDVGzyEo

40

Football / Rangers stun Central with 3 goal lead

« on: November 03, 2012, 07:05:08 PM »

Rangers stun Central in Couva

Posted Saturday 3 November 2012 by Editor in Volley (wired868)

The St Ann’s Rangers football club held off a late rally from Central FC for its first win of the 2012/13 Digicel Pro League season this evening at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

The Rangers team led 3-0 at one point before a late Hayden Tinto double provided a scare. But coach Dean Pacheco’s men resisted successfully to move off the foot of the table.

Central, which is coached by Englishman Graham Rix, came into the fixture with a 100 percent record but trailed after just seven minutes following an early Devon Modeste strike. Modeste grabbed his second in the 72nd minute while Jason Marcano chipped in with an item in the 32nd minute.

Each goal was ultimately important as Tinto notched a late double in the 77th and 90th minutes.

Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA plans T&TEC FC tonight in the final Pro League fixture this weekend.

Unfortunately, I was busy during the game and only caught 5 minute glimpses. For a long period, I thought Central were trailing 1-0 as I missed the early goal. It seemed that Central were in control of the game, with many chances saved or squandered, and with Anton Wolfe hitting a great shot against the upright. So, at (what I thought was) 1-0 I had no doubts that Central would soon equalise. Rangers had the occasional break and Marcano made the best of a defensive error to score what I later discovered was the second goal. (Apparently, Modestes opener was also due to poor defending)

2nd half was more of the same. Lots of Central pressure, but no reward. Rangers still looked dangerous on the break and despite several warnings, Modeste was allowed to put Rangers 3-0 up.

The Sharks kept on pushing and eventually the lively Hayden Tinto hit the back of the net and his second of the night launched a last minute onslaught of thr Rangers goal and Central were unlucky not to score an equaliser, but Rangers threw everything at the ball and some brave goalkeeping saw Rangers take their first points of the season.

Disappointed, but not overly concerned, it was pleasing to see a good number of first time supporters from the Central region. 

41

Football / Central F.C. go top in Pro League

« on: October 27, 2012, 05:05:50 PM »

I'm sure there will be a match report to follow, but I couldn't wait!!  Central F.C. beat T&TEC 2-1 while North East drew 1-1 with Police. This puts Central on top of the league with a game in hand!! Sorry to crow about this, but I'm kinda happy right now!!

42

Football / TTFF elections

« on: October 06, 2012, 07:18:46 AM »

Attention Mr. Groden, I would greatly appreciate if your good office can provide me with the proposed date of the meeting of Congress at which the TTFF president would be elected. The constitution states that it was supposed to be in September but no later than November 30th. I think it is important that the TTFF conduct the election in a transparent manner with the highest standards of good governance. As identified in the constitution there should be a public announcement (press release at a minimum) twenty one days (21) prior to the Congress.

Mr. General Secretary, football as you are aware, has an 'underwhelming image, and I strongly believe that the start of the rejuvenation and revival of the image and respect for football begins with the execution of a Congress meeting that adheres to the constitution and is perceived by the public to be transparent and follows the standards of good governance and elects a candidate that the football stakeholders consider competent and principled centered.

While the constitution does not call for a pre-congress meeting or a meeting/panel discussion where the football stakeholders can be aware of and even question the nominees about their plans, I am of the view that such an event should be strongly considered and effected.

Also, before the elections are held I would like clarification on the following sections of the constitution:

section 15.3 notice of meetings:
The General Secretary shall give at least 21 days notice in writing to all officers and other members of the informing them of the date, time and venue of such meeting. He/she shall at the same time provide such persons and members with a printed abstract of the minutes of the last congress, the annual report, the audited financial statement and the balance sheet.....
Question(s): does members herein mean associate or just full members?

Section 15.4 Nomination for office:
Nominations for office must be received by the General Secretary fourteen (14) days before the date of the Congress at which officers are to be elected. These must be made known to the Officers and Members affiliated to the federation at least seven (7) days before the date of the Congress at which the officers are to be elected.
Question(s): Once again who are the members as defined here? And, who can nominate? This is confusing and I would like your good office to clear this up.

Section 15.6
All nominations must have a proposer and a seconder

Question(s): Based on section 15.7 only full members are allowed to nominate. Can I presume that this includes and is limited to the six (6) regional associations and the six (6) constituted bodies (referees, primary school, pro league, secondary schools, women's association, and coaches association).

Section 17.2
Indicates that only the six associations and the six properly constituted body can vote.

Question(s): However, I think there is a mistake since section 16.1 d states 5 delegates from each full member; but should this be six. And the wording is quaestionsble since "five (5) delegates from each full member may be interpreted as 5 times 6 = 30. Please clarify.
Section 17.4
Indicates that the presiding chairman appointed by the Executive Committee shall have a vote and a casting vote in the event of a tie at the congress. However, should I presume that this followed clause 17.3 which dealt with persons entitled to vote upon the election of officers.

Question(s):Can the Chairman vote for the President? If the answer is yes can I presume that the number of votes for the President is 13?

I would greatly appreciate a response from your good office and a signed hard copy of this letter would be delivered to your good office on Monday morning.

Regards
Marlon Morris
Member TTFF Technical Committee and Finance and Marketing Committee

43

General Discussion / Section 34 Thread

« on: September 12, 2012, 08:29:28 AM »

Just heard the press release from Roger Gaspard. It lays out all of the key dates in the process that brought into law the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2011.

It is either very coincidental or an extreme lack of professionalism on the part of the government that this act became law when it did. The act received assent awaiting proclomation on 16th December 2011  and the Attorney General ruled againt appealing the refusal of extradition of those involved in Piarco 1 & 2 on 19th December 2011.

Now, surely if you are the A.G., you would be intimately aware of all consequences of such an act, particularly Section 34? Therefore, if you intend to rule on a case 3 days later, it is clear that the implications of that ruling in relation to section 34 would be known.

To add to the concern over Section 34, the Prime Minister, being herself a lawyer, and a silk at that, would be expected to be fully aware of the connotations of Section 34 and the implications regarding the decision not to appeal the Piarco decision.

Worse still, the DPP only became aware that this act came into law by reading about it in the papers! He was under the belief that the only way the act was to be approved was if certain provisions were added. That too was the belief of the opposition, who's support was required to get the bill passed into law.

So, the nations safeguards, the opposition and the DPP, were bypassed in order to enact this law.

Whether or not there were outside influences in this matter, while being a concern, the first issue is how can the government pass into law a bill that has not followed the correct process?

No one else can be blamed other than the Prime Minister. The only way she can save herself is to deflect attention onto the A.G. and his decision not to appeal the extradition decision. Even then, the fact remains that this government did not follow due process and circumvented the checks and balances put in place to protect the citizens from unjust laws.

44

Other Sports / The London 2012 Paranoia Olympics

« on: August 27, 2012, 09:29:07 PM »

Posted Sunday 26 August 2012 by Filbert Street in View Point

The venue for the 2012 Paranoia Olympics, the Olympic Park which overlooks the London boroughs of Stratford and Hackney, caused much concern for the competitors. The Russians, for instance, who ritually top the medal table, seemed to be particularly worried about the number of CCTV cameras in the area.

The USA delegation, mostly comprising Secret Service, FBI and CIA personnel, are no slouches where paranoia is concerned and could be seen diving under the nearest table every time a plane took off from Heathrow.

Read more ..... http://www.wired868.com/2012/08/26/the-london-2012-paranoia-olympics/

45

General Discussion / Liburd suspended??

« on: August 24, 2012, 11:09:24 PM »

Just tried to log on to Wired 868 and theres just a page saying "ACCOUNT SUSPENDED". This seems very strange to me as I only spoke to Lasana today and things seemed to be going really well for him. I can only guess at one of two things. Either the webmaster pulled the site or the Govt did. I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist, but Wired 868 has been pretty critical of the government.

I really hope the site is up tomorrow. Not just because it's a good site, but also because if it has been pulled by the government, we're in a serious constitutional mess. Freedom of speech isn't an option, it's a right.

46

Football / VF Ladies FC receives US support in fight against Aids

« on: July 10, 2012, 11:36:27 PM »

United States Ambassador to T&T Beatrice Welters presented a grant for US$8,000 to the VF Ladies Football Club on July 6, as part of the (US) President’s Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) initiative. The Maracas, St Joseph-based club is initiating a project called, “One Pass You Don’t Need to Make”. The club will host celebrity football matches and workshops as a platform to share information and raise awareness of the possibility of transference of HIV/Aids from the infected mother to a newborn child. They also plan to share information on the benefits of preventative drugs for infected mothers and alternatives to breastfeeding newborns.  
 
 
The Pepfar is the US government’s leading initiative to help those suffering from HIV and Aids around the world. This historic commitment is the largest by any nation to combat a single disease internationally, and PEPFAR investments also help alleviate suffering from other diseases across the global health spectrum. Pepfar is driven by a shared responsibility among donor and partner nations and others to make smart investments to save lives. Pepfar is the cornerstone and largest component of the US President’s Global Health Initiative. With a special focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children, the Global Health Initiative’s goal is to save the greatest number of lives by increasing and building upon what works and, then, supporting countries as they work to improve the health of their own people.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2012-07-09/vf-ladies-fc-receives-us-support-fight-against-aids

47

Football / Platini: Euro 2020 all over Europe

« on: June 30, 2012, 08:06:18 AM »

By Reuters


The 2020 European Championship could be spread across 12 or 13 cities around Europe, rather than being staged in just one or two countries, UEFA president Michel Platini said on Saturday.
 
"The Euros in 2020 could be held all over Europe," Platini told a news conference.

"You could have one country with 12 host cities, or we could have it in 12 or 13 cities all over Europe. It is just an idea, but in these days of cheap air travel anything is possible.

"The majority of the executive committee thinks it's a good idea and says we should really have a good think about this.

"We are going to have a meeting with all of our national federations coming up to December and in Decemeber or January we're are going to make a decision."

Turkey had been favourite to host the event in eight years' time but their bid has been complicated by Istanbul's campaign to also host the Olympic Games in the same year.

Platini said the idea for a multi-country Euros came to him "a while ago" and had been met with interest from his excecutive.

"It's an idea I feel really passionate about, it will be a lot easier from a financial perspective for all the countries.

"If you need to build airports or 10 stadiums in a country, this would be rather easy because it would be one stadium per host city. That's all we can say at the moment.

"We have not decided anything yet, but by January we will decide if we are going to have the Euros in one country or all over Europe."

UEFA originally set a deadline of mid-May for hosts to express an interest, but although they said two or three countries other than Turkey had done so, they did not name them publicly.

One reason for UEFA not making them public is because clearly they were not satisfied the interested countries could stage the event, hence Platini's idea for a multi-country tournament.

Platini said during the UEFA Congress in Istanbul recently that he would support a Turkey bid, but has now retreated somewhat from that stance, saying on Saturday: "We are not going to wait until we know whether Turkey are going to get the Olympics.

"It creates a problem for us. We do have other candidates.

"Everyone has the possibility to host it."

When asked how fans would be expected to attend the matches if they wanted to travel around Europe, he replied that in this day of cheap air travel, movement around Europe was not as prohibitive as it once was.

"And it is easier to go from London to Paris or Berlin than Cardiff to Gdansk," the Frenchman said.

"It would be four games per venue. It is a great debate."

Platini's plan is not without merit. It means that matches could be staged in a number of cities around the continent, in a way, bringing the Euros to the fans, rather than the other way round.

The singlular, or co-hosting identity of the tournament might be lost, but fans in some unlikely places could see matches in their home cities.

The next Euros, in France in 2016, will comprise 24 teams, but Platini said it was unlikely the Euros would expand to 32 teams as it may reduce in quality.

"And anyway the World Cup is 32 teams, its enough. When we go to 24 teams the quality will not suffer. We have plenty of good teams in Europe who could qualify, and there will be more matches in the stadiums, but 32 is too many," he said.

The current tournament, the last to comprise 16 teams and staged in Poland and Ukraine, ends with the final between Spain and Italy in Kiev on Sunday.

48

Football / England officially worlds worst penalty takers!

« on: June 26, 2012, 05:25:05 PM »

England's exit to Italy on penalties at the European Championships was sadly predictable, but is there anyone worse in the world at shoot-outs?

There are some countries that have never won a penalty shoot-out, but if you limit the list to teams that have competed in at least three shoot-outs at major international tournaments then England do indeed have the worst record of the lot.

England have competed in seven penalty shoot-outs, winning just once, their quarter-final triumph against Spain in Euro '96 — a tournament they still exited on penalties against Germany in the very next round.

Four countries — Costa Rica, Gabon, UAE and Romania — have lost two from two in major championships, but of those involved in at least three England's 14% win record is the worst of the bunch.

The Netherlands come next having lost four of their five penalty shoot-outs while Italy's 38% record is still poor despite having beaten the English on Monday.

The three teams involved in the most penalty shoot-outs are Argentina (6-4), Brazil (6-4) and Mexico (4-6) with 10 each, while Germany (5-1) have a predictably impressive record.

The best shoot-out team have actually been Saudi Arabia, who have won all four of the major shoot-outs — although all of them came in the Asia Cup. The Czech Republic also have a perfect record but have only competed in three.

Ranking of teams' penalty shoot-out records in major championships (World Cup finals, Continental championship finals and Confederations Cup only) - three shoot-out minimum.....

http://mit.zenfs.com/991/2012/06/Shootoutrecords2606.jpg

49

General Discussion / It takes just one man to spark change in society

« on: June 12, 2012, 06:53:02 AM »

Everyone keeps bemoaning the government, but no one takes action to show the politicians how you really feel. Yes, there have been a few burning tyre protests, but the citizens really need to unite if they want
to bring change. Ghandi, MLK, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela. Where is the Trini version?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq8zFLIftGk&feature=related

50

Football / West Indian sets new world record vs England

« on: June 11, 2012, 06:38:47 AM »

Mods: you will want to move this to the cricket page, but as everyone here recently has been depressed by T&T football, I thought they may get a lift from a superb West Indian performance!


Tino Best stunned England by smashing the world record for the highest ever Test score by a number 11 on the fourth morning of the third Test at Edgbaston.

Yet the West Indies bowler was left kicking himself after falling five runs short of his century, ending on 95 as he misjudged a slower ball from Graham Onions and scooped the ball high into the air for England skipper Andrew Strauss to catch.

Nonetheless, his record innings had propelled his team to a total of 426, and improved his Test batting average from a humble 9.80 to 13.85 in a single knock.

The previous record score by a number 11 in Test cricket across 135 years and 2045 matches had been 75, set by India's Zaheer Khan against Bangladesh in 2004.

The amazing innings saw Best become the first number 11 batsman to make a half-century against England for more than 100 years, with the home side having no answer to Best's much-improved batting as West Indies rattled on from 280 for eight to 355 for nine in one hour.

Best was back in Test cricket with a point to prove after a three-year absence, and did so in style as he hammered England morale with what was his maiden 50 in a damaging last-wicket partnership of 143 alongside Denesh Ramdin (107no).

Best's carefree approach brought him and his team 14 fours and a six in his 112-ball innings, and he dominated the partnership with Ramdin.

Best drove especially well against Steven Finn and Onions. But his defence was sound too, and two back-foot forces for four off Graeme Swann required impressive footwork and were especially memorable.

England's prospects of pushing for an unlikely victory had receded from slim to barely alive, and it seemed the West Indies were the only team who could feasibly still win this rain-ravaged dead rubber.

When Finn made short work of Ravi Rampaul, caught-behind in the first over of the morning from only the second ball he faced, it seemed England would surely wrap up the West Indies innings quickly.

But Best had other ideas - and England came close to the final wicket only once, when Kevin Pietersen failed to hang on to a difficult chance at gully after Ramdin climbed into a short ball from Finn on 69.

51

Football / Two pioneering black players' opposite views on Platini's comments

« on: June 10, 2012, 09:25:04 AM »

Two opposite views on Platini's comments from players, both contempories of Platini, who opened the way for black footballers in the 80's and who's suffering of terrace racism embarrassed football into speaking out against racism.   


RUUD GULLIT


Ruud Gullit has hit out at UEFA's ruling that players at Euro 2012 who leave the pitch in response to racist abuse will be yellow-carded.

Italy's Mario Balotelli said he would walk off the pitch if he heard racist abuse coming from the stands but UEFA president Michel Platini warned it is up to the referee to take the teams off, and that players who took matters into their own hands would be punished.

Former Holland midfield star Gullit backed the power given to match officials but insists players who are targeted must have the opportunity to make a personal stand.

He told the Daily Mail: "The monkey sounds that greeted the Holland team at their training session this week were an embarrassment to the Polish authorities.

"The problem of racial abuse of footballers is now on everyone's radar and it has to be dealt with.

"UEFA have given referees the power to stop a game and I am behind that. The problem needs to be tackled straight away, so players shouldn't just keep quiet and play on like in my day."

Gullit added: "It has been suggested by the UEFA president Michel Platini that players would be booked for leaving the field as an act of retaliation and defiance. That, in my opinion, is the wrong message.

"If a player is racially insulted, he should have the right to leave the field."

"I would like to think we can trust referees to take everyone off but, if the officials are not supporting the players correctly, then the individual should act. The message this would send out: 'we will not tolerate this abuse'."

Gullit feels awareness of racism has improved since his playing days, when he admits he felt unable to openly confront the issue.

"When I played, I received racial abuse but I was just one of a few black players and we weren't backed up by the authorities," he said.

"I used to ignore the abuse and felt powerless to change attitudes. My only weapon was my performances on the pitch.

"We are beyond that now though. We just have to hope that racism doesn't haunt this tournament but that, if it does, the response is strong. The players need the support of UEFA and the football authorities need the support of the police."


JOHN BARNES


John Barnes backs Uefa president Michel Platini's stance over booking players who walk off the pitch during Euro 2012 in protest at racist abuse.

The ex-England winger insists racism is not an issue players should deal with.

Barnes was speaking after Holland players were racially abused during a training session on Wednesday.

"I 100 per cent back [Platini]. A player cannot arbitrarily decide he is receiving racial abuse and walk off," Barnes told BBC Sport.
Continue reading the main story

    “You cannot arbitrarily as a player decide that because what you perceive racist abuse has come your way you are going to walk off”


Barnes suffered racist abuse throughout his career, the worst of which saw bananas being thrown on to the field during matches for Watford and Liverpool.

But the 48-year-old former Liverpool player said he would never walk off a field if he were playing at Euro 2012.

"It wouldn't be a problem to me because I am there to play football," Barnes added. "If it is a problem then the authorities have to deal with it, players shouldn't deal with it."

Barnes insists that the officials and the authorities should be left to tackle the issue. "We have to get on with the football and let the authorities do whatever they, in terms of legislation, in terms of sanctions, in terms of what they are going to do," he added.

"We can't take it upon ourselves, we still have the laws of the game. What Michel Platini said is that the referee has the power to stop the game if he believes there has been racist abuse and therefore that the players need to go by the referee's decision.

"You cannot arbitrarily as a player decide that because what you perceive racist abuse has come your way you are going to walk off.

"If then you say that every individual player can arbitrarily decide whether they are getting racist abuse or not then you could have five players walking off in every game because of what they have decided. Which is ridiculous."

The issue first came to light when Mario Balotelli suggested he would walk off the pitch if he was targeted in Poland and Ukraine.

"I hope there will not be a problem with racism at the Euros," the Manchester City forward said in an interview with France Football. "Because if it does happen I would leave the pitch straightaway and go home."

52

Football / Crowd violence at Euro 2012

« on: June 10, 2012, 01:44:05 AM »

YAHOO Sports:

Fears over violence erupting at Euro 2012 were borne out when stewards inside Wroclaw's Stadion Miejski were attacked by fans inside the ground on Friday.

Amateur footage following Russia's 4-1 win in their Group A opener against Czech Republic has appeared online which shows dozens of supporters attacking a handful of officials in a main walkway inside the 40,000-capacity arena, which is home to Polish club side Slask Wroclaw.

Local police confirmed that the violence was caused by Russian-speaking supporters.

Police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski said: "I can confirm that this happened at the stadium.

"The attackers were from the group of Russian language fans. We are trying to identify them. Police have the security footage from the stadium, we are looking into it."

When asked why the police did not step in to assist the stadium staff at the time, Sokolowski said: "It was at the stadium. We react when security and steward at the stadium cannot handle things. In this case they fast took control at the situation."

According to Eurosport's Polish office, four members of stadium staff were taken to hospital but all were released later that evening.

The footage shows one steward left in a heap on the ground after being set upon by several assailants before the violence dissipates and he is helped to his feet, while another is kicked in the head while trying to evade a lone attacker.

Sokolowski added: "Nothing serious happened to the man who was kicked."

Russia's next match is against co-hosts Poland in Warsaw on Tuesday. According to reports, mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz will decide whether or not to let the anticipated thousands of Russian fans travel to the capital for the game.

Eyewitnesses in the Ukrainian city of Lviv have also reported an incident involving Russian fans scuffling briefly with locals in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Around 15 Russian fans left the city's fan zone and started shouting and swearing at a smaller group of Ukrainians, said Reuters photographer Marian Striltsiv.

The two sides exchanged a few punches before local police quickly moved in and separated the combatants. No arrests were made.

One picture taken by a local agency showed a man with blood streaming from his nose.

Police denied there had been any violence and said they had prevented the two sides from fighting. Tensions between the two nationalities are particularly high in Lviv, in the far west of the country, in part because of Ukrainian resentment at Soviet rule from 1939 to 1991.

The Lviv region was the centre of a resistance campaign by Ukrainian nationalists fighting for independence from the Soviet Union during and after World War Two.

One of the main nationalist leaders was Stepan Bandera, a man still widely regarded as a hero in western Ukraine and as a bandit by Russia. Fans of local side Karpaty Lviv always show a huge banner of Bandera during home games.

Polish sports minister Joanna Mucha confirmed in a press conference that there were 16 reports of violent incidents and 314 people treated by medical staff in incidents connected to Euro 2012, meaning those which happened in either stadiums or fan zones.

53

General Discussion / Gang members get 30 years in prison

« on: June 07, 2012, 09:01:03 AM »

NOTE: Not one person, police or otherwise, were shot. Lets see the same harsh sentencing for gang members caught with guns in T&T



A gang who shot at officers during last summer's riots have been given sentences of up to 30 years for what a judge described as a "concerted attack on the police".

The men "lured" the officers to a pub fire in Birmingham before opening fire.

Judge William Davis jailed all six at Birmingham Crown Court for a range of offences including rioting, reckless arson and firearms possession.

Nicholas Francis, 26, described by the judge as "clearly a dangerous man", received 30 years; Jermaine Lewis, 27, and Tyrone Laidley, 20, were jailed for 23 years; Renardo Farrell, 20, and Wayne Collins, 25, were both jailed for 18 years while Amirul Rehman, 17, was jailed for 12 years.

Francis, Lewis, Laidley, Farrell, and Collins were convicted of riot, reckless arson and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Rehman was found guilty of riot and firearms possession with intent. All six were convicted at the same court following a six-week trial.

The court heard that the defendants were part of a group of 41 men - mostly masked and wearing hoods - who were rioting outside The Bartons Arms in Aston on the evening of August 9.

The judge said: "Members of the group attacked the building. They smashed windows, they went inside and ransacked the premises. They threw chairs and tables out on to the pavement. Other members of the group stayed on the pavement outside the building. Some threw missiles, bottles and the like, at a passing police car.

"The purpose of all this was not to loot or to steal. Nor was it mindless vandalism. The purpose, the common purpose, was to behave in such a way that the police would come to the scene and then to attack the police."

The judge said at least 12 shots were fired at officers from West Midlands Police and the force helicopter, and at least four handguns were used.

Judge Davis QC, said: "For all but one of these defendants the position is aggravated by the fact that they were party to arson at the Bartons Arms in circumstances which put the lives of those within the public house at risk. The defendants were completely indifferent to the welfare of those upstairs. All they were interested in was luring the police to the area."

54

Football / Cardiff City: 112 years of tradition lost to sponsors demands

« on: June 06, 2012, 06:57:05 AM »

YAHOO Sport

Cardiff City have taken the deeply controversial decision to change the club's home kit from blue to red and replace the main bluebird image on the club's crest with a dragon.

When plans first emerged to rebrand the club in such a significant way, Cardiff fans reacted angrily and signed a petition against the proposed changes.

However, Cardiff confirmed on Wednesday morning that they would be pressing ahead with the plans instigated by investors Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Dato Chan Tien Ghee and released a photo of the new kit and the new badge, which relegates the bluebird to the bottom.

In addition to the new kit, the club have announced plans to build a brand-new training ground, pay off the historical Langston debt, provide manager Malky Mackay with a substantial transfer kitty and explore the possibility of expanding the Cardiff City Stadium.

A statement read: "From the start of the 2012/12 season, Cardiff City's primary home colour has been changed to red, while the squad will wear blue shirts as an away option. A third change kit will be shown here at a later date.

"Our investors have been impressed with the passion and commitment from Cardiff City supporters for their team and want to harness these strengths to create an affinity between the club and the cultures of Wales and Asia. With that in mind and as a part of the significant investment made to give the club the best chance of succeeding in this area, they believe very strongly that there is a need to make some radical, but important changes to our brand.

Cardiff have taken the controversial decision to change their home kit from blue to red and replace the bluebird on the crest with a dragon. - 2 "Key to the strategy is to ensure that the club representing as it does the capital city of Wales projects a national identity which will resonate with potential audiences abroad.

"The colour red is widely recognised as being synonymous with Welsh culture and heritage, with Cardiff the proud capital of the country. The colour also holds strong spiritual significance in Asia, where it is seen as a symbol of prosperity, power and good fortune.

"It is believed that this fusion of identities and values will reinforce our strength as a visual brand across both cultures. As outlined in the club statement, Cardiff City, through our investors strong connections will be exploring ways in which to maximise brand awareness of the club across Asia, thereby delivering local success."

Cardiff say that the change in kit comes as part of a "major and significant" investment in the club which will help alleviate financial troubles.

The club said: "As part of this commitment, funds have been earmarked to finally resolve the historical Langston debt issue which for so long has cast a dark cloud over the club and its future. Negotiations have been continuing and a final offer has been made to those representing Langston and Sam Hammam which we believe is both fair and reasonable.

"Whilst not yet concluded, we hope that both Langston and Sam will react positively and favourably to allow this long running and distracting saga to be finally closed which will be to everyone's benefit. We know that Sam has always expressed his passion for this club and has said that he will always be a lifelong friend of Cardiff City. We hope that this sentiment will shine through accordingly and look forward to welcoming him at our ground as a guest of honour in the near future."

From a marketing point of view, changing the kit to the National Colour and placing the Welsh Dragon on the badge makes sense. The dragon will, no doubt, appeal to new fans from the Far East.

Tradition doesn't appear to have any financial value these days. But I think they could have achieved similar effects by using a red kit as an away strip. The second strip could even have been designed to reflect the Welsh flag. No one cares about the 2nd strip! And placing a Welsh dragon on the badge isn't a bad idea. But placing the Bluebird at the bottom of the badge almost as an afterthought is not good. Cardiff City are known as The Bluebirds. Will the nickname be corporately removed next?

Football clubs are just commodities to foreign investors. Over time, the traditional colours and names will be forgotten by new generations. Maybe it doesn't matter. But supporters are proud of their teams histories and traditions. Its part of being a fan.

I never agreed with teams naming their stadiums after sponsors, but usually this was done when new home stadiums were built, so there's some logic to it. But Arsenal never playing at Highbury again didn't feel right to me.

Imagine Man Utd playing in blue as a home kit, or Norwich not wearing yellow, or QPR not wearing hoops, or Newcastle not wearing stripes?

I know teams mess with kits sometimes, but they usually retain some remblance to the original colours.

55

Jokes / The cheese shop

« on: May 30, 2012, 04:51:25 PM »

A guy walked into a bank and asked to see the manager.

Upon meeting the bank manager, the guy explained he wanted to arrange a business loan.

"Ah" said the banker "And what line of business are you in?"

"I develop and manufacture new varieties of cheese and I have such a good selection now that I want to open a cheese shop"

"Excellent idea" said the bank manager. "Where are you thinking of opening this shop?"

The guy pulls out some papers and says "here" pointing to a map of Paris.

"Hmm" says the banker "this is a problem. France is renowned for cheese. I think you may have problems making money there. Its not a good risk for the bank"

"Well my second choice is here" says the guy, pointing this time to a map of Amsterdam.

"No, no, no" says the banker "The Netherlands is one of the world's greatest cheese manufacturers. You won't sell cheese there"

"Well this is the only other place" says the guy, this time pointing to a map of Israel.

"That's more like it" said the bank manager "I feel certain that the bank can lend you money to open a cheese shop in Israel. What will be the name of the shop?"

And the guy replies: "Cheeses of Nazareth"
 

56

Football / Football loving Dictators!

« on: May 29, 2012, 09:38:39 AM »

YAHOO Sports

With Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe admitting this weekend that he is a Chelsea fan, we take a look at the despots who have - or had - a soft spot for a football team.

Mugabe's revelation came at the weekend when he told Benjani Mwaruwari that he was a Blues fan at the player's testimonial. " I watched you but I'm a Chelsea fan and always want them to score," Mugabe said.

Here's our pick of some other dictators and tyrants and the teams they supported:

  - - - - - -

Adolf Hitler - Schalke: The Fuhrer was reputedly a fan of Schalke, who won the German title six times while Hitler was in charge of Germany. The club later disputed this claim after it was repeated in The Times a few years ago, with a brilliant statement puncturing once and for all the myth that Germans struggle to master humour: "We were very curious to find out what made the well respected Times claim this as a fact. So we checked and double-checked whether the club board between 1933 and 1945 had named a stand the 'Führer Stand', for example, and we watched every episode of 'Allo 'Allo in a bid to find a clue. Nothing."

Idi Amin - Hayes FC: The Ugandan dictator became a fan of Hayes as a result of his years spent in the British army (in which he served for 15 years) where he was deeply impressed by a colleague who constantly talked up the achievements of the non-league West London club.

Colonel Gaddafi - Liverpool: Among the artefacts found after the fall of the Libyan leader was a Liverpool mug, leading some to claim that Gaddafi was a fan of the Reds. The idea isn't actually all that far-fetched: One of Gaddafi's sons, Al-Saadi Gaddafi, spent years trying to make it as a professional footballer before investing so much in Juventus that he was given a place on the board of directors in 2002 (he resigned from the board a year later). Al-Saadi also considered buying a stake in Liverpool at the same time, though the move never came to fruition.

Radovan Karadzic - Inter Milan: The Bosnian Serb war criminal was a fan of the Serie A giants due to their signing of Serbian players Sinisa Mihajlović and Dejan Stanković. His nephew told an Italian paper recently that while Karadzic was still a fugitive he risked arrest by going to watch matches.

Osama Bin Laden - Arsenal: Rumours claim that the Al Qaeda chief and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks became a fan of the north London club after watching matches at Highbury several times while visiting Britain as a teenager in the 1970s. He is also said to have bought one of his sons an Ian Wright replica shirt at one point, and Gunners fans took his supposed fandom well by creating a special chant: "Osama, woah-oh / Osama, woah-woah-woah-woah / He's hiding in Kabul / He loves the Arsenal."

General Franco - Real Madrid: The Spanish fascist leader was renowned as a fan of the Madrid club, so much so that the club came to be regarded by many almost as the official side of the regime and were referred to openly as 'Franco's pet team'. Yet it didn't start out that way: Franco originally supported Real's arch-rivals Atletico Madrid, originally an army side, and in fact his later support of Real was as much a case of the dictator jumping on the bandwagon to bask in the club's glory in the early days of the European Cup, which they won the first five times it was played from 1956-1960.

Benito Mussolini - Bologna: The Italian fascist dictator was a staunch Bologna fan from the time they were formed in 1909; the side thrived after he came to power in 1922, winning the Italian title in 1925, 1929, 1936, 1937, 1939 and 1941. Indeed, the club's neo-medieval stadium was heralded by Il Duce as a symbol of his beliefs, calling it, "a shining example of what can be done with the will and tenacity of Fascism."

Josef Stalin - Dynamo Moscow: The club was set up by one of Stalin's most loyal (and feared) henchmen, KGB chief Lavrenty Beria, and was effectively KGB United for several decades. Football was a big deal to Uncle Joe: when the USSR lost an Olympic match to Yugoslavia in 1952, a furious Stalin ordered the army's CSKA Moscow team (which had supplied most of the players) to be disbanded.

Nicolae Ceausescu - Steaua Bucharest: The Romanian side was actually owned by the national army prior to the 1989 revolution, and Ceausescu supported and enabled the enforced transfer of players - among them Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu - to the club without the agreement of either the player or his original club. It was a policy that helped Steaua win the league for six consecutive seasons in the 1980s, collect the European Cup in 1986, and set a European record of 104 matches unbeaten in the league.

Teflon Jack - Joe Public F.C.: The fun loving Trinidadian dictator formed not only his own club, he built them their own stadium - Marvin Lee Stadium - a hotel for their accommodation and formed his own "Super League". The club achieved remarkable success under the stewardship of his son. It is even rumoured that he tried to sign David Beckham to play a few games. But despite his local success, the affable entrepreneur could not replicate his teams fortunes in the Regional and Federation championships, despite many revisions of the qualifying structures. He eventually gave up on football and turned to politics.


OK, I added the last bit

57

General Discussion / T&T's International Image......One step forward, one giant step back!

« on: May 17, 2012, 06:34:01 AM »

It strikes me as bizarre the way the PP government seem to have no concept of how to project this country to overseas investors.

The Caribbean Investment Forum on monday and tuesday displayed all that is good and vibrant in T&T. An excellent forum attended by business leaders from across the region. Beutifully arranged and orchestrated, it projected T&T as a business leader, not just in the Caribbean, but also across Central, and Northern South America.

Yet within 48 hours of this event, Jack Warner is acting P.M.  Leaving any personal feelings out of this, how must this appear to international political and business leaders? We currently are undergoing shocking revelations in the HCU enquiry, have suffered similar in the CLICO enquiry, we have the Calder Hart scandal hovering over us and a murder rate 20 times that of the U.K.

All of that is bad enough, and at least the govt can protest that all of this is in the past and things will be different. But by honouring Warner with the acting P.M., the govt is also expressing that the nation has not learned. Basic research into Warner will see that he's currently involved in scandals concerning over $200 million of questionable financial dealing.

Aside from the non payment of a US$750k FIFA fine from 2006, there is the missing TT$80 million missing from the LOC2006 accounts, the missing donation to Haiti, the bribery allegations currently in front of FIFA and an ongoing court case concerning around TT$38 million surrounding construction of the Emerald Hotel.

Innocent until proven guilty is of course the mantra we should follow. But when you are trying to build an international reputation as a solid, trustworthy business partner, you really have to consider how the nation is viewed from outside.

In my opinion, the timing of this temporary "promotion" is very poor and detracts from all of the great work being done by people like Stephen Cadiz to uplift T&T's reputation.

58

Football / T&T Pro League 10th in region

« on: February 16, 2012, 09:01:49 AM »

Published: Thursday, February 16, 2012
Shaun Fuentes
 
The Trinidad and Tobago Pro League has been rated as the tenth best in the CONCACAF region, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The publication revealed on the weekend that the Costa Rican League is now the second strongest in the CONCACAF behind Mexico and ahead of third placed United States (MLS). It was also revealed that the Jamaican League is now ranked higher than T&T, in ninth spot. The T&T Pro League is ahead of Haiti, Suriname and Cuba in that order. Behind the top three leagues are those of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Jamaica and T&T in that order. According to the IFFHS, each year the strongest League in the World is determined from the top five clubs of each country which scored the highest in the Club World Ranking during that calendar year.
 
Since 1991 this ranking has been determined from the results of matches played at the national championships and FA cups as well as at international club competitions of the six continental Confederations and FIFA. The Spanish League is currently ranked number one followed by the English Premiership. The Pro League, first launched in 1999 when defending champions Defence Force took the League title, continues to be an avenue for some of the best local players to earn an honest living through the sport and has produced players that have not just played for the T&T national team but several other national teams including Guyana, Antigua/Barbuda, Jamaica, Grenada, St Lucia and others. It also created opportunities for players from T&T, Antigua and Brazil to secure contracts to play in foreign Leagues.

59

Football / Glasgow back as North East shock Jabloteh

« on: February 11, 2012, 11:45:00 PM »

Veteran former International, Gary Glasgow announced his comeback to the Pro League with a 16th minute goal against San Juan Jabloteh, after being out with injury for the best part of the season.

After a poor run of form, North East Stars, reeling from the surprise departures of CEO Brent Sancho, Kevin Jeffrey and Roland Clarke, bounced back in traditional football style with a strong and gutsy performance over the in-form Jabloteh.

Surprisingly, Jabloteh started with Jabloteh's top scorer, Willis Plaza, on the bench, but it was clear that Brazilian coach, Emerson Alcantara, had targeted Marvin Oliver as San Juans major threat. The Jabloteh legend was man marked by U23 defensive midfielder, Jeromie "Butters" Williams who gave a superb performance of man marking, keeping Oliver at bay for most of the game.

North East were clearly fired up from the start, with much more passion and hunger than has been witnessed in the last few games. In the 16th minute, Mark "Passion" Leslie, replacing Seon Power at right back due to injury, stormed down the right wing and played a perfect low cross which Glasgow met on the far post to steer into the net.

Less than 5 minutes later, another National U23 midfielder, Jean-Luc Rochford made it 2-0 with a stunning shot from 20 yards, taking him to 3 goals for the season.

The first half belonged completely to North East Stars, with an aggressive midfield preventing playmaker Oliver from having any impact on the game. North East collected several yellow cards, at least two for hard tackles on Oliver.

The second half began with Plaza on the field, and the 45 minutes of football that followed took place mainly in the Stars half. With San Juan having more time to pass the ball around, they had many chances, but the staunch defending of North East, and Lady Luck clearly favouring the Sangre Grande outfit, the Jabloteh strikers were denied again and again.

Williams was dismissed half way through the second half for a second yellow card, but he and North East readily accepted this. Clearly, Williams robust tackling had the desired effect and his aggression was certain to earn him marching orders from the ref. However, this looked to be acceptable collateral damage, as the 19 year old Daryl Trim from St Anthony's, who had only appeared at half time to replace the injured Anthony Wolfe, was sacrificed for a defensive midfielder.

Jabloteh were pelting more shots at U-23 keeper, Marchan, than limers at a Ravi B concert, but they could have played for another 45 minutes and not score, such was their luck.

Meanwhile, North East had adopted a counter attacking style, with another U-23, Kaydion "Drogba" Gabriel, out on the right initially, moving to centre forward. Drogba's lightening speed saw him in a sprint from the halfway line in a one on one contest with a San Juan defender. Gabriel won that race by half a yard and a great right foot shot from the edge of the box struck the Jabloteh upright.

Gabriel really needs a goal to improve his confidence, and he saw two other good chances miss the target. If the first had hit the net, no doubt he would have scored a hat trick, but his performance showed there is a lot to look forward to.

At the whistle, Jabloteh could only blame themselves for not taking the chances they created, and their second half performance should give them confidence to push for the title. North East at last found the grit, unity and determination that has been sadly lacking this season, but they should be confident, based on their first half performance and their second half tenacity, of taking at least a cup back to Grande.

In the first game, a fabulous first half performance by St Anns Rangers saw them return to the dressing room with a 3-0 lead after a Hector Sam double (3 & 42) sandwiched a tasty Devon Modeste (16) filling.

Bizarrely, both teams had to wait nearly 5 minutes for the St Anns keeper to take the field, and then only after the referee sent a Rangers player to fetch him. This tardiness cost him a yellow card. However, it appeared that he was injured, as he was later substituted.

Rangers pushed their lead to 5-0, with Keron Alexander (56) and a second item from Modeste (75), which was surprising since Police, who put 4 past T&TEC and also beat W Connection, have looked the best side they have mustered for a few years. However, whether St Anns relaxed, or Police flicked on their twos and blues, the boys from St James reacted to their emergency crisis by scoring two late goals, Errol Charles netting in 78 minutes and Kareem Young in the 86th.

60

Football / North East score big with their Soccer Fete

« on: January 06, 2012, 07:34:29 AM »

Article from T&T Guardian



http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/friday-january-6-2012/football-club-stages-soccer-fete-grande