TnT FA-Cup Thread.

[Tallman]

Any clips of the game?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qf3QV7RuqZA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/Qf3QV7RuqZA</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wFKBS1egJqw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/wFKBS1egJqw</a>

[Football supporter]

If I was a betting man, I wonder what the odds would be for North East vs Jabloteh in the Toyota Classic Final??

[Flex]

Champion Jabloteh meets ‘El Do’ school-boys.
By Nigel Simon (Guardian).

It will be a match-up of ‘David vs Goliath’ when reigning T&T Football Federation FA Trophy holder and three-time winner, Adam’s Construction Limited San Juan Jabloteh kicks off its defence of its title against Secondary Schools Football League East Zone winner, El Dorado East Secondary, nick-named the “Blue Thunder.”

It will be the first time Secondary School teams will be competing in the tournament since the early 1970s. The draw for the 36-team competition, which will kick off on January 21 and now in its 82nd edition took place at the T&TFF’s Dundonald Street, Port-of-Spain, office, yesterday.

Last year, Jabloteh registered its third lien on the trophy via 1-0 win over fellow Digicel T&T Pro League club, DirecTV North East Stars with Kennedy Hinkson, the scorer to land the $80,000 winner’s prize.

The 36 teams comprises, eight from the Digicel T&T Pro League, six from the bmobile National Super League, three each from the Eastern Football Association, Southern Football Association, Eastern Counties Football Union, Northern Football Association, Central Football Association and Tobago Football Association.

The three other zonal winners of the Secondary Schools Football League entered are St Anthony’s College, winners of the national League and Inter-Col titles as well as the North Zone League and Inter-Col; Carapichaima East Secondary (Central), and Scarborough Secondary (Tobago) while South Zone champions, Shiva Boys’s have not entered.

[Deeks]

Wow, colleges in the FA. Belmont with Gordon Husbands and Winfield St.Hill was the last College team to play in the FA, if I remember correctly. And that was probably 68/69. Not sure. Anyone my age can give we some info.

[ZANDOLIE]

Would like to see more of the SSFL competing in the Pro-League cups and super-league. Things could rearranged so that the intercol zonal winners can compete in the superleague and help improve SSFL standards

[madness]

how a pro team playing against secondary school??

[Sam]

Good move !!!!!

[president]

This is nonsense - another decision made by the TTFF without thinking it through properly. No serious national association has schoolboy teams participating in its national Cup tournament - not even the USSF in its Open Cup. The reality is that NO SSFL team is in training, and many of the players have moved on to play with TTFF clubs at different levels. There's a difference between a men's team that includes a schoolboy and a schoolboy team. The FA draw has St. Anthony's up against Defence Force in the first round. The schoolboys have NO chance. Meantime, lesser teams have been seeded into the second round. The TTFF cabal are merely attempting to play they are turning a new leaf, promoting youth development and being "progressive".

[Bakes]

Glad I wasn't the first one to say it.

[diamondtrim]

This is a good move......should have been implemented years ago. the methodology is a lil questionable though.....

[royal]

D/Force face Tigers in FA

DEFENCE FORCE’s Pro League outfit will face St Anthony’s College, the “Westmoorings Tigers” today in a First Round encounter of the 2011-2012 Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) FA Trophy.

St Anthony’s, one of four Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) teams in this year’s competition, will be hosting their neighbours and it may be an uphill task for the 2011 SSFL North Zone, Big Five, North Zonal Intercol and National Intercol champs, who have not played a match since late November.

Defence Force were in action last evening, in a rescheduled Pro League clash against TTEC, and it is likely that they may field a reserve team against the “Tigers”.

Another Pro League outfit, Caledonia AIA, will be making the long trek to Techier Village, Point Fortin to face Uprising Youths from the Southern Football Association.

Today’s matches will each kick off at 3.30 pm.

Round Two matches are scheduled for February 4 and 5, with the Defence Force-St Anthony’s winner due to meet Mafeking United while the Uprising Youths-Caledonia winner will oppose FC Santa Rosa.

newsday

[Football supporter]

So, if one of these schoolboys breaks his leg, who foots the medical bills and how does he make up his lost schooling?

Madness. 

[kaiser]

So, if one of these schoolboys breaks his leg, who foots the medical bills and how does he make up his lost schooling?

Madness. 

they have insurance for the players but it is a pay first type insurance and in other scenarios the ministry gets involved if they need surgery.

[kaiser]

Defense Force 3 vs St Anthony's 2
 College boys had them 2 -1
Real good game

[Football supporter]

So, if one of these schoolboys breaks his leg, who foots the medical bills and how does he make up his lost schooling?

Madness. 

they have insurance for the players but it is a pay first type insurance and in other scenarios the ministry gets involved if they need surgery.

[ZANDOLIE]

Defense Force 3 vs St Anthony's 2
 College boys had them 2 -1
Real good game

great stuff! glad these yutes were given the chance to prove themselves in real battle.

[vb]

Great idea and long long overdue. I have wanted to write a letter to the Press about this for years now.

The cream of the SSFL crop should be in the FA and perhaps the League Cup as well.

Now we need to incorporate John D, Sando Tech and UWI into this. In fact these tertiary schools should be put into zonal football and given the chance to rise up through the ranks.

VB

[Sam]

VB, we agree, finally....

You is still a bullarman though.

[vb]

VB, we agree, finally....

You is still a bullarman though.

As long as yuh sister is a man ....YEAH BABY!!!!

[Sam]

VB, we agree, finally....

You is still a bullarman though.

As long as yuh sister is a man ....YEAH BABY!!!!

You is a Rather F00cker..... 

Under all seriousness, I dont have a sister....

[Coop's]

Defense Force 3 vs St Anthony's 2
 College boys had them 2 -1
Real good game

great stuff! glad these yutes were given the chance to prove themselves in real battle.

       I think this is a step backward for the standard of Football in the country,when College and Pro teams are contesting against each other,it tells you how low the standard of our Professional league is,the only people to benefit in all this is the College players,if these Pro teams getting trouble from the SSFL how are they really going to measure up against foreign teams,this is the reason why our Football not getting any where.My thoughts are if they allow College players to play on Pro teams fine but College teams against Pro teams,i can't understand what these people thinking,whose decision was that?     

[kaiser]

Defense Force 3 vs St Anthony's 2
 College boys had them 2 -1
Real good game

great stuff! glad these yutes were given the chance to prove themselves in real battle.

       I think this is a step backward for the standard of Football in the country,when College and Pro teams are contesting against each other,it tells you how low the standard of our Professional league is,the only people to benefit in all this is the College players,if these Pro teams getting trouble from the SSFL how are they really going to measure up against foreign teams,this is the reason why our Football not getting any where.My thoughts are if they allow College players to play on Pro teams fine but College teams against Pro teams,i can't understand what these people thinking,whose decision was that?     

Really and truly in all parts of the world youths from 16 years onwards are already professionals playing with pro teams fighting against big men so i see nothing wrong with it ,it can only help and increase the morale and standard of the play of the youngsters remember colleges league is for u 20 not u 16 or u 17 and in reality this will also gauge the standard of play in the ssfl. That's just my opinion i may be wrong who knows but at this age these fellas should be playing at this standard.

[Sam]

Defense Force 3 vs St Anthony's 2
 College boys had them 2 -1
Real good game

great stuff! glad these yutes were given the chance to prove themselves in real battle.

       I think this is a step backward for the standard of Football in the country,when College and Pro teams are contesting against each other,it tells you how low the standard of our Professional league is,the only people to benefit in all this is the College players,if these Pro teams getting trouble from the SSFL how are they really going to measure up against foreign teams,this is the reason why our Football not getting any where.My thoughts are if they allow College players to play on Pro teams fine but College teams against Pro teams,i can't understand what these people thinking,whose decision was that?     

Yes and no.....

It will improve the school teams but does nothing much for the pro league teams ?.

If you asked me, I prefer the school teams improve, it will help the transition into bigger things.

And also coops, the FA cup in the UK, some times conference teams beat EPL teams, that does not mean de EPL league shittie.....


Giant-killers

Aside from the non-top-flight winners mentioned below, the FA Cup has a long tradition of lower-ranked teams becoming "giant-killers" by defeating opponents from a higher division. While it is common for this to happen (one statistical analysis based on four years of results showed that the probability of at least one team beating one from a higher division in a given year was 99.85%, dropping to 48.8% for a two-division gap and 39.28% for a three-division gap), it is considered particularly newsworthy when the "victim" is one of the top Premier League teams, or where the giant-killer is from outside the League divisions. The most recent example of a non-league team beating top-flight opposition was Sutton United's victory over Coventry City in 1988–89. The last time a non-league side beat top-flight opposition away from home was Altrincham's victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew's in 1985–86. Within the football league one of the most notable results was Wrexham's victory over Arsenal in 1992. In the previous season, Wrexham had finished 92nd in the football league, Arsenal were 1st

Giant-killings of various scales happen every year: almost every club in the League Pyramid has a fondly remembered "giant-killing" act in its history and some small clubs have, whether by accident or design, gained a reputation for being "cup specialists" after two or more such feats within a few years. Victories by non-league sides over league opposition are referred to as 'league scalps'[citation needed]. Overall, Yeovil Town holds the record with 20 league scalps won before the club entered the league. The record for a club which has never entered the league is held by Altrincham, with 16 league scalps.

Linked to this giant-killing is the progression of teams beyond what would normally be expected. A few teams have won the FA Cup while outside of the top division, though no team from the third level of the football league has progressed to the final. For non-league teams, reaching the third round – where all top flight sides now enter – is considered a major achievement. During the 2008-09 FA Cup, a record nine teams achieved this feat, and while Tottenham Hotspur won the 1901 FA Cup as a Southern League club, no non-league team has since progressed past the fifth round, this occurring most recently to Crawley Town F.C. in 2011. Chasetown are the lowest ranked team to play in the third round, playing eventual runners-up Cardiff City in the 2007–08 competition. The game took place on 5 January 2008 whilst Chasetown were playing in the Southern League Division One Midlands, the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.

[Coop's]

Sam,i understand what you are saying,we have teams from the other devisions in the FA nothing is wrong with that but lets deal with T&T and don't try to compare us with other countrys because our situations are different.
I remember at it had  topic here on the Colleges league and people was saying it should be scraped,it's not developing players,they don't have quality Coaches etc etc now these same schools playing in the FA,they next thing they will be playing in the league because they are good enough,is not that they are good enough all it does is tell you the standard of the teams in the Pro league.   

[vb]

Coops the if the Pro teams are of poor quality that is a totally different issue than the SSFL teams playing in the FA cup.

What surprised me is that the colleges were pitted against top teams right away. There should be some kind of seeding system let the lower echelons duke it out and then meet the PFL teams in the final round of 32 or 16.

Yes this benefits the Colleges more than the pro teams but if the colleges are inferior they will get some good experienced and kicked out early.
If you have a good team that can make the later rounds they might get beaten by a Pro team but it will be good marketing at the gate.

The quality of pro football is a totally different kettle of fish that has to be dealt with.

VB

[Coop's]

I thought the Pro league had a Youth league where all these school boys play,what happen to that?

[vb]

I thought the Pro league had a Youth league where all these school boys play,what happen to that?

Good point. 

But honestly this idea by the TTFF enhances the marketability of TT football.

What they need to do now is to incorporate John D, Sando Tech and other Tertiary institutions into the zonal league.
College stars WILL graduate to these institutions for an education and will have the bonus of still playing football. Not everyone will go to the US.

VB

[Coop's]

Coops the if the Pro teams are of poor quality that is a totally different issue than the SSFL teams playing in the FA cup.

What surprised me is that the colleges were pitted against top teams right away. There should be some kind of seeding system let the lower echelons duke it out and then meet the PFL teams in the final round of 32 or 16.

Yes this benefits the Colleges more than the pro teams but if the colleges are inferior they will get some good experienced and kicked out early.
If you have a good team that can make the later rounds they might get beaten by a Pro team but it will be good marketing at the gate.

The quality of pro football is a totally different kettle of fish that has to be dealt with.

VB

      I understand the views on both sides of this issue but the bottom line is Pro teams against College teams not good for Football no way no how.We always compareing ourselves with big countries when it come to Football and this is what we doing?could you imagine Chelsea or Man Utd playing against a College team or Barca and Real Madrid playing against a College team,then saying it's to develope Youths,who going and see a game like that any how.
     I wonder how those school boys feel playing against guys that are paid to play the game,they don't get anything it's a lot of risks involved here,in the US they will not entertain that thought because somebody going to get sued.My thing is let school boys enjoy their life as school boys SSFL and Intercol is where they should be,who have intentions of playing Pro can join one of those Pro teams,it have a lot of guys after school days that's it.
    The thing with T&T Football is we are so disorganized,is like we are always grasping at straws,we have nothing so anything come up or we see someone else doing is great ideas,Football in T&T is like a national Minor League everybody just doing what they feel,we are so unprofessional it eh funny. 

[vb]

Coops the if the Pro teams are of poor quality that is a totally different issue than the SSFL teams playing in the FA cup.

What surprised me is that the colleges were pitted against top teams right away. There should be some kind of seeding system let the lower echelons duke it out and then meet the PFL teams in the final round of 32 or 16.

Yes this benefits the Colleges more than the pro teams but if the colleges are inferior they will get some good experienced and kicked out early.
If you have a good team that can make the later rounds they might get beaten by a Pro team but it will be good marketing at the gate.

The quality of pro football is a totally different kettle of fish that has to be dealt with.

VB

      I understand the views on both sides of this issue but the bottom line is Pro teams against College teams not good for Football no way no how.We always compareing ourselves with big countries when it come to Football and this is what we doing?could you imagine Chelsea or Man Utd playing against a College team or Barca and Real Madrid playing against a College team,then saying it's to develope Youths,who going and see a game like that any how.
     I wonder how those school boys feel playing against guys that are paid to play the game,they don't get anything it's a lot of risks involved here,in the US they will not entertain that thought because somebody going to get sued.My thing is let school boys enjoy their life as school boys SSFL and Intercol is where they should be,who have intentions of playing Pro can join one of those Pro teams,it have a lot of guys after school days that's it.
    The thing with T&T Football is we are so disorganized,is like we are always grasping at straws,we have nothing so anything come up or we see someone else doing is great ideas,Football in T&T is like a national Minor League everybody just doing what they feel,we are so unprofessional it eh funny. 

Cah disagree with your last sentence. 

[Rastaman]

I have to say that in my opinion this is a great move. It is a pity that it was not thought out more, so that the teams could have had more time to prepare. Coops forget about the Pro League teams, it is good for the school boys. The standard of the boys will improve after gaining this experience.

I have embarked on a similar exercise in Tobago. Going into the 2nd year of taking my youths to play in a off season football league. last year they played against the best in Tobago while at the ages of 13 to 16. The benefits will start to show by the end of this year. I will keep you all posted.