Point Fortin Civic FC Thread.

[Football supporter]

Several key statements here....

We even revived the Pro League a little bit and we are still not getting help. I can’t understand why we are not getting the support,” David added.

It’s not like we don’t have a good team,” the Trinidad and Tobago international added. “We have the ability to win the Pro League this season

community football team

Point are an essential component of a successful Pro League. With the squad that they have retained, they can certainly challenge for the title.

However, like other ProLeague clubs, they still haven't grasped the priorities. No corporate sponsor cares about winning titles. Initially, it is a business decision. What can Point do for my business? You must be able to give value for money for your sponsorship.

I met with one of T&T's most talked about brands. The business is owned by two middle class ladies from the Goodwood Park area. They had no interest in the fact that we'd won the Lucozade Goal shield, First Citizens Cup or qualified for the CFU Club Championships. We carry a folder containing photos of all of our community events. We never got any real interest until they said "You did Treat Her Like A Lady?" From that point, we had their interest and are now in final discussions for a deal including coaching schools for 5 -12 year olds.

My point is that we know corporate T&T isn't interested in sponsoring football. They see no return in football. But they will support community projects. That's where they see their name being promoted. C.S.R. is massive elsewhere and it's taking hold in T&T. That's where you need to go for funding. Brent and I spend 75% of our time dealing with non football work. Other clubs must begin to realise that they have to focus on fundraising as a priority. Better to have a financially sound club at the bottom of the League than no club at all.

However, I will add that once sponsors become involved in your club, they quickly want to start winning on the pitch too! And that's a good thing because they can suddenly find you additional funds!!

David makes a good point about Atlantic and Petrotrin. Instead of just giving Sport handouts, maybe the Govt should create partnerships between clubs and  government owned businesses and the clubs could work with them to earn their funding. 

[Tiresais]

Really hope they stay in the league, they definitely did add something.

[vb]

Was shocked to find out today in the Press, he is a Point man who played for Feyernwood in the late 60s.

To think we had a local in the Dutch league way back then and I never heard of him.
Anybody have any knowledge of him?

VB

[Deeks]

That must be  Dick Furlonge. He had change his name to Mohammed Aleem, I think. He and Keith Douglas joined the Muslim faith in the 70s. Yes, I heard he did go to Holland. Civic Center used to be Shell in them days. I guess being a Dutch company, they hooked him up with Feyenord. I don't know how long he stayed. He was a short man with speed.  I would never made the connection of Christopher Furlonge as the same Dick Furlonge.

[coache]

Dick is a beast..still

[vb]

That must be  Dick Furlonge. He had change his name to Mohammed Aleem, I think. He and Keith Douglas joined the Muslim faith in the 70s. Yes, I heard he did go to Holland. Civic Center used to be Shell in them days. I guess being a Dutch company, they hooked him up with Feyenord. I don't know how long he stayed. He was a short man with speed.  I would never made the connection of Christopher Furlonge as the same Dick Furlonge.

I figured if anybody would know, it would be you.

Thanks,
VB

[Tallman]

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[Flex]

Carrington back as Point Fortin Civic coach.
T&T Newsday Reports.

Reynold Carrington, arguably Point Fortin Civic’s most popular coach of recent years, is back with his hometown club for a second stint at the professional level after walking off the job two years and three months ago.

The 47-year-old former Trinidad and Tobago international confirmed this week that he is back with Civic and committed to leading the team in the upcoming Pro League 2017 season which kicks off with the Charity Shield clash between league champions Central FC and Pro Bowl winners Defence Force on May 26.

“Both the managers and players… even myself, had time to reflect,” said Carrington who currently serves as councillor for the New Lands/Mahaica in Point Fortin. “And when the opportunity was presented to me to return as Civic coach I was more than happy.”

He added, “Point Fortin is very dear to me. All my heart and all my life is with Point Fortin. It’s all about serving my community and having a true sense of what the people need and it’s the same for the club.” In January of 2015, Carrington had quit the post at a time Civic were seated seventh on the Pro League standings with just 11 points – with three wins, two draws and six defeats – midway through the 2014-15 season—the club’s second term at the PL level.

Carrington said back then, the players lacked motivation and blames the situation on the uncertainties over the salaries of players.

Leroy De Leon took over as caretaker for the remainder of the 2014-15 season which turned into a permanent move for the following 2015-16 season, before another Civic legend Dick Furlong was appointed as coach for 2016-17, but neither had outdone Carrington’s commendable fourth-place finish in 2013-14—the season of the club’s Pro League debut.

De Leon in his stint as caretaker earned Civic to a fifth-place finish but in his full season in charge he couldn’t manage the struggling club higher than an eighth-place finish.

Civic then hit an all-time low in last season’s shortened calendar under Furlong, finishing at the bottom of the 10-team table with just six points.

“If you look at the three coaches, Carrington had the best record,” said Civic’s chairman Garthorn Craig.

Craig said returning to Carrington for the new season was a general consensus by the board of directors which includes himself, vice chairman Keith Bailey, technical director Steve David, Wilfred Cave, Leroy De Leon and returning team manager Ken Mc Cree.

Carrington is hopeful the efforts of the club’s management will secure financial support.

“It’s always going to be difficult to manage players when they are not sure they are going to be paid or their salaries are late.

A lot of times they won’t show up for training when it’s like that, and it’s understandable,” said the former Defence Force, Civic and W Connection star who also had brief spells in the United States and Indonesia.

“I am hoping things will improve. I’ve already started working with the team and trying to find the best available players from the last bunch, while we may have a few players returning to the team,” Carrington concluded.

[Tallman]

Heritage Petroleum sponsors Point Fortin Civic FC

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[Tallman]

Point Fortin Civic FC target Concacaf qualification
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)

Heritage Petroleum Point Fortin Civic Centre (PFCC) FC want to play in Concacaf club tournaments for the 2024 season.

This is one of their primary objectives for the new Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League (TTPFL) season, which kicked off on Friday and continues until March.

At the climax of the inaugural, domestic TTPFL season in May this year, winners Defence Force and AC Port of Spain earned qualification for the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championships while Tiger Tanks Club Sando qualified for the Concacaf Caribbean Shield. The three teams qualified after they finished in the TTPFL top three ahead of the May 28 deadline.

On Tuesday, at the PFCC’s first-ever “Media Day”, the club’s managing director Allison Williams and Point Fortin mayor Clyde James, reiterated the importance of them breaking into regional competition.

“This current team, you all have been charged with a particular task, which is we need to go the Concacaf Championship. We need to do that, we have to do that. We are seeing that talent of our players and we are investing in you all,” said Williams to his squad members at Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin. At the close of the first season in October, Civic placed seventh. Despite their challenges, they remain committed to returning the borough’s prized team to the top of the domestic league. Civic play their opening match on Sunday, at home against Terminix La Horquetta Rangers.

Williams sent an early warning to teams travelling to Mahaica this season.

“Sunday coming here we have to fill the (stadium) stands because we are playing one of the biggest teams in the country, Terminix Rangers. Anybody coming here, walk with a bag because they’re going to get a bag of goals,” he said. Williams made special mention of sponsors Heritage Petroleum, who has helped the team leaps and bounds over the past, and into the new season.

“Without their input and sponsorship given to us, some of the things that we entrust with at this point in time, would not have been achieved. Everyone loves a winner, and with Heritage coming on board, we were able to source some of the best players in this country, not only within the community,” he added. Mayor James shared similar sentiments and challenged the team to hit their targets. Qualifying for Concacaf tournaments, he said, would reap external and long-term benefits, not only for the club but also the active southern community.

James said, “You are challenged to make sure that this football team goes from strength to strength and challenged to bring the glory days back to Point Fortin. By your performance, you will get the support of the community.

“Our first (goal) is to get into Concacaf. That will bring us all the necessary sport tourism we are looking for in Point Fortin. It will also give us the opportunity to sell our great standard of football.”

Williams said the club is under new management and was restructured to ensure smoother, more transparent operations.

Additionally, hometown boy Roy McCree, who’s been lecturing in the fields of sport policy and sport sociology at UWI for the past 22 years, spoke to the players present and urged them to strive for excellence.

McCree was optimistic that this bunch, led by national goalkeeper Denzil Smith, has what it takes to return Point Fortin to its heyday, when the likes of Point Fortin stalwarts Leroy de Leon, Warren Archibald, Steve David, Leo ‘Twinkle Toes’ Brewster, Anthony Douglas, Kenny Joseph, Wilfred Cave and Kelvin Barclay, among others, dominated the domestic scene and majority of the national senior squad.

“Over the years, Point Fortin has produced at least 30 national players for national junior and senior teams. It was normal for the senior team to have four to five players from Point as starters.

“In the Concacaf playoffs for the 1974 World Cup, there were at least eight to nine players from PFCC of the 22-man team. Point Fortin also provided players for Defence Force and Police. Those guys have left us with a rich heritage and hope it provides motivation to excel,” McCree said.