Digicel Shield kicks off May 28... Request goes out to Yorke.

[FireBrand]

Digicel Shield kicks off May 28.
... Request goes out to Yorke.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
 
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior footballers will warm up for this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup international with two international matches at the Hasely Crawford Stadium later this month as Digicel announced their staging of the inaugural Digicel Shield.
Three international teams, the senior teams of fellow Gold Cup participants Cuba and Haiti and the National Olympic team of Mexico and T&T will contest the semi-finals at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on May 28. This contest is also being hosted by Digicel as part of their one-year anniversary in T&T, as announced at the launch on Monday at the Crowne Plaza, Port of Spain.
In the opening game the Mexicans will tackle Cuba from 5pm and then the “Soca Warriors” will battle Haiti in a repeat of the Digicel Cup final. The losers will meet in the third place playoff at 5pm on May 30 at the same venue with the other two teams contesting the final from 7pm.
CONCACAF President Jack Warner also announced that at the weekend CONCACAF Congress in Toronto it was agreed that T&T’s World Cup captain Dwight Yorke will be honoured at the upcoming Gold Cup and as such he is expected to join the senior team for the tournament. Warner added that an invitation went out from him to Yorke on Sunday, requesting his services for the Digicel Shield and the Gold Cup.
Warner added that the Digicel Shield gives competing countries some much needed international experience.
“I want to compliment Digicel because once again that have responded to the call. They are going the distance in furthering the development of football and the support they have shown throughout the last two years have been countless. Digicel have funded the development of youth football throughout the Caribbean and have always been in there whenever I have had to make a request for support to ensure football is progressed in the Caribbean,” Warner added.
Digicel CEO Kevin White also agreed to assist Warner in the payment of salaries to the National coaches for the past two months.
“After the successful series of Digicel International matches held during the FIFA window in March, the Digicel shield offers further opportunity for national teams for both regions to ensure they are successfully prepared to represent their region as well as possible,” White stated.
T&T head coach Wim Rijsbergen, while listening to Warner’s assurance that the T&T team will be best supported as possible, even if without some of its World Cup players, did extend gratitude for the upcoming matches which includes a friendly international away to Honduras prior to the team’s arrival in the USA for the Gold Cup. But he made it known that he still would be happier man if he has the best players at his disposal.
“The Digicel shield is the perfect warm up for us before the hugely important Gold Cup in June and the whole team is looking forward to putting in a first class performance on home turf. Digicel’s support of the Soca Warriors has been phenomenal over the last year with the Digicel Caribbean Cup and now the Digicel Shield,” Rijsbergen added.
Admission for both days of action will be $100 (covered), $50 (uncovered) and $20 in uncovered for  kids. Digicel will have further promotional events over the coming days leading up to the matches.

[Trini _2026]

Now is mexico under 23

[DeSoWa]

Is this the same competition that was first scheduled to take place at the Marvin Lee Stadium in COE?

Hope WIM gets the players he wants for this tourney and the GC 

Big Up!

[Andre]

i pray for us to not be embarassed.

[grskywalker]

I find this is an odd move by Warner, why invite Dwight and not the rest of the team? We all would love to see Dwight captain the team again, but let it at least be our WC06 squad combined with the local group

[weary1969]

It go be Mexico under 17 by next press releaseeeeee. Loud steupsssssss.

[TrinInfinite]

yorkie coming out of retirement once more, wow, how much times de BOSS come out of reitirement breddah.. had to be his 3rd time i believe... yorke, edwards, bleeder and hardest in de middle will be deadly.... if only wwe had sammy on de left, dat midfield would look real nice and give all opponents real trouble...

God is de BOSS....

[ricky]

I find this is an odd move by Warner, why invite Dwight and not the rest of the team? We all would love to see Dwight captain the team again, but let it at least be our WC06 squad combined with the local group

remember he not in the law suit....

I find this sweet, as i going to the 2 in La, if i get to see Dwight 2 more times live in TNT strip i go be pumped

BTW Feliz....ent ah tell yuh when he retire he was still go play gold cup 

[Socafan]

?? That last retirement by Yorke sound official and final to me. Warner put de man in a difficult position. I wonder if Yorke was told about all this before it was announced?

And further....will he "unretire" again!!!??

Dis crazy fuh trute. Or is it that Warner looking for a "boxoffice draw"

[maxg]

regardless of Yorke, and rest of the list or not...I find Digicel really doing big returns to the region, and ah have to give them ah big 

cause they coulda jus do like everyone else and run away from TTFF....

Thanks Digicel....whoever is called to represent and those waiting in the wings, i'm sure appreciates the opportunity for the run out big time

[Sando prince]

When Yorke last announced his retirement..he sounded very sure about his decision....so let's see what happens now.

[Midknight]

yorke said he was retiring to concentrate on the premiership push. Season done and the gold cup is way before preseason. It wouldn't be inconsisent with his declarations.

That said, it still look like Jackula trying to pull a fast one...

[Kingk]

is he calling dwight back to bring people to the games ?
because from what i know People wouldnt come out to games unless its the Big names that come out to play

[D.H.W]

Yorke call Jacko bluff  , i see on news Jacko cough before he muster d strength to recall york   

[kentsoulman]

Question is........

will Dwight play for FPATT?

If he does, he's dissin Jack

If he don't, he's dissin FPATT.

A way to keep neutral would be to just play in the Trotman memorial game.

[Midknight]

T&T head coach Wim Rijsbergen, while listening to Warner’s assurance that the T&T team will be best supported as possible, even if without some of its World Cup players, did extend gratitude for the upcoming matches which includes a friendly international away to Honduras prior to the team’s arrival in the USA for the Gold Cup. But he made it known that he still would be happier man if he has the best players at his disposal.

Talk about boss reporting... I believe this is what they call "drowning the fish" in France. Not one man jack pick it up in the reso of the information :

[kentsoulman]

Good spot Midknight.

I forwarded this to FPATT.

I think Wim is basically sticking two fingers up at Jack and telling everyone that he's with the players (not neccesarily about the money, but about the right to play)
Bet Jack was seething after his attempt to win back the fans was flattened by Wim.

[legal alien]

anybody who think yorke retired for good taking 'tief head' real easy.

[SUPA]

i pray for us to not be embarassed.

Hear meh nah, it will not happen, we will not be embarrassed. Cuz de man (Yorke) yuh say dat wouldn't make it in de EPL, he is back, Gold Cup here we come  . HIGHLY BLESSED.

Big up De ALLIANCE - Miami - 5/27/07.

Bounty Killer, Movado, Busy Signal and de rest ah de crew.

[weary1969]

Jack only want to say that Dwight supportin he and not FPATT.

[Brownsugar]

Well ah see dis on de news last night and didn't know what to make of it.....

First ah say to mih self "Self..... "

Den ah say "Self, remember Dwight not on de blacklist"

Den ah say...(kinda of topic) "Self, why de hell Warner is de ONLY man we does hear from when there are public announcement for football....what de hell it have ah board for??!!"

Den "Self....we must be real desperate boy....ah could kinda understand de local 4 nation tournament as some kinda send off for Yorkie, but why de Gold Cup?, if dey so confident bout de players we have (not on de blacklist), den wha we need Dwight for who has "retired"?"

Den (a bit off topic)...."Self, why Warner keep saying de coaches eh get pay since way back when....he Warner say he been paying dem since last year, but he eh pay dem for de past 2 months.....but he goh step in an pay de arrears 2 months?"

"Self, de TTFF eh have NO avenues for raising dey own revenues?....cuz if he Warner pay de coaches, ent when de Government pay de TTFF it goh just go right back to Warner?"

"Self, ah getting ah headache now...but before ah goh, ah like how Wim kinda f-up Jack/TTFF..."


p.s. No ah doh answer mih self 

[JDB]

T&T head coach Wim Rijsbergen, while listening to Warner’s assurance that the T&T team will be best supported as possible, even if without some of its World Cup players, did extend gratitude for the upcoming matches which includes a friendly international away to Honduras prior to the team’s arrival in the USA for the Gold Cup. But he made it known that he still would be happier man if he has the best players at his disposal.

Talk about boss reporting... I believe this is what they call "drowning the fish" in France. Not one man jack pick it up in the reso of the information :

I don't think that anybody has missed it its just that Wim's stance on the blacklist impasse has already been expressed in his radio interview and discussed in another thread.

Yorke call Jacko bluff , i see on news Jacko cough before he muster d strength to recall york

I would say that it is the other way around. Jack trying to tempt Yorke with these "honours" to weaken the position of the rest of the WC players. If Yorke plays the fans will come out and nobody will study the striking players because each player that "crosses the line" weakens the position of the squad.

The question what will be Yorke's motivation. If the TTFF owe him money, is he going to get that money to appear for this game. WIll the "honour" include a cash award.

Also going forward and looking at the Gold Cup, will Dwight make sure to get an agreement in writing? He will be the most senior plpayer by far although he didn't take part in qualification. Will he get more money than the rest of squad players? More money than he would have gotten if the full senior squad was available?

Basically Dwight has an opportunity to cut a real sweet side deal with Jack for this appearance.

Or he could be genuinely yearning to play for TnT one more time and be willing to ignore the commess and plead neutrality.

Or he could see the danger of aligning himself with Jack and the TTFF and tell them to shove off.

[trinfax]

Dwight could make a good stance like he pardner Lara... he could turn it down UNLESS ALL ELIGIBLE PLAYERS ARE SELECTED. Lara earned respect for his position and he would help the players tremendously.

[kentsoulman]

I think Dwight could do more for football in T&T by publicly uniting with the blacklisted players. I'm sure he wants to play for T&T  one more time. I'm equally sure he doesn't need the money.

If he stated that he was honoured to be chosen, but that he only wanted to play if he was part of a team selected from Trinidad & Tobagos best possible squad including those blacklisted players, he would be a hero either way.

If Jack says no, then Dwight becomes a martyr to the cause, if Jack gives in, Yorke is the man who saved T&T football.

Question is, has he the balls to stand up to Jack, or are there other hidden agendas afoot?

If Dwight does play in the Gold Cup, its his responsibility as senior player to ensure that correct contracts are in place, or to ask FPATT to negotiate contracts on behalf of the players.

If a big dog bites yah ass, you better make sure its got a muzzle next time you go near it.

 

[grskywalker]

Dwight could make a good stance like he pardner Lara... he could turn it down UNLESS ALL ELIGIBLE PLAYERS ARE SELECTED. Lara earned respect for his position and he would help the players tremendously.

I agree Yorke should make a request of his own to play alongside his World Cup teammates for the last time

[ttcom]

How the f--K is Jack to be inviting people? I have me banner for his arse in Boston

[D.H.W]

fellas it may be a blessing in disguise, if we go into d tornament and doh make d finals, maybe people will see d present squad not ready for competition.