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Author Topic: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread  (Read 29951 times)

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Offline Deeks

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #210 on: March 14, 2020, 07:13:23 AM »
Sorry if I am making a joke on this situation. Is years this virus hitting TT Football. The stadia always empty. Is only now they notice that. Anyway forumites. Be safe. Is cold turkey for the next 3 months. NO FOOTBALL.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #211 on: March 14, 2020, 03:27:23 PM »
Sorry if I am making a joke on this situation. Is years this virus hitting TT Football. The stadia always empty. Is only now they notice that. Anyway forumites. Be safe. Is cold turkey for the next 3 months. NO FOOTBALL.

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Offline Flex

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #212 on: March 17, 2020, 07:29:58 AM »
Decision on Pro League season expected soon.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


A decision on the status of the 2019-2020 TT Pro League season is expected soon, as early as this week, according to the league’s CEO Julia Baptiste.

The 2019-2020 season was suspended by the league on Friday, hours before the round two match day nine fixture between AC Port of Spain and Police, in order to combat the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Baptiste, in an interview on Monday, said, “That is a decision for the board at this time. A decision will be taken, if to play or accept the table after round (Two) match day eight as it is. It will appear we may have to do (the latter).”

She pointed out that such a decision may be taken this week.

At present, Defence Force lead the 11-team standings with 42 points, with Terminix La Horquetta Rangers next on 35.

With regards to the financial allocations for the participating clubs (leaders Defence Force and Police are exempted from government subventions), Baptiste said, “We received the subvention from last year and that is what the clubs were using to manage their affairs.

She added, “What we got last year was budgeted for the season.”

However, it is understood that debutants Cunupia FC did not receive any subvention for this season.

According to a Cunupia FC member, “The subvention was based on a Cabinet note and it has to be approved. I don’t know if it has to do with (the time when) we applied to join the league. Maybe next season we might get a subvention.”

The Cunupia FC member said, “We had no sponsor nor subvention. We struggled to make ends meet.”

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Offline Bianconeri

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #213 on: March 17, 2020, 10:37:02 PM »
youth PFL off indefinitely ....

Offline Tallman

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Army declared Pro League champs due to COVID19
« Reply #214 on: March 20, 2020, 07:16:13 AM »
Army declared Pro League champs due to COVID19
T&T Guardian


Defence Force was declared the winner of the 2019/2020 T&T Pro League yesterday, after a decision by the League to take preventative measures, due to the deadly COVID19 (coronavirus) which has now reached a total of nine cases.

Yesterday the League in a release said, “Given the existing situation with regard to the worldwide pandemic, COVID19 (coronavirus), the League has taken the decision to declare the Defence Force Football Club the 2020 League champions. The decision was taken in light of the fact that we will not be able to complete the League anytime soon. At present, we now have nine affected citizens reported and it is more than likely that this will grow in numbers over the coming weeks.”

It said also: “The League is of the view that this is the best decision to take under the circumstances and extends congratulations to the Defence Force Football Club. We also continue to pray for our nation at this time.”

Currently the Army Coast Guard Combination team leads the 11-team standings with 42 points after 17 matches. They enjoy a comfortable seven-point advantage on their closest rival Terminix La Horquetta Rangers on 35 points in 17 games, with Point Fortin Civic, W Connection- the multiple times winners, and Morvant Caledonia United securing third, fourth and fifth on the table respectively.

Final Team Standings 2019-2020

Teams  P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts

1.  Defence Force  FC  17  13  3  1  35  17  42
2.  La Horquetta Rangers  17  11  2  4  48  18  35
3.  Point Fortin Civic  17  8  4  5  25  23  28
4.  W Connection  16  8  3  5  28  20  27
5.  Morvant Caledonia United  17  6  6  5  20  23  24
6.  Police FC  17  6  5  6  29  22  23
7.  Club Sando  18  5  6  7  28  25  21
8.  San Juan Jabloteh  17  5  4  8  21  31  19
9.  Central FC  18  3  5  10  18  34  14
10.  AC Port-of-Spain  17  3  4  10  18  38  13
11.  Cunupia FC  17  2  6  9  14  33  12

« Last Edit: March 20, 2020, 12:43:01 PM by Flex »
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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #215 on: March 20, 2020, 09:40:28 AM »
Has the Premier League declared Liverpool champions?

Offline Tallman

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Andrews lauds Defence Force flexibility in Pro League triumph
« Reply #216 on: March 23, 2020, 06:59:28 PM »
Andrews lauds Defence Force flexibility in Pro League triumph
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian)


The name Lloyd Curtis "Sonoltee" Andrews may not be popular in local football to many over the past three decades.

However, after being around the sport for the last 30-plus years, the 57-year-old coach Andrews has finally made his mark at the highest level of domestic football in T&T.

This after guiding T&T Defence Force to a record 23rd national league crown and their fourth T&T Pro League in the competition's 20-year history. It's also the team's first since the 2012/2013 season.

The Army/Coast-Guard, a dominant force in local and Conaccaf football back in the day, captured the national league crown in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1995 followed by triumphs in the Semi-Professional League in 1996 and 1997 and the T&T Pro League inaugural season in 1999, 2010/2011, and the 2012/2013 campaign.

And last week following the postponement of the rest of the 2019/2020 11-club Pro League season due to the worldwide Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic a decision was taken to name the "Teteron Men" under the guidance of first-year head coach Andrews as league champions with three matches left to complete the season.

As it stood, Defence Force led by veteran captain Jerwyn "Bally" Balthazar headed the table with 42 points from 17 matches, seven ahead of Terminix La Horquetta Rangers while Point Fortin Civic during their best campaign was third with 28 points, one ahead of six-time champions and last year's league winners' W Connection who had a match in hand.

The Pro League release stated: Given the existing situation concerning the worldwide pandemic, COVID19 (coronavirus), the League has decided to declare the Defence Force Football Club the 2020 League champions. The decision was taken because we will not be able to complete the League anytime soon. At present, we now have nine affected citizens reported and it is more than likely that this will grow in numbers over the coming weeks.”

It said also: “The League is of the view that this is the best decision to take under the circumstances and extends congratulations to the Defence Force Football Club. We also continue to pray for our nation at this time.”

Commenting on being declared champions, Andrews who got involved in the managerial aspect of the sport through a small-goal competition in his community of La Horquetta almost 25 years ago before moving onto La Horquetta Dazzlers in the Eastern Football Association said on Monday: It was a bittersweet feeling for me personally."

He added, "As a coach, it is always nice to lead your team to titles and more so a national league title, but I would have loved to finish off the rest of the season as well, with only three matches to go.

"We suffered one defeat in the first round of ten matches, that was against Morvant Caledonia United, a 2-1 defeat and so far in the second round of competition we were undefeated, and with matches left to play against Morvant Caledonia United, Central FC and Point Fortin, we were pretty confident of not losing any of those matches."

Reflecting of the season before it being declared over, Andrews said the turning point in confidence for his players came when they defeated main rival, Rangers 2-0 at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground, Phase II, La Horquetta despite national defender Curtis Gonzales being shown a straight red card by referee Quincy Williams for violent conduct against Kishun Seecharan on February 4, 2020.

Before that match we came up with specific tactics for the encounter with Rangers, and while at first some of the players were apprehensive towards I got them as well as other members of my technical staff to believe in it.
"During the training drill I boasted to them that once we were able to do it properly in training for 15 minutes non-stop it will work in the match, and despite the early sending off of Gonzales, we were able to accomplish our goal."

It was the first match that I saw people really taking a serious look at what we were doing and afterwards our performance against Rangers was praised in many quarters.

"Coming up against a quality team like Rangers we had to do something different and even though they had the player advantage it looked as though we had two or three players more on the field and this was all down to the players being able to adapt to doing different things while playing different positions.

He added, "So for us, it was mainly about knowing how to manage and control matches and from then on we had a renewed high level of confidence and matches started to become much easier for us."

Andrews, who joined the Defence Force back on January 11, 1982, until 2013 said that it was pleasing to see that sometimes when his team didn't play their best brand of football the players were still able to pull out a win.
"You know you have a good team when you're able to play badly and still get wins, while you maintain that form by winning when playing good football as well.

However, the positive end to his first season in charge of the team was not something many may have expected even though Andrews had the experience of the Technical Director of the Defence Force team who won two Digicel Pro Bowls and a First Citizens Cup under former coach and player, Marvin Gordon, now an assistant coach at San Juan Jabloteh.

A slightly peeved Andrews noted that while he was happy being part of the Defence Force technical staff back then he felt he was never fully given the recognition as being the team's "TD" during those two seasons.

"So when I was approached to take up the coaching role my main focus was on winning what I consider the biggest prize in local football, which is the national league crown."

Andrews, a former Eastern Football Association coach of T&T Coast Guard and then T&T Air Guard/Coast Guard combination up until the 20152016 seasons explained, "I was not in favour of putting too much emphasis on the Ascension League while getting to the semifinals of the First Citizens Cup was my target, as I planned to use those competitions as a key part of my pre-season to try and implement and stamp my style of play on the team.
"At the same time I told the players that if we found ourselves in a position to win the Ascension League we will try our best and do it, but our focus was to be in peak shape for when the Pro League began.

"When we started there were doubts about my capabilities even from within, noted Andrews who was part of a group of local coaches that included the deceased Arthur "Jap" Brown, and Keith Look Loy who travelled to Brazil for a coaching course early in his career.

"That experience in Brazil and visiting clubs like Fluminense, Santos, Sao Paulo, Botafogo and Flamengo was an experience that helped make me into the coach I am today along with the staunch support of my deceased wife, Wendy Andrews., who always said that I would be successful."

"As it turned out, we were able to capture the Ascension League crown and we didn't manage to get to to the semis of the First Citizens Cup, but overall they both served us well in getting the right mix of players in terms of youth and experience with the likes of Adrian Welch, Brent Sam, Jamali Garcia, Jelani Felix, Aaron Enill, Jameel Cooper, Jamille Boatswain, and Dwight Quintero coming into to blend with experienced campaigners Balthazar, Devorn Jorsling, Gonzales, Rodell Elcock, Sheldon Clarke, Andrew Marchan.

Not to be forgotten Andrews also praised the all-round teamwork of his staff which included ex-national midfielder and national senior and youth team assistant coach, Hutson "Barber" Charles, Devin Elcock, Sion Cain (trainer), Demetri Villoreol (physiotherapist), Mc Allister Estrada (medical), Sheldon Barker (equipment manager) and Warrant Officer Ayeesha Sadlow.

Looking ahead, Andrews said he along with his technical staff and players are all praying for the country and taking precautionary measures with regards to the COVID-19 virus and wishing for things to get back to normal as soon as possible so that they can get back onto the field of play.
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Offline Tallman

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Hutson Charles pleased with Defence Force
« Reply #217 on: April 03, 2020, 09:20:06 AM »
Hutson Charles pleased with Defence Force
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday)


FORMER STRIKE Squad midfielder Hutson “Barber” Charles was pleased with the accomplishments of Defence Force FC during the 2019-2020 season, as they copped both the Ascension Invitational Tournament and the T&T Pro League titles.

Charles worked as an assistant to first-time coach Lloyd Andrews, who had previously served as Defence Force’s technical director.

In an interview on Tuesday, Charles, who also served as joint national coach, alongside Jamaal Shabazz, from 2012-2013, said, “The season went the way how we wanted it to go. The Ascension League, we used that as a pre-season tournament. We (were) not studying the results, it was just to get the system and the whole pattern of play going. We picked up some form and we won the league.”

The Ascension League was initiated by businessman and owner of Terminix La Horquetta Rangers, Richard Ferguson, and it ran from September until December.

“After the Ascension League came the (First Citizens) Cup,” said Charles. “We peaked at the ending of the Ascension League (but then our) form dipped a little bit. We realised that the coach Andrews and the staff realised that. We (said) we’re going to use the knockout tournament to see how far we could go but it was preparation for the league.”

The league was a memorable one for Defence Force, as they won 13 out of their 17 matches, and tallied 42 points.

Charles noted, “From the beginning, our main focus was to win the Pro League. We started off pretty well and everything (fell) into place. It was evident that we only lost one game. The only disappointment was that we would have loved to finish the league.”

With the coronavirus pandemic, were the players understanding of why the season was stopped or disappointed?

“It was two-fold,” Charles replied. “They were disappointed that they couldn’t finish the league, with three games to go. They (were) really looking forward, although we needed just three points, to get nine points. When we told them that the league has been stopped, you could have seen the disappointed faces.

“Nevertheless, it’s a disaster that is happening now and it’s nothing we could have (done) to prevent it. I think it was a good decision the league took in suspending (the rest of matches) because everybody’s health is important.”

Regarding what moments stood out for him during the 2019-2020 season, Charles said, “I think the vision that the coach and the staff had, from when we were introduced to the team because this is the first time that he’s coaching the team. I came back into (the team) this year after a long absence.”

Andrews replaced former Defence Force and TT midfielder Marvin Gordon during the off-season.

“We (sat) down and we planned, together with (assistant coach) Devin Elcock. To see that the plan came together as we panned out, that’s going to stick in our memory.

“Pertaining to any game that stands out, it was the second round game that we played up in La Horquetta, against Rangers, after going a man down in the first 15 minutes. We (stuck) to our game plan and we won that game 2-0.”
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Offline Tallman

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Genuine structure for T&T football
« Reply #218 on: May 09, 2020, 08:54:32 AM »
Genuine structure for T&T football
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


EXECUTIVE MEMBERS of both the T&T Pro League and Super League are open to merging both divisions of top-flight local football once the sport returns to normalcy after the ongoing global covid19 pandemic.

The possible partnership between the pair will see the Pro League serve as the highest ranked league in local professional football while the Super League stands to become the Second Division.

Last year, there were plans to stage an inaugural T-League – a combination of both Pro League and Super League. However, those plans were stalled due to differences of opinions between both parties.

This idea of a two-tier competition was also pitched to Super League clubs in August 2019 via a media release from Pro League chief executive officer Julia Baptiste ahead of the 2019-2020 season. One month later, this initiative was frowned upon by Super League clubs and its administration, who wrote the T&T Football Association (TTFA) via its secretary Peter Thomas, rejecting their offer of a possible merger claiming it “unethical, political and short-sighted.”

However, since the December 2019 TTFA election, the Super League has reneged on its decision and is now intent on facilitating the joining of both local competitions.

In separate interviews with acting Pro League chairman, Brent Sancho and Super League president, Keith Look Loy on Friday, the pair agreed there is a possibility the merger can still be implemented post-covid19.

The local football season usually gets underway during late August and early September.

“It (merger) is very much an option. It’s something that we are talking about within the league. All sides had agreed to it and we were still in the talking processes of it and then (the TTFA) election came. We hope we can go back to the drawing board with this idea. It would be the sensible thing to do as it relates to football. Looking at the two-tier system, conversations should be held, I believe so. It’s been agreed upon by all parties to get it that way.”

In response to a question posed to Look Loy via WhatsApp on why the sudden change of heart, the Super League president revealed his board had now thrown its support behind this developmental initiative. He, however, claims it was the Pro League who may have had issues with the merger back in mid-2019.

“(I have) no comment on that. We don't know what the post-covid19 world and football will look like. Who says Super League opposed to anything? The last position advanced by the (William) Wallace administration was to form a two-tiered league. Super League agreed. Pro League apparently had problems,” he said.

Sancho though confirmed the agreement of all involved parties and welcomed the ushering in of a new frontier for domestic football. The TTFA board member believes the two-tier system, which will see bottom-ranked teams relegated from Pro League to the Super League and top-ranked Super League teams advance to the top-flight, will create a more modernised and attractive structure for TT football.

“I’m certain (a merger) would serve football better, the two-tier system. We have to move to merge for a more professional environment, to create genuine structure in football. All stakeholders have to come hands on deck to make sure we put out football back in the position we used to be in,” Sancho explained.

The 2006 T&T World Cup representative remains optimistic the government’s coronavirus restrictions would soon be lifted to aid the speedy resumption of both youth, women and professional football on the local circuit.

While Sancho admitted the current pandemic is stifling corporate entities from investing in sport generally, he still called on stakeholders to rally behind the nation’s troops and pledge support to football development when things return to normalcy.

“Once we have a successful structure in football we would do well. We need to get that structure back going and we have to start putting TT first, that’s the bottom line. It’s imperative that we bounce back from this downtime as soon as we can,” he added.

Sancho concluded, “Particularly with sports, we need to put all hands on deck and everyone on board, because we know there will be difficult times, post covid19. This is a situation to not cut back, but to find resources to make sure we can move forward.”
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Offline Flex

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #219 on: May 24, 2020, 09:53:41 AM »
Pro League All-Stars: Russell picks ‘Ratty’, Jorsling, Guerra, ‘Boyo’ and an un-passable Rivers.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


If Angus Eve and Terry Fenwick, our first two Pro League luminaries, are household names, our third local coach, Ross Russell, is more understated but also quite successful.

Once described by World Cup 2006 hero Shaka Hislop as the most gifted Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper he has ever seen, Russell—the current goalkeeper coach for the Men’s National Under-20 Team—has made his mark as a coach too with two Pro League titles and an armful of knockout trophies at Defence Force while he also enjoyed stints at Central FC and North East Stars.

Wired868: What was your favourite season as a Pro League coach?

Russell: Definitely the year I won my first league title: 2011! I started off as a goalkeeper coach with the Men’s National Under-20 Team in 2000 under Zoran Vranes and got my first job as a head coach in about 2005 with the Defence Force Super League team.

I finished second for my last three seasons when I was asked to take the senior [Pro League] team from Kerry Jamerson, just before the start of the 2009 season. The 2010-11 season was my first full season and I remember that I did a lot of work on the mental of the players and their togetherness.

I broke the record with the longest streak of straight wins—14 games straight—and I was the most outspending coach for the year. I remember it was the year just before the State of Emergency, so I didn’t get a chance to defend the title.

Devorn Jorsling was my standout that season. I think he scored about 25 goals in all competitions. And Kevon Carter created loads for him. It was a team effort but they stood out.

Okay then, out with it. Who are the best XI players you worked with?

Goalkeeper: Glenroy Samuel (North East Stars)

I think he has a no-die spirit. Every time he goes on to the field, he wants to win. Trevor Nottingham was the goalkeeper coach at the time [with Stars] and we would instil in him that every day you train, you are training to be a winner and to get better.

He also had a wealth of experience by the time he came to us from playing in a World Youth Cup. I think he was fantastic.

Right back: Cory Rivers (Defence Force)

He has a unbelievable leadership quality, even though he was very silent. He rarely talked but he led by example—on and off the field.

Once he is on the pitch, he will give his all. And when he does speak, everybody listens.

Central defender: Jamal Jack (Central FC)

He brought an aerial ability that few Trinidad and Tobago defenders have. I don’t want to say he was vicious but he was brutal in tackles.

He put his body on the line to get the job done and he rarely made mistakes at the back. He didn’t hold back.

Central defender: Curtis ‘Boyo’ Gonzales (Defence Force)

His style is unique for a stopper. He possesses an ability to think out the game from the back like a midfielder would.

He likes having the ball and never panics in possession, he reads the game well and would outsmart plenty opponents. He is a natural leader as well.

Left back: Akile Edwards (Defence Force)

His strength was speed and the ability to overlap: every time! He was rarely ever unfit. His speed made him who he is.

He had a real work-rate and could go up and down the pitch. And even if you think you beat him, he would recover with his speed.

Midfielder: Sean Narcis (Defence Force)

For me, he is one of the best defensive midfielders I ever saw in terms of winning the ball. If you gave him a task to mark someone, he would stay with them whole day—but when he got the ball he could make a good pass too.

He would work his butt off for you.

Midfielder: Marvin Oliver (Central FC)

Working with Marvin is a dream for any coach because you have a fellah who leads by example. He works hard, he reads the game well and his ability to play the game is rare in Trinidad footballers. He always knew when to slow it down or speed it up.

He is one of the most complete footballers I have ever seen in the Pro League. Once he is on the pitch, you have a fellah who can carry the team.

Right wing: Kevon Carter (Defence Force)

His ability to go past players was amazing. He was the first guy I saw here who had an international rhythm in the way he went past players and saw danger behind an opponent’s back. With his ability, the players on his team loved him and opponents always hated to see him. He was always working and never unfit.

I never forced Carter to stay on one flank. I would tell him if you are not getting success on one side to go the next flank. You would hardly find that two full backs could stop him.

Playmaker: Ataulla Guerra (Central FC)

I shouldn’t even have to say anything about Ataulla! Ataulla was someone I just loved to see play. He sees passes that you and all don’t see and you wonder what he is doing. Also he had this ability to psyche out opponents.

Sometimes he would look like he is cheating but he always knew where to be to get the ball and to hurt the other team. And he had a real calmness in how he would finish opportunities.

Left wing: Gorean ‘Ratty’ Highley (North East Stars)

‘Ratty’ was not as quick as Carter but a little more shifty. Anyone he came up against, you had to fear him.

He could go past you with a fake or a pass or just knowing how to move off the ball. Just like how he lived his life is how he played: tricky! (Laughs)

He was always up to something and he knew how to finish. He left the game too early. He just quit suddenly and walked away; and that was that. He is one of the best youth players I have ever seen.

Striker: Devorn Jorsling (Defence Force)

Once he is on the park, you will know he is there. He has real presence and he always looks like he would score. He has a talent that plenty Trinidadians don’t have and that’s his free kicks. He kicks free kicks like he practises everyday and he doesn’t—that adds to his game.

Once he is around the box and you don’t mark him closely, he would score. He is one of the best finishers I ever coached.

And who were the three most dangerous Pro League players you ever faced?

Forward: Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public, San Juan Jabloteh)

He is a very tricky player and he knows where to be to score. It would seem as though he is out of the game and he would just pop up and hurt you.

When he’s on the field, you’re always begging your players to keep an eye on him. Somehow, he would always find a way to influence the game.

Winger: Josh Johnson (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was very, very tricky and he had great speed and an excellent understanding of when to cross early and when to go past his marker. He only spent about three years in the Pro League and then went away—but when he was there and you came up against him, you knew your wingers had to stay home on that day!

Josh could run up and down the line whole day and never seemed to get tired.

Playmaker: Joevin Jones (W Connection)

He was a torment to ‘Army’ when I was there. I think Joevin was a match winner. Once he is on the park, you have to pay attention to him. He was very decisive and he had a shot with a real quick back-lift. You wouldn’t even know he was preparing to shoot and the ball would already be flying to goal. He is a lot quicker than you might think too.

The year we lost the title to Connection [in 2013-14], we played as well as we could but he would just always come with something special. He was just outstanding.

And if you had to pick one stand-out individual performance from one of your players, which would it be?

It was a thriller against Ma Pau SC in 2009. I was on one side and [the late Michael] McComie on the other side. We won 3-2 and Kevon Carter got the winning goal with a flick.

Ma Pau had a star studded team with Lyndon ‘Chubby’ Andrews, Curtis Gonzales, Kevon Molino—fellahs who know the game and know how to work [the ball] and I just took over my team. It was a real game to see and everybody left the stadium happy.

To be honest, it was more of a team effort but Carter was doing well and tormenting their defence. He wasn’t a known goal scorer and he got the winner for us. I remember it was a cross from Akile and Carter just flicked it from behind his foot.

Knowing Carter, he doesn’t normally try things like that; but maybe with all the hype of the match, he decided to try it. And it worked!

RELATED NEWS

Pro League All-Stars: Fenwick goes for Whitley, ‘Nellie’, two shades of Gray and a dash of ‘Ganja’
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


On Thursday, Club Sando head coach Angus Eve selected the best XI players he ever worked with in the Pro League. Today, Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Terry Fenwick takes the stage.

A former 1986 World Cup defender for England and Tottenham Spurs captain, Fenwick managed English second tier club, Portsmouth, before San Juan Jabloteh—then funded by Clico boss Laurence Duprey—hired him. He went on to win Pro League and Caribbean Cup titles for not only Jabloteh but Central FC as well.

Wired868: What was your favourite season as a Pro League coach?

Fenwick: That would be my second season here in 2001 when I won my first league title. I came here at San Juan Jabloteh in 2000 and met a side that was getting on in age—there were a lot of older players in the league back then. For me, there was no structure to the football. You’d get the ball and play and then the other team would get the ball and play.

My players were set in their ways and I could see they were frustrated with how I wanted to play. We came fifth out of eight teams that season. But while we were playing, I was looking across the country for talent. I brought in Kelvin Jack and Nigel Daniel from Doc’s Khelwalaas. I brought in Collin Samuel from Mayaro and Trent Noel who was a centre forward at Police. And I promoted Josh Johnson, Kerry Baptiste and Devon Mitchell from our youth team.

We went into the second season with a very young team and just blew everybody away. Only W Connection were able to hold their own against us and they were full of Brazilians at the time. That would have to be my favourite season. We changed the way everyone thought about football in the league because we were fitter, stronger and faster than everybody.

Aurtis Whitley was my standout player. He was a real talent and he could do tricks with the ball that you couldn’t believe. I remember Aurtis and his best friend Joseph ‘Gouti’ Peters were inseparable; and in that first season both of them came late to training on multiple times. I felt they were not good influences on each other, so I waited for my opportunity and I fired ‘Gouti’.

Both were good players but Aurtis was better. By firing Peters, I hoped it sent the right message to Aurtis. I don’t know if Aurtis would have gone on to be the player he became if I hadn’t done that.

Well, go then. Give us your all-star team:

Goalkeeper: Kelvin Jack (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was huge—built like a brick shithouse. He was always very competitive, even in training. He didn’t want to lose anything! One of my first conversations with him, I had to ask him to occasionally give his defenders the benefit of the doubt and a bit of praise. He would roar at them for everything and scare the life out of them! I think he took it on board. We played a very high defensive line and he was great at one on ones.

Right back: Cyd Gray (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was a great defender. Full of energy, quick, good on the tackle and could get forward. He was limited on the ball so I had him doing just three things: one was a pass back to the goalkeeper, two inside to Aurtis Whitley or three was up the line to Josh Johnson—running behind the full back. Josh would come inside [from the right flank] and spin and run diagonally behind the full back to get that pass and we would kill W Connection with it every time.

Cyd became more comfortable when played because he knew exactly what to do when he was on the ball.

Defender: Robert Primus (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was 16 when he made his debut for us and won his first title at 17 alongside [Joel Leslie] Russell. He was a great athlete, strong and big for his age. He took on board everything. [With] some players, it takes a while for new habits to form and stick but he learned fast—things I told him once would stick. He couldn’t be beaten one against one. He had a good voice for a young man. If not for injuries, he could have done so much better.

Defender: Ian Gray (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was a brute of a man and quick across the ground. He would come second only to Josh Johnson in our cross country runs. He wanted to win in every session, he was dedicated and would be on time to everything. He took a long time to come out of his shell and understand his quality. I had to have him understand that he was not only as good as the others but better than most. When he did break through, teams didn’t want to play against him anymore.

He was good on the ball, quick and knew when to press and when to drop off.

Left back: Nigel ‘Ganja’ Daniel (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was a great defender, great at one on one situations and a great communicator. I was forever fighting him down because he was a left back who wanted to be a centre forward! I limited my back four to two touches in their own half. I told them the earlier your teammate receives [the ball], the bigger picture [of the field] he had. But when it reached Daniel, he would always want a third touch; and i would be screaming at him ‘pass’!

He would be third behind Ian Gray in cross-countries and was an excellent left back but he always wanted to do more going forward and he scored a couple of goals too. I may have frustrated him as a coach because I wanted him to do his defensive work first.

Central midfield: Trent Noel (San Juan Jabloteh)

He was a centre forward at Police FC; but he had a lovely touch, his weight of pass was excellent and he had great appreciation for where his teammates were. He wasn’t the quickest and couldn’t get away from anybody but I saw how he used the pockets of space. I could also hear him sharing great information with his teammates [at Police] and I liked his attitude.

I met him at Crowne Plaza and told him I wanted to use his values in midfield. He was somebody you coached on something and by the end of the week it was ingrained in his game. A good leader.

Central midfielder: Marvin Oliver (San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC)

Marvin came to Jabloteh as a big player. He was full of confidence, could play anywhere you wanted him to and a leader. He was one of them who wanted to run all over the field and wanted the ball all the time; and I reduced his game into certain areas of the field where we would get the full benefit of his skill set.

He could score goals and had good presence. He should have gotten many more caps for Trinidad and Tobago in my opinion. You couldn’t get the ball off him, good range of passing and his leadership was always positive.

When big occasions came around, he always stepped up.

Playmaker: Aurtis Whitley (San Juan Jabloteh)

I played [for Tottenham] with who I thought was the best ever player in the Premier League, Paul Gascoigne. The only player I have worked with who had more skills than ‘Gazza’ was Aurtis Whitley! His range of passing and skill was great, he could do things with the ball that even Gazza couldn’t. He could have three players around him and scoop it into the air and take it on the other side of all of them.

What he didn’t have was the tough mentality. He was very inward and shy. I remember when I drove to his house in Laventille and we had to park at the bottom of a hill and the two of us climbed up a grass bank to this shack that just had rags to cover where the windows should have been. It was such a wake up call for me. Wow! This is where this boy lives. But such was the ability of him that he used football to make a better life for himself and his family.

He was a phenomenal player. He could do everything with both feet. He could play that holding role in front of the back four; or if I needed a goal, I could push him further up the field. I told you that I only wanted players to have two touches in the defensive third of the field. The only player I allowed more than two touches was Aurtis Whitley because nobody could take the ball off him!

In time, I brought leadership values out of him because he was not a confident young man. The job he did for Trinidad [in the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign] showed how far he had come. He became such a disciplined player, compared to the boy I first met who would be running all over the place doing tricks to entertain the crowd.

Right winger: Jason Marcano (San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC)

Jason Marcano was the world’s worst player to coach because he always wanted to do his own thing! (Laughs) Everything was like a fete match for him. But he was a terrific talent, great on the ball and he would run all 90 minutes without a problem. He was a good character and a really nice kid—someone who everybody got on with. ‘Nellie’ they called him.

If he was a bit more disciplined, he could have done more than he did. He always had his finger in something else. I called him the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ because he always had some other business he was involved with! (Laughs) But lovely fellah and good for the dressing room. He always had a joke and a story to tell.

Forward: Peter Byers (San Juan Jabloteh)

Six foot one, built like a brick shithouse, great on the ball, thunder in both feet, could hold the ball up… Defenders had to drop off him because he would not only be faster than you but he would outmuscle you. He would take the ball and run at you, he had tricks and could smash it with right or left foot.

He was not the brightest; you had to add movement to his game. I think he was a little mentally weak and needed a kick up the backside to get the best out of him—I think that held him back. But he was a real force. About 95 percent of the players I’ve used here were from Trinidad and Tobago and he is from Antigua. But he was a handful.

Left winger: Collin Samuel (San Juan Jabloteh)

Collin was predominantly right footed but I played him on the left side. He had a solid build, quick as lightening and he had so much power that everything from his right foot was a bullet. He could shoot from distance and it was often too hot for the keeper to handle, so we would score from the knock downs.

He had nice movement. He was bright, quick, strong and he worked his socks off. He would out-tackle fullbacks!

Wired868: And who were the three most dangerous players you faced as a Pro League coach?

Playmaker: Gefferson Goulart (W Connection)

He was a very crafty player. He would look to get into those pockets of space and his attention to detail was great. He was always looking for that killer pass and he had a blinding free kick.

When I played practice games before facing Connection, we would give a boy the bib and say he was Goulart and everyone would have to react differently to him when he got the ball. I’ve never had to do anything like that for any other player.

Forward: Devorn Jorsling (Defence Force)

He was great at holding up the ball, squat, great left foot. He didn’t have that turn of pace, so when we played ‘Army’ I would tell my defenders not to drop deeper than the centre circle. We knew in and around the box he would be strong enough to get his shot off, so we would try to keep him as far away from our penalty area as possible.

But of course that wasn’t always possible. He was a great goal scorer.

Forward: Trevin Caesar (North East Stars)

He was quick and he was a goal scorer—give him half a chance and he would hit the target. They would often play him upfront on his own, so he had a thankless task; but you couldn’t take your eye off him.

In Trinidad, some of the bigger name players who people rated would nutmeg someone and make the crowd roar; but then you wouldn’t see anything else from them for another 20 minutes or so. Whereas a player like Caesar was always a threat.

Wired868: And the best individual performance from one of your players?

Fenwick: Kerry Noray! We beat Connection 4-2 down at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium—it must have been 2005 or 2006. Kerry was a spindly, skinny kid and they were a big team with guys like Atiba Charles at the back. And Kerry ran them ragged that day!

We had two wingers stay really high and I would ask Kerry to drop into midfield with two midfielders running behind him. He was great on the ball and he would have these spins and turns that were hard to read. And talk about tenacity—this little fellah would out tackle big defenders!

On that day, he was unstoppable and we slaughtered them. I remember it was 3-0 when we came off at halftime and the crowd was just silent. In the end, I think Cornell Glenn and Josh Johnson scored once each and Kerry scored two. We played them off the park!

« Last Edit: May 24, 2020, 10:01:50 AM by Flex »
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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #220 on: May 31, 2020, 05:11:28 AM »
Pro League All-Stars: King opts for Power, Baptiste and TTT—Trent, Tinto and Theobald.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Derek King won his first Pro League title as head coach at just 29 years of age, which made him the youngest success story in Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic football history.

King is one of only two coaches to win the Pro League title for two different clubs (Joe Public and North East Stars)—along with Terry Fenwick (San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC)—and the only one to scoop up a Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) crown for good measure too at FC Santa Rosa.

So King, who is also the last coach to win an international trophy for the Soca Warriors which he did at the 2014 Under-20 Caribbean Cup, follows Angus Eve, Terry Fenwick and Ross Russell in Wired868’s Pro League All-Star series.

Wired868: Tell us about your favourite season as a club coach?

King: I think that would be the 2009 season with Joe Public [when I won my first title in my first full season as head coach]. I started my job close to the end of the previous season when they let go coach [Keith] Griffith and fired several players—so it really wasn’t a good ending to the season.

I don’t think our management team believed that we would do so well because I was an inexperienced coach and the youngest to coach in the Pro League. That year, our first final was against Defence Force and we lost in the last minute to an easy goal. It was heartbreaking and that was the turning point. The guys realised that we could do it.

We had a really young squad with some players who hadn’t even played at Pro League level before like Micah Lewis, Kareem Young and Keion Goodridge. We brought in Gorean Highley, who everyone thought wouldn’t last the whole season because of disciplinary problems.

That same year the [Pro League] banned eight of our players for five games after [a brawl] at the Petrotrin ground in Palo Seco—but everything just brought our guys closer together.

I remember we would go to the beach and play cricket or have a day when the boys would cook for everyone. Those are things I brought in to the club and there was a real togetherness.

I think Kerry [Baptiste] scored about 50 goals for us that season (with 35 goals in the league). When Kerry came [to Public], we had him as a winger but I remember we played a few games in pre-season and we weren’t getting any goals. So I spoke to him and said we are missing a goal scorer and he said: “Coach man, no problem. Anywhere the team wants me to play, I will play.”

Okay, so between Public and Stars, which were your best XI players?

Goalkeeper: Alejandro Figueroa (Joe Public)

He was a Colombian and had already been in the league for a while at W Connection. He brought leadership and he was outstanding with his feet. We had a bonus for shut-outs and that motivated him too. He worked hard and always wanted to be number one and his communication with his backline was outstanding.

I also worked with Marvin [Phillip] who was really good but I would go with Figueroa.

Right back: Seon Power (Joe Public)

Seon was a workhorse. He was great with his head and he could read the game. He played right back but I’d use him at centre back or left back too. He was very athletic and I used to say he was our Cafu going forward as he was a good passer of the ball. We were sure on set pieces that we would get goals with him.

Central defender: Yohance Marshall (North East Stars)

He wasn’t the fastest but then he wasn’t the youngest when I worked with him. He brought good leadership qualities. He was very professional when it came to training. He never missed a day and would always stay back for extra work.

He was good at reading the game, very good in the air and very good from set pieces. I think he will go on to be a good coach.

Central defender: Carlyle Mitchell (Joe Public)

He was a striker at Caledonia and when he came [and saw] the players we had on top, he offered to play centre back and he did well in a practice game. So I played him at centre back with the professional team and as a striker with the reserve team, since he was young enough to play both.

He is an all-round footballer and very good with his head. He and Seon scored a lot from set plays.

Left back: Jameel Neptune (North East Stars)

It was a close fight between Jameel and Keion Goodridge for this spot. But I’d pick Jameel because of what he would bring to the team going forward.

He was not one of the best technically but he was a fighter. You were sure to get 100 from him every game. He wasn’t the best defensively because he preferred to go forward but he always contributed and he would play anywhere for the team.

Holding midfielder: Densill Theobald (North East Stars)

Densill was part of my old brigade at Stars. I played with him and we already had a good relationship. He was smooth, brought excellent experience and had a good vision of the game. He wasn’t the fastest but he always knew when and how to show for the ball and never, ever got caught in possession.

He would keep it simple, work hard and would be the last to leave after training. It was a close call for that spot with Kevon Goddard who is also a player I admire a lot. I call Goddard my ‘pitbull’. He would also get the job done. But I would go with Densill.

Midfielder: Trent Noel (Joe Public)

Trent brought calmness on the park. He could pass the ball and read the game. Again not the quickest but his tactical awareness and first touch were awesome—he always knew what his next play was and would never get caught on the ball.

And on dead ball situations, the keeper would have to make a brilliant save or he would score. He was our ‘Rolls Royce’ in midfield. Smooth, calm and collective.

Midfielder: Yu Hoshide (Joe Public)

He was the unknown. (Laughs). He was really professional, his movement off the ball was outstanding and he was tactically sound. He was one of the best passers on the team and also a free kick specialist. Teams feared us on set pieces because we had Kerry [Baptiste], Trent and him who could all kick them.

He was the first Japanese to play in the Pro League. He was playing in the US lower divisions and saw info about the club on the internet and got on to us and said he was willing to pay his own way to come for a trial. The rest was history.

Right wing: Akeem ‘Froggy’ Garcia (North East Stars)

I’d worked with him before at the National Under-20 level and brought him to North East. Technically, he is not one of the best but he is excellent down either flank. He knows when to go, when to stay, when to combine with midfield and he can get goals.

He works very hard and is always a threat. He could also play on either flank or as a 10 or 9—these are guys you always want in your squad. He was very direct.

Left wing: Hayden Tinto (Joe Public)

That 2009 season was Tinto’s breakaway year—he was outstanding! He brought a certain flair with his step-overs and his first touch was outstanding. You could hit that ball into him at any speed and be sure he could take it.

He was never a player to score many goals but that season he was on a high and he got a few. People would come just to see him play football and with the players he had around him, it got the most out of him that season. He was outstanding.

Forward: Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public)

Kerry was just a natural goal scorer. He was similar to Ian Rush in that he was always there where he would have to be. Nothing flashy; he was a sensible player and he would trick defenders to get into the right space before they did.

He always played within his strengths and would be just alert for his chance. He was an outstanding finisher and he was the captain of my team.

Wired868: And who were the three most dangerous players you faced as a Pro League coach?

King: First, let me just say the other players who came close to my XI. We had: Elton John, Andre Toussaint, Kishun Seecharan, Julius James, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Keston George…

Wired868: That’s cheating! But okay, tell us about the players who gave you nightmares now…

Strike partnership: Devorn Jorsling and Richard Roy (Defence Force)

In the 2009 season, Jorsling would hold the ball up well while Roy, who was faster and more direct, would compliment him and was like lightening down the channels. They were like Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke—when you tried to watch one, the other would hurt you!

They gave the whole league trouble that year and Jorsling scored in practically every game. And if he didn’t score, then Roy scored two!

Forward: Marcus Joseph (W Connection)

I think he is one of the top local goal scorers. I coached him and he is a guy who doesn’t really play to instructions. I think W left him to play as the out and out striker and allowed him to just let him do what he wanted.

It is hard to plan for him. He would pop up in midfield or just about anywhere on the field; and if you give him any space he would hurt you!

He could shoot from any distance. I think we would all love to see him do that for the National Senior Team and only time will tell. He still has maybe a few years left.

Midfielder: Joevin Jones (W Connection)

We always had a fight with him. He was young in those days but you could tell he would go on to great things.

He was always capable of doing something special and he has a good footballing brain. He was quality from day one.

And the most memorable performance from one of your players?

King: This is a tough one. But I would go with Yuh Hoshide’s debut at the Marvin Lee Stadium—I think it was against Caledonia. He had been training with us for about two weeks and had done an interview in the local media.

That day the Marvin Lee [Stadium] was full with people who wanted to see him. Those were the days when crowds would come out to watch football. If you reached late, you had to park past the bus route or in Macoya because all the streets around the ground would be full!

The fans were singing: bring on the Japanese! And they were clapping for him every time he got up to warm up. (Laughs). We brought him for about 15 minutes and with his first touch, he received the ball and made a through ball forward for Tinto and we almost got a goal. The crowd went crazy!

RELATED NEWS

Pro League All-Stars: Shabazz picks Densill, ‘Tiny’, Conrad, Radanfah and that combative ‘Wretch’
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Hyron Best, a former St Augustine Secondary goalkeeper, was still an active player when he attended his first coaching course in Brazil in 1986, after his hometown club, then named Caledonia AIA, helped raise funds for the trip.

More than three decades later, he has since taken on the name, Jamaal Shabazz, the team is now called Morvant Caledonia United and he is not only a household name within local football circles but is also on his third national senior team coaching job in St Lucia—following reasonably successful stints in charge of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Shabazz never lead Caledonia to the Pro League title but he helped the ‘Eastern Stallions’ win everything else, including the 2012 Caribbean Club Championship.

Today, he becomes the fifth coach invited by Wired868 to select his Pro League All-Star selection, after Angus Eve, Terry Fenwick, Ross Russell and Derek King. Shabazz, who now operates as Morvant Caledonia technical director, made his picks in tandem with head coach Jerry Moe.

Wired868: First, tell us about your favourite season as a club coach?

Shabazz: That would be the 2011/12 season when we won the Caribbean Club Championship and finished just two points behind [winners] W Connection in the Pro League. We also won all three knock out competitions: the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield, the First Citizens Cup and the TTFF FA Trophy.

In that same season, Guyana eliminated Trinidad and Tobago [in the 2014 World Cup qualifying series]; and I was Guyana coach and had a whole heap of Guyanese players [in the Caledonia team], so it was a real bumper year for me and the club.

That was the first time that Caledonia were able to attract real quality players. We took [World Youth Cup players] Jean-Luc Rochford, Aubrey David and Daneil Cyrus on loan from FC Santa Rosa. (That time the relationship with Keith Look Loy was very good.)

And we had players like Charles Pollard, Walter Moore, Radanfah Abu Bakr, the late Nuru Muhammad and Devorn Jorsling and upcoming talent like Ataulla Guerra. And of course our normal stalwarts like Densill Theobald, Akim Armstrong and Abdallah Phillips. [Former World Youth Cup forward] Jamal Gay was with us too.

We had good talent and a big squad and I think the key to that was we had sponsorship at the time from NLCB, so the wage bill was being met. Normally as coach I had to go hunt for [funds] on a monthly basis; but we had a solid arrangement with Massy Motors and NLCB as well as government funding—and that ensured we were able to meet our bills.

We never had sponsorship to that magnitude again. In that period, we were able to buy a bus, which was one of our proudest achievements! We didn’t just let that money pass through our hands and have nothing to show for it.

Right now, the bus is under repair after an accident last year and we are about TT$35,000 away from getting it back on the road. But I remember the joy we had when we bought the bus from Massy. We went to Morvant Junction and for the whole evening we were picking up people and dropping them home for free, until the taxi drivers started to complain! (Laughs)

Louis Lee Sing, the NLCB chairman, was instrumental in giving us guidance to make that purchase and we worked out a unique deduction arrangement with Massy [from our sponsorship with them] to get it. And even then, we had to ask our senior players and coaches to give up between TT$500 to $700 a month from their salaries so we could afford it.

I remember we would let Solo Harmonites, Carib Tokyo and any community group use the bus for free—all they had to do was agree to put in the diesel!

But back to the football. We had several players who stood out that season like Cyrus and Abdallah and Akim. But I think Conrad Smith was our standout player that year.

Okay then, which XI players did you and Moe come up with…

Goalkeeper: Glenroy Samuel

Glenroy was very competitive and very ambitious and wanted to be the next top keeper in the country, even though his attitude needed a lot of management over the three years he was with us. He didn’t get along with other players. He was younger than they were and he would come off as an upstart…

But he pulled off so many saves for us that looked sure goals—it felt like I was watching Earl Carter, Michael Maurice or John Granville! He was agile and a great shot stopper.

Right back: Kareem ‘Tiny’ Joseph

‘Tiny’ is one of the success stories for Caledonia on a community level. He came to us at 15 or 16 as a forward but we had so many forwards at the time already and my philosophy—which I learned at courses in Brazil in 1986 and 1989—was to have wing backs overlapping all the time.

We did a lot of work with him so he knew the timing to overlap and his positioning; and he bought in to it. In the 2011/12 season, he and [left back] Walter Moore had about 13 goals between them.

Apart from his athleticism, he was a penalty specialist and would practice his penalties religiously after every training. And what I admired with him is he would take only one penalty, just like in the game.

One time, [then Clico San Juan Jabloteh coach] Terry Fenwick who had an unlimited budget tried to steal him from us for his qualities as a wingback, which we took as such a compliment for the work we put in. But of course we fought to keep him; and we did. We ent going to willingly lose players like that!

Defender: Charles Pollard

Pollard was one of my Guyanese internationals and he offered strong leadership. He was similar to Densill in being that person who would ensure on the field that the team tried to play in the way that they prepared and practiced.

We liked to build up from the back and he had the character and personality to put the ball down and play. He was not the quickest but he was solid because of his positional sense and one on one defending.

Defender: Radanfah Abu Bakr

He was a natural leader and very composed. During the time he played with us, he showed good maturity, good passing range and wonderful understanding of how to manage the line, as in when to push up and when to drop off. He has a goal in his free kicks and he could go up in the last minute and get you a goal from set plays.

When the chips are down, he was never one to put his head down, even when he wasn’t doing well—that is a quality that made him stand out, along with his ability as a player.

He had a good attitude towards training. He would train in Ramadan twice a day, even when he was fasting. He would just suck it up.

Left back: Walter Moore

His dribbling, crossing ability and work rate made him stand out as a wingback. When we had Sheldon Emmanuel, we would have them both on the left flank with one playing midfield and the other as wingback and they would alternate during the game.

Walter went to Finland in 2012 and had a distinguished career. He now works as a youth coach at his last club there. He is definitely one of our success stories.

Holding midfielder: Stephan ‘Wretch’ David

He was not a vociferous captain but he led by example. In a season, he would miss just two sessions and one would be so that he could renew his passport and two would be to register his daughter at school or something. When you compare that to the things these younger players miss training for!

On the field, he offered stability. He was always backward of square to Densill, ready to relieve pressure and switch the angle of attack. Everyone wants to get forward quickly but he understand how to stay behind the ball a few seconds longer, to be a free option. He had strong tackling ability and was very, very combative for a quiet guy and very, very dependable.

As part of a project with Massy, we had him split time between work there and training with the club and today he works in their admin department.

Right side midfielder: Abdallah Phillips

Like ‘Tiny’, Abdallah was a very dazzling dribbler, quick and he had the ability to always get in the cross… They used to call him ‘kut kut’, which was really ‘cut cut’. (Laughs). That is because of the way he would [dribble with] the ball by chopping inside of his right foot and left foot.

When we found him, he was playing with TSTT in the [North] Zone. But being a muslim and from the hood, we felt a certain rights to him and were able to convince him to try this thing with us instead of an 8 to 4 job.

He has been instrumental to the club over the years and his understanding with Tiny as far as when to come in [off the flank] and leave the space for him to overlap was: wow!

Central midfielder: Densill Theobald

Densill provided stability on and off the pitch, more-so after he went to the [2006] World Cup. He hated to make a bad pass! He had a good eye for the simple ball and his work rate and fitness were always tremendous.

He didn’t score a tonne of goals but he provided tremendous stability and leadership. He was always a player we could count on to go the distance in every game; and for the whole season he would play 30 games out of the 35.

He was like a captain in the team although he wasn’t the captain.

Left side midfielder: Sheldon Emmanuel

Don’t hold me to his position. This is a curry favour pick! (Laughs) I had to find a place for him somewhere!

He was very aggressive and indomitable. I remember after three years, Terry Fenwick wanted him for Jabloteh and I sent a message to Jabloteh: ‘it will have problems with this one’! (Laughs) I remember [W Connection coach] Stuart Charles telling us that ‘Shellie’ really matured under you guys and it is time for you to let him go to a club in a different environment. And I said, ‘yes, in a different country’! (Laughs).

He was a St Lucia international and was very disciplined and committed and had a great work rate… He would give his life for you on the pitch!

Playmaker: Conrad Smith

Conrad is the ultimate child of Caledonia. We found him roaming the St George’s ground in Barataria and noticed that we would see him there in the morning and then come back in the evening and he was still there. I said ‘youth, you don’t go to school?’ And he said ‘not really’. He was about 13 at the time.

Club official Humphrey Brann and myself went to see his mother there and then and we virtually adopted him! I still consider him as my son.

He was not a quick player but he was very technical. He had the ability to play with his back to the defence but he was also dangerous coming at you. He had a ‘spanner’ with his left foot or right foot, he could score goals and he was very, very confident on the ball.

As a homegrown talent, he gave confidence to the team in the big matches. He would be the one player who, when we were under pressure, could do something fancy on the ball to neutralise the crowd and give his teammates a lift.

Unlike Densill, he didn’t deal too well with disappointment. Maybe because of his background, we overdid it and sheltered him too much. He always needed that shoulder; and at times when he didn’t make the national team he was devastated and it took a lot to get him motivated again.

He played for [Brazilian] Rene Simoes’ National Under-23 Team and he played on the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team for Stuart [Charles-Fevrier] and [Dutchman] Wim Rijsbergen but didn’t go on to do as well for his country as he should have.

Still he was a symbol of Caledonia, just like the late Shahdon Winchester was for W Connection. He was a helluva player for us!

Forward: Sheldon Holder

Sheldon was one of the first players that I brought straight from Guyana to play for us. Most of the others like Pollard and Walter were already here with other clubs. I think he came in 2012 and scored in each of his first three games! We never had to help him with his confidence just because he’s come to the ‘New York of the Caribbean’. (Laughs).

He is not the strongest of players but very dangerous with the ball at his feet and running into spaces. Once he is fit, he can be downright disrespectful to defenders!

We have never really focused our game around a centre forward at Caledonia, as we usually attack down the flanks and don’t focus on one outlet for goals. But Sheldon has been a force for us. He scored some really important goals for us.

Wired868: Okay, tell us about the three most dangerous players you two faced in the Pro League?

Midfielder: Aurtis Whitley (San Juan Jabloteh)

He scored important goals for Jabloteh and was one of the players who was incessant against us offensively.

Remember he is one of us. He played youth football for ‘Cale’ for about two seasons and he lived right in Malick. The ‘dons’ in the area would always say to me: ‘go and get Aurtis we would pay him’. But for me the money from the dons wasn’t stable and the fact that none of them are alive today speaks to that. (Laughs).

Aurtis was a thorn in our side. As a youth player for Maple, I remember I would have sleepless nights when I knew I had to face players like Bert Neptune, Nevick Denoon and Brian John. Aurtis instilled that same kind of terror in us because, just like them, he always found a way to be effective.

Midfielder: Marvin Oliver (San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC)

He played one season with us and was the Pro League MVP but we couldn’t keep him from joining Fenwick at Jabloteh. His ability to play with his back to the defence and from dead ball situations and with the ball on his feet was so impressive; but mostly he stood out for his general spirit of combativeness.

He came from where we came from and he had just that little extra aggression. When it was 0-0 and in the 80th minute, you know Oliver was going to find a way to hurt you!

He reminded me of that Bob Marley song: you will tired to see his face/but you can’t get him out of the race!

I think the clubs he went to didn’t fight enough to get him on the national team. Okay, he was deported; but he was not a terrorist or a threat—he just overstayed his time. Sometimes the status quo in the football are so stuck up that they don’t understand you have to do extra for a player.

Marvin was an annoyance as an opponent. He understood how to compete.

Forward: Devorn Jorsling (Defence Force)

Jorsling also played for Caledonia and after a stint in the United States when he came back to us, the Defence Force said it was now or never in terms of him returning to the army—and he didn’t want to go. I had to tell him that if he didn’t go, he couldn’t play with us!

As an opponent, his close control, ability to finish and his free kicks were a constant threat. The fact that he was left footed was awkward for defenders. Defenders are accustomed to meeting right footed forwards and he had this trick where he would post up with his right foot and then switch to his left at the last minute to score.

When we played Defence Force, we would let our keeper know he had to cheat a little bit for free kicks, we would ask ‘Wretch’ to drop back a little deeper so they couldn’t play the ball into Jorsling, and we would ask our players to press ‘Army’ high up the pitch so they would have to kick the ball long and Jorsling couldn’t get it. We would have to change our entire plan just for him!

We didn’t want him to get the ball in the build up phase and we certainly didn’t want him to get the ball in and around the box!

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Sam

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #221 on: May 31, 2020, 01:53:34 PM »
De Pro League had nuff good players, too much to choose just 22.

Kelvin Jack, Renato Periera, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Aurtis Whitley, Keron Cummings, Joevin Jones, Gefferson Goulart, Arnold Dwarika, Yu Hoshide, Cornell Glen, Gregory Richardson, Alejandro Figueroa, Khaleem Hyland, Julius James, Jan-Michael Williams, Keon Daniel, Dale Saunders, Keyeno Thomas, Trent Noel, Anton Pierre, Andrei Pacheco, Andre Toussaint, Marvin Oliver, Williams Silva de Oliveira, Jonathan Frias, Densill Theoblad, Stephan David, Kerry Baptiste, Jonathan Frias, Angus Eve, Jose Luis Seabra, Charles Pollard, Jason Marcano, Anthony Noriega, Collie Hercules, Carey Harris, Reon Nelson, Seon Power, Gerrard Williams, Earl Jean, Silvio Spann, Ronaldo Viana, Reynold Carrington, David Atiba Charles, Cyd Gray, Jerren Nixon, Hughton Hector, Peter Byers, Randolph Jerome.

« Last Edit: May 31, 2020, 02:01:28 PM by Sam »
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Offline Sam

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #222 on: May 31, 2020, 01:55:34 PM »
Arnold Dwarika and Jerren Nixon in particular scored de most goals in de league history alongside Devorn Jorsling and them men eh get pick.

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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2019/20 T&T Pro League Thread
« Reply #223 on: May 31, 2020, 04:26:15 PM »
Arnold Dwarika and Jerren Nixon in particular scored de most goals in de league history alongside Devorn Jorsling and them men eh get pick.



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