TT Pro League, FC Dallas forms partnership.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).
The TT Pro League and Major League Soccer club FC Dallas have combined forces in what is described as a milestone achievement by the Trinidad and Tobago Professional Football League.
This is the third international partnership formed by FC Dallas, after joining forces with Brazilian club Atletico Paranaense and Mexcican club Tigras.
But the partnership with the TT Pro League is a very unique one for FC Dallas, not with a team but a league.
“I am very privileged to reach this point in my career as a sporting administrator,” said TT Pro League Chairman Larry Romany during the launch on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The arrangement has been in the works during the last six months and former T&T and FC Dallas player Shaka Hislop is said to have great influence in the partnership.
FC Dallas is owned by Lamar Hunt—who started the very popular NFL in the United States.
“We are very privilege to set up a partnership with an organization which started with that sort of vision,” continued Romany.
“We have a vision for football, a vision for professional sport in T&T and without a vision we would not be able to step out of the box. Visionaries like the Hunt family have changed the face of sport in the United States forever and we feel very privileged to be able to forge and alliance.”
Romany also gave high praise to FC Dallas Manager Michael Hitchcock who was instrumental in the alliance.
“FC Dallas and Atletico Paranaense are very passionate about this partnership. I want to say that we are honoured to be the recipient of the type of intellectual capacity that they have developed over the years and to be able to share in the vision of Mr. Hunt and his family to carrying the Pro League to the next level.”
Michael Hitchcock is a former player under T&T Football Federation Technical Director Lincoln Phillips who was a coach at Viginia Commonwealth University.
The FCD Manager didn’t waste time saying, “I want to thank Lincoln for lighting that passion in the game in me. I have always played the game growing up but anyone who knows Lincoln knows how passionate he is about the sport that we all love. I credit my dream to create a career in the sport largely to Lincoln.”
Hitchcock also shared that his first game in college was ironically against Shaka Hislop.
“After our first one hour meeting with the TT Pro League that turned into a four hour meeting and with all the passion involved, we realised there was a foundation for a partnership,” said Hitchcock speaking on the partnership.
“As a club, we have a philosophy that the game of soccer is getting bigger and bigger around the world, meanwhile thanks to technology the world is getting smaller and smaller.”
“The key to forming good partnerships is finding good people with good visions and we have got that in Dexter (Skeene) and Larry (Romany) and that’s a credit to where they want to take the TT Pro League. Our goal is to be the premier team in North America and the Pro League goal is to be the premier league in CONCACAF, so we’ve got two organizations that share a common commitment to excellence and that’s the key to our foundation.”
Hitchcock went into details of the strategic partnership between his club and the TT Pro League.
He pointed out three areas which included competitive, business development and player development.
“The key to this partnership just as we are doing with Atletico Paranaense is making sure that we exceed the expectations of the Pro League and realise their vision and for the same they are exceeding our expectations,” said the FCD Manager.
The arrangement is said to create meaningful competitions between Pro League players, FC Dallas and other international clubs.
The Pro League teams will also have the opportunity of the Pizza Hut Park—FC Dallas home—during preseason. The PH Park is known as a preseason hub for other international clubs.
There would also be an exchange programme between players and staff from the Pro League and FC Dallas creating development opportunities.
Hitchcock is also hosting a seminar for local professional clubs entitled the TT Pro League Business Summit on Saturday morning at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
TT Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene explained that this sort of agreement was part of the league’s vision when he began his involvement four yeas ago.
“This is just the beginning of the symbol of the value of the TT Pro League which is ambitious,” said a delighted Skeene.
“We were not limited by where we are now and that’s how we got to this point. The TT Pro League aims to become one of the most respected and most premier leagues in the CONCACAF region. We still have a lot to learn and a lot to come. The journey is long but today we are at an important and significant mile post.”
He also added, “Our players must make sure and signal our intention on the world map. We must show that we are performing with the great ones, the Brazilians and the Americans. It is important for our youths to see that our players can perform at the international level on a continuous basis. It is important for our next World Cup qualification.”
