WI football coach dies
T&T Express reports.Noel Gordon Pouchet, former coach of the only West Indies football team, died on Thursday and will be buried tomorrow at St Finbar's RC Church, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin.
Pouchet was a club coach with Notre Dame and one of the longest-serving Trinidad and Tobago national coaches, having been at the helm between 1958-63.
He was in charge of the West Indies team which toured England between August-November 1959 and played 17 matches there, winning six, losing nine and drawing two.
That team contained ten T&T players, among them being Alvin Corneal, Tyrone De La Bastide, Willie Rodriguez, Eddie Aleong, South keeper Cax Baptiste, goalie Pat Gomez (captain), Neil Daniel and locally-based Scotsman Ronnie Gray.
"He was coach of the West Indies football team which toured England. I and Tyronne De La Bastide were the youngest players on that team. I was 17 then and Tyronne was 19," Corneal recalled yesterday.
"I remember him as a coach who was very concerned about his players and passed on helpful information, such as better eating and sleeping habits."
More on
Pouchet and the
1959 British West Indies Team. (There was in fact an
All Caribbean team as well including non British islands back in 1952, but it was short lived also)
From the match programme vs Crystal Palace:
Noel C. Pouchet. Trainer/Coach. In private life Mr. Pouchet is in the Sales Department of one of the largest firms dealing in automobiles in Trinidad. On leaving college he played for one of the foremost Amateur Clubs in Trinidad—Notre Dame. He retired early from active participation and devoted himself to a comprehensive study of all aspects of the game. He became a member of the Port of Spain Football League Council, and also a member of the Council of the Trinidad Football Association two years ago.