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NewsdayRight time for ‘Man Before Time’
RHONDOR DOWLAT Wednesday, April 12 2006“MAN BEFORE TIME” as he is fondly known in Tobago would soon be the “Man of the Moment”. Ashley Mc Millan, 29, of Canaan/Bon Accord leaves today to play professional soccer in Canada.
Mc Millan, father of two, was described by many as the top soccer player in the sister isle of Tobago – maybe after fellow Tobagonian Dwight Yorke left the sister-isle, to move on to professional international soccer league clubs, including Manchester United, United Kingdom. Striker Mc Millan realised his skills in the game while attending the Bon Accord Primary School. At nine, he enrolled in the Bertille St Clair coaching school. It was there that he was able to develop his skills in the game even further.
So much did he excel that he earned a full scholarship to Elizabeth College, where in his first year the school won the Intercol. In that game, Mc Millan played alongside his best friend, who is now deceased — Rawlston CB James. James was shot dead at an apartment building in Trinidad on December 16, 2002. Up to this day, Mc Millan mourns the death of his best friend but pays tribute to him every time he plays a game of soccer, whether it be for fun or competition.
Mc Millan played for the National Under 16 team, along with Stern John, Marvin Andrews, Gary Glasgow, Avery John, Barry Swift, Kelvin Jack, Darryl Lewis and Kevin Nelson.
At 21, Mc Millan stretched his borders when he moved across to Trinidad enrolling in the Trinity Falcons, which was owned by Arthur Suite. Suite was the one responsible for the first professional soccer league in Trinidad. Mc Millan was then offered to play for a half season in 1998/99, which he did with the Point Fortin Civic Centre, coached under Steve David and Dick Furlounge. He also played for Jabloteh.
Mc Millan returned to Tobago for a season and a half in ripping form. He was the top goal scorer and was deemed as the most valuable player by his local team. In 2001, for the first time, Mc Millan extended his borders to the USA where he had tryouts with the Reading Rage Soccer Club. Unfortunately for him, however, Mc Millan was unable to meet the club’s requirements. His manager, who is also Tobagonian, Andy Salandy was very supportive and kept encouraging Mc Millan not to give up.
Salandy was also responsible in hooking up Mc Millan to one of the newest soccer clubs in the Canadian professional Soccer League – the Ortoire Wizards, which is headed by Jim Leanos and Oman Zitaman.
In 2002, Mc Millan signed up with another Canadian-based club, London City. He became the team’s top scorer, being able to score some 18 goals within a season. After that season, in 2003, Mc Millan returned to the London City where he only scored about nine goals. Mc Millan tried again to get himself enrolled in a US club – the Pittsburg Riverhound, but again was unsuccessful, this time his height was deemed a problem. Heading back over to Canada after his second disappointment in the USA, Mc Millan enrolled with the Hamilton Thunder last year. This is one of the top clubs in the Canadian Professional League. Being the shortest man on the team, he was determined to prove that his height was not a hindrance – he scored five goals, placing his team in the season’s lead. Two of the goals were scored by remarkable headers. Unfortunately, for him, again, the team went bankrupt, however, the club loaned Mc Millan to the St Catherine Roamer Wolves (SCRW). There, he scored 12 goals in 18 games, placing his team in third position last season.
Recently, he was contacted by the SCRW’s coach, Miroslav Marjanovic and was offered a contract to play with the team for a few seasons. Mc Millan happily accepted and is expected to fly out to Canada today.
Marjanovic told Newsday that for this upcoming season he had high hopes and expectations from Mc Millan, who he said, would be able to lead the team to success.
“I witnessed Mc Millan’s five goals and I said to myself that yes he was the man for the job because he is very focused, strong-willed and talented” Marjanovic said.
Marjanovic, originally from Croatia, has been coaching for the past five years in the Canadian Professional League. He coached in his homeland as well as in Germany. In 1986 he was the youngest FIFA recognised coach in Europe. He also taught in the University of Croatia’s Physical Education programme.
Marjanovic described Mc Millan as a very likeable person and one who gives a lot of character to the team.
“I would like for Mc Millan to stay in the St Catherine’s team for a year and then move him to Croatia and then to Europe. I want to give him the exposure because he has the potential to do well,” he said. Marjanovic said that in the near future he intends to travel to Japan, China, as well as Trinidad and Tobago to help in soccer coaching.
Mc Millan said that he wished that the country’s football federation would place more emphasis on Tobagonians, “People think that Tobagonians are laid- back people but they are far from that. We have the aggression, the skills, determination and talents for the game of football/soccer. So much that we can make it to the national team.
“However, we are not looked upon by the relevant authorities – we are bypassed – there are a lot more Dwight Yorkes and even better, but we need the exposure,” he added.
Sending a message out to the youths of the nation, Mc Millan urged young people to put education first on their priority list.
“Study your books. Don’t study criminal activities, it gets you no where. Study your books and it will get you all the success that life has to offer” Mc Millan said
