SOCCER needs a SHAKE-UP...

[Flex]

SOCCER needs a SHAKE-UP...
By: Noel "Sammy" Llewellyn.[/size]

Football fans and enthusiasts have been quietly voicing their displeasure at the present "state of affairs" of Trinidad and Tobago's football.
There's no doubt that even with the inclusion of several overseas-based professionals and foreign coaches to our present national team, we're still trying to demonstrate a winning attitude. The future of the game doesn't look bright for the starving football fans of this football-loving nation.
I remember as a boy growing up behind the bridge at Old St Joseph Road (around the John John, Besson Street, St Paul Street area...that's my "roots") and in the late 1950s, early 1960s, walking up Piccadilly Street, up Charlotte Street, to the Queen's Park Savannah (the mecca of football in the north) to watch games in front of the Grand Stand. Seeing teams like Maple, Malvern, Colts, Shamrock, Casuals, Notre Dame, Dynamos and Sporting Club, amongst others, playing in the Port of Spain Football League. In those days football was the biggest attraction, outside of horseracing at the Savannah and Test cricket at the Queen's Park Oval.
Teams then displayed an attractive brand of football, leaving die-hard fans clamouring for more.
I believe football then was of a very high standard because the systems employed by the respective clubs, as outdated as they might appear, produced goals galore. The football to me then was more creative and it appealed to the masses. People supported the game, and club teams had just as much support as the national squad.
I well remember policemen on horseback, controlling the Savannah crowds; the nutsman, the original "Jumbo"; the Pressmen (we call it sno-cone now), "Colts" from Belmont and "Queen" from Newtown, Woodbrook; not forgetting the men, who used to put up the scores on the scoreboard during the games infront the Grand Stand-"Geese" and his assistant-and some of our greatest football supporters the late Lord Kitchener (calypsonian), Sonny Dew (City Police), the late "Lulie" Abbott (Malvern supporter), the late Michael "Short Mikey" Khemkaran (Colts supporter), the late Pa Aleong (talent scout on his bike), who were all just as popular as the footballers themselves.
Some people could say the same thing about the days of old in the Southland- Southern Football Association (SFA) and Southern Football League (SFL); not forgetting the East and Central Leagues. In those days we had competitions in the Haywood Shield, the Red Cross Classic, North versus South, so the best players in the country could be on show at least twice a year.
We produced some of our greatest players during that span: Carlton "The General" Franco, Alvin Corneal, Tyrone De Labastide, Lincoln Phillips, Leroy De Leon, Everald "Gally" Cummings and Warren Archibald, amongst others.
That trend of exciting and entertaining football continued until the mid 1970s. Players had some hope, soccer in this country was on the rise. I remember Trinidad and Tobago capturing the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada in 1967, and on the way to their medal beating Argentina 1-0, Colombia 5-2 and for third place drubbing Canada 4-1.
There was Trinidad and Tobago hosting the CONCACAF Finals in 1971 with some matches being played under lights at George V Park and Gerald Figeroux (T&T) being the most outstanding goalkeeper of the tournament. Trinidad and Tobago also reached the finals of the CONCACAF qualifying series in Haiti in 1973 in a bid to qualify for the World Cup Finals in 1974 in West Germany, only to lose the final game against hosts Haiti 2-1, by some faulty and debatable refereeing decisions...some call it "voodoo". Everald "Gally" Cummings being voted the most outstanding player of that tournament.
Trinidad and Tobago also reached the final of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Santo Domingo in 1974 only to lose to Cuba on penalty kicks. I also remember the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Team (Under-l9s) playing for third place in the CONCACAF Youth Tournament in Canada in 1974. Almost all the players later went on to represent the national senior team and some played professionally overseas-Kendall Walkes, Earl "Spiderman" Carter, Richard Chinapoo, John Granville, Michael Grayson, Curtis Murrell, Brian John, Gerard Homer, Robert Francis, Whitney Hackett, Michael Maurice. Somehow or the other the football powers-that-be failed miserably and did not keep this group of players together.
I can remember Trinidad and Tobago playing in the Pan American Games '75 in Mexico, beating the USA 1-0. Yours truly was the goal-getter.
Then the people at the top of Trinidad Football Association (TFA), most notably secretary Eric James, Ken Galt, Cyril Austin and Phil Douglin, did a fairly good job with what little resources they had.
In those days we did not have any representation on the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), CONCACAF, or any FIFA executive member battling for easy draws or fixtures for T&T so we could win the Caribbean Cup, reach the Gold Cup Final round, and have the chance of a lifetime to reach the World Cup Finals.
Oh, how well I remember those days. The TFA then was run by the clubs of the association, no one was appointed because of their financial status or position. The clubs voted for who they wanted to run the association. The people of Trinidad and Tobago were led to believe there was some "kind" of democracy in football so they went out and supported the game in large numbers. However, in truth and in fact there was never no real democracy in this country's soccer.
Trinidad and Tobago as a growing football nation has not learned from our mistakes of the past that is why the game is where it is today. We keep on making the same mistakes, over and over again. We have moved from Caesar to Caesar.
I mentioned earlier growing up behind the bridge. I use to hear the older guys talking about Eric James doing everything...he moved like Jack Warner-a law unto himself. James made decisions with no regard for the love of the game itself, he was holding the position of secretary of Maple and a member of Queen's Park, the most powerful sports organisation in this country, then and now, ambassador for Haiti in Trinidad, a "big man" in the Trinidad government railways-he was the boss, take it or leave it.
Teams were crying out for democracy, asking for one club, one vote, he give them one club, one vote, with a separate set of voters, voting to make sure they kept their positions. It was more select than elect. As things stand now, the present "system" calls for a complete overhaul. We're not getting the desired results.

Continued next week - T&T Express.

[Coop's]

Flex these are the kind of articles i like and is very few people has the guts to do it,i expect my buddy Sammy to do something like this,like me he is very outspoken and through out his career always had problems with TFA,i'm eager to get the other part of this and there is no better person to tell it than Sammy.
   This country has a rich Football history and somebody has to tell it,the younger folks will not know how we feel,we had heros guys who you wanted to emulate down to practice sessions had a crowd,i don't care what anybody says i'll give anything to bring back the good old days.When you have been through the different eras in Football it's like Football tabanca.
   Being still involved in Football in the US it's hard when you have to talk about Football because is always like they know more than you,may be that's true because they have left us,they laugh at us ,have so much to throw in our faces,you will not believe every time we play the US some body brings a tape of the game for me,that's why we foreign nationals gets on the way we do,it affects us every time T&T plays.
   I support everything our country is trying to do to bring back Football but we have dug ourselves such a deep hole that it's hard to fill,besides Carnival,Football is the next best thing in this country we have to maintain it.Sammy my brother you are our voice, it's nice to hear your views it brings back so much memorys,i cherish the times we had playing with and against each other.     

[maxg]

ah 2nd dat Coops..
especially
"who were all just as popular as the footballers themselves"

Football in my T&T wasn't just about football, it was about community, entertainment, joy and sorrow. The spirit was primary, the game was secondary and due to this, the players had to give their all to be totally noticed.  Every day the crowds would come, and everyday the players rose to the occasion.
Now the players are still there, but they do not have the same motivation. The motivation now is, whether they can turn Pro or not. The crowds who do come come only for the game, not the event, not the spirit.
Now there might be a better game or show on TV, or action in the "Yard" or "Big Show" by PierII or Zen or whatever cool/hip sounding marketable feature, that the professional marketers, especially foreign ones trying to push. Now the social aspects must include "friends and buddies". Back in the day, it was whomever, yuh happened to be standing next to..Respect was given, where due.....Yea, I miss those days, sadly. we may never see them again...
Yeah 50 cent, used to be 2 shilling...and coulda be entertainment for the whole family, when Colts play Malvern... Today 50 cent is ah few thousand dollars, to see the show, dress an look like him, and live like him..."It's yuh Birthday" 

[truetrini]

boy coops,boy maxg...  sammy hit hard dey ent?

but some bamsees here go talk shit bout sour grapes. steups

dey eh know nutten bout nutten

dey jes come and is de truest definition ah waggonist!

saying those of us who criticize is bad mind etc,

ah go see allyuh later

[fishs]

This country has a rich Football history and somebody has to tell it,the younger folks will not know how we feel,we had heros guys who you wanted to emulate down to practice sessions had a crowd,i don't care what anybody says i'll give anything to bring back the good old days.When you have been through the different eras in Football it's like Football tabanca.

Coop's, sometimes ah wonder if we tell it if dey will believe it.
Almost every post that ah could stick a little thing in ah does try.
If you tell men that as a supporter, on a Saturday you would take ah bus an travel anywhere in de country yuh team playing ah game jus because yuh doh want to miss some piece of de football that might become legendary, an this as ah 10 yr old. You think dey will believe yuh ?

[truetrini]

This country has a rich Football history and somebody has to tell it,the younger folks will not know how we feel,we had heros guys who you wanted to emulate down to practice sessions had a crowd,i don't care what anybody says i'll give anything to bring back the good old days.When you have been through the different eras in Football it's like Football tabanca.

Coop's, sometimes ah wonder if we tell it if dey will believe it.
Almost every post that ah could stick a little thing in ah does try.
If you tell men that as a supporter, on a Saturday you would take ah bus an travel anywhere in de country yuh team playing ah game jus because yuh doh want to miss some piece of de football that might become legendary, an this as ah 10 yr old. You think dey will believe yuh ?

dey would faster believe in santa claus and de republican party...de dunces!

[E-man]

A good article to resurrect....

[jai john]

Jack just get reelected in Concacaf ...football done ! all dem glory days ting go have to wait. whereas Sammy brave enough to go on a one man and placard pilgrimage look how much support de warriors, who were heroes not so long ago, get when dey stood up for their rights !
When man start to confront warner he could always buy some help like Tino, Fuentes, Lincoln, etc. ..then when he doh need dem again he diss dem like O connor, Najjar,  etc.

[Observer]

Sammy make meh sit back and dream yes. I even hear Racka Tak talking shit in front the stands at half time.  Nice piece Sammy, I glad I live through that era. Not just the National team getting the following. But football lovers following football anywhere. Village Olympics, POSFL, SFA, SFL, Intercol, North South, Roy Joseph Cup.
Say what yuh want about T&T peoples of dem times, dey did love their football wid all their heart and showed it through die hard support.

Nuff respect to Sammy one of my all time faves as a player.

[fatman]

excellent article posts by coops, maxg and others show an understanding of sport (football) and its role in society that few percieve.yes it is an age of economics but for success to come to us we need to revive this spirit .this must be understood by players ,coaches ,supporters and administrators.kindly post the other artcles in this series.

[najee]

FLEX...I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WAS FROM BEHIND THE BRIDGE....BECAUSE I'M FROM THE OLD ST. JOSEPH ROAD.....AND PLUS YOU KNOW SAMMY...CAUSE I KNOW SAMMY....AND I GUESS YOU KNOW MY BROTHER.....WOW..BECAUSE EVERYTHING MENTION I KNOW.
..BY THE WAY GOOD POST

[FF]

FLEX...I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WAS FROM BEHIND THE BRIDGE....BECAUSE I'M FROM THE OLD ST. JOSEPH ROAD.....AND PLUS YOU KNOW SAMMY...CAUSE I KNOW SAMMY....AND I GUESS YOU KNOW MY BROTHER.....WOW..BECAUSE EVERYTHING MENTION I KNOW.
..BY THE WAY GOOD POST

Ha ha haha

DavyJenny Award 

Honest mistake perhaps.... but Flex from South man

[Daft Trini]

This country has a rich Football history and somebody has to tell it,the younger folks will not know how we feel,we had heros guys who you wanted to emulate down to practice sessions had a crowd,i don't care what anybody says i'll give anything to bring back the good old days.When you have been through the different eras in Football it's like Football tabanca.

Coop's, sometimes ah wonder if we tell it if dey will believe it.
Almost every post that ah could stick a little thing in ah does try.
If you tell men that as a supporter, on a Saturday you would take ah bus an travel anywhere in de country yuh team playing ah game jus because yuh doh want to miss some piece of de football that might become legendary, an this as ah 10 yr old. You think dey will believe yuh ?

dey would faster believe in santa claus and de republican party...de dunces!

Yeah, I use to ride my bike for 2 hrs or more with my friends to play in games or to go see games.

Times have changed so rapidly, I wonder what culural anthropologist would say over the rapid decline of our society in the last 10 years. Football was an overflow of our comm-(on)-unity and our passion for life. Football in Trinidad has to be shaken up, so to does the community.

I visit Trinidad and if you see at rude boy and bad john in de place. I sponsor some teams in Gasparillo and Mayo and I was really depressed at what I heard. Youths wasted on youth. Dem more believe in pipe dreams....

I believe this is a good article, took me back to de stories that my father use to tell me. Most of our community is run by de mob, and Jack is just a reflection of that.

[saga pinto]

This country has a rich Football history and somebody has to tell it,the younger folks will not know how we feel,we had heros guys who you wanted to emulate down to practice sessions had a crowd,i don't care what anybody says i'll give anything to bring back the good old days.When you have been through the different eras in Football it's like Football tabanca.

Coop's, sometimes ah wonder if we tell it if dey will believe it.
Almost every post that ah could stick a little thing in ah does try.
If you tell men that as a supporter, on a Saturday you would take ah bus an travel anywhere in de country yuh team playing ah game jus because yuh doh want to miss some piece of de football that might become legendary, an this as ah 10 yr old. You think dey will believe yuh ?

dey would faster believe in santa claus and de republican party...de dunces!

Yeah, I use to ride my bike for 2 hrs or more with my friends to play in games or to go see games.

Times have changed so rapidly, I wonder what culural anthropologist would say over the rapid decline of our society in the last 10 years. Football was an overflow of our comm-(on)-unity and our passion for life. Football in Trinidad has to be shaken up, so to does the community.

I visit Trinidad and if you see at rude boy and bad john in de place. I sponsor some teams in Gasparillo and Mayo and I was really depressed at what I heard. Youths wasted on youth. Dem more believe in pipe dreams....

I believe this is a good article, took me back to de stories that my father use to tell me. Most of our community is run by de mob, and Jack is just a reflection of that.

The rude boy and bad john  was always there and back in my fathers day they were immortalized,so the blame goes back much further than now,we create our own demise.............

[Papachunks]

yea but i suspec the rude boy and bad john was more likely to take it out on the field than wid pistols

[Deeks]

Good Evening guys.
                             Sammy was being modest. He was the top scorer in the 74 CAC games.

[King Deese]

Hey Sammy,

Where have you been all these years soldier and why are you and the true warriors, the real blood brothers, the real soldiers, the true trailblazing intergalactic stars of TnT football, just sitting on the substitute's bench, collectively not doing anything about the blatant thievery that has been exacted upon all of us by pinky and the brain and the rest of the imps that call themselves a football federation. Which in reality has turned out to be a ponzi scheme, the level of which matches Mr. Bernie Madoff, a scheme that has been robbing the diehard fans, like myself, of a program and a reality that should have been methodically, thoughtfully, intelligently, and sincerely setup to promote the beautiful game and it's true benefits and rewards, that I believe, would have benefitted every single community in Trinidad and Tobago, while simultaneously providing the opportunity for every young man and woman with the desire, the aspirations and dreams of becoming the next "Sammy, or the next Steve David, or the next Leroy De Leon, or the next Warren Archibald, and so on and so on".

For some TnT natives and every fan of the beautiful game, there is still a strong undeniable desire to cheer for that local team and that local or international football star, just like back in the days when you, Sammy, use to put the fear of God in every opposing defense that had to face you, because he and that team represents that community, but we have been robbed after all these years by this so called football federation of so many opportunities, that as a result, this small football nation have failed to aspire and definitely failed to achieve to build upon the standard that was established by you and the superstars of 1974.

This was an opportunity lost, a precious era turned upside down by greedy men, I won't call any names because they know who they are, that could have propelled us to the next level. We are a world cup playing nation now but we could have been way ahead of Mexico, USA, and Costa Rica, a position that would have made us the envy of CONCACAF and would have turned this small footballing nation into a soccer powerhouse, a world cup soccer nation we could have been really proud of.

Sammy, I will vote for you or anyone else other than the idiots that currently make up the ttff, that is sincere about developing and promoting the beautiful game in TnT, should you decide to take on this mission. There is so much work to be done. Like the man said " Miles to go before you sleep".

[grskywalker]

Men like Shaka, NAKHID, Dwight need to take over the reins of TTFF