Exclusive Interview with Canada's head coach Stephen Hart.

[Tallman]

I have two questions about Bora ? why when they doing a write up on him they does always say he took 4 countries to the world cup when in reality he only took one ? that dont make sense then. And Bora should clear that up, then he's over rated....

And what is his record in the actual world cup.

The press isn't lying when they say that he took 5 teams to the World Cup. It's just that some people automatically assume that "take" means "qualified". Also, most of the time they say that he "coached" 5 teams at the WC. I don't see how that means he's overrated. After all, he took 4 of those 5 teams to the second round of the WC.

His overall international record is:
Played: 276, Won: 110, Draw: 80, Lost: 86

His WC record is:
Played: 20, Won: 8, Drawn: 2, Lost: 10

[Observer]

Nice article Flex.

I have two questions about Bora ? why when they doing a write up on him they does always say he took 4 countries to the world cup when in reality he only took one ? that dont make sense then. And Bora should clear that up, then he's over rated....

And what is his record in the actual world cup.

he is not overated. And it is the media that have to clear up the facts about what they write

[ANC2]

Man have real class, I spoke with him a couple of times. I really hope to link up, sit down and old talk.

[Bakes]

played in the Premier, but as you know most players who played in that League got banned from the National Team

any of the older heads care to explain to the youths what went on here? what is this premier and why they were banning players?

The Premier League was run by Arthur Suite and came at a time when the National Players and team administrators were truly frustrated with Jack Warner and the TTFA.  Imagine winning the league and then being told that there is no prize money but look a trophy.  One would have to experience a TTFA election to understand how corrupt the TTFA was back then. Thinking back on it now it was really funny. 

Arthur Suite was the owner of ASL which offered decent salaries to players because the truth be told in those times the only professional teams in T&T were Police and the Defense Force (and still football was not their first job).  The Premier League provided serious dollars to the teams, most from Arthur Suite pocket but gate receipts were good back then.  When you went to a Premier game in PSA ground on a Friday night it had real crowd.  Rivalries from the South, East and North was still alive and kicking.  The brand of football was good, real good.

The sad thing was the entire national team was in the Premier League with the exception of the Army and Police players who stayed in the TTFA league.  ASL had players like Spann, Sammy Llewelyn, Ralph "Arab" Nelson, Ron La, Spiderman Carter, Marlon Charles.  Although it is my belief that Jack Warner was at his weakest and on his way out then,  Arthur Suite made a deal with the devil to join back with the TTFA. 

Banning the players was what Jack and the TTFA thought would force the players back from this breakaway league that was threatening his position.  I believe the main reason Suite entertain rejoining the TTFA was in the best interest of the players and the country (and not to appear like Jack a dictator doing things against the wishes of the players), to allow them to represent the National Team once again.  Although there was not as great an interest from England for our players in thos times, the banned players could not play for the National team or particpate in Concacaf Club championship and as a result really could not be exposed to the likes of the NASL at the time (although it was a dying league showed interst in a number of player). Also players could showcase their skills when Suite brought some real big teams home to play ASL: Flamengo with Zico, Arsenal, All Black EPL team with Cyril Regis, Cosmos with Pele, etc.  The fact is having known a lot of those players, the National Team with all the crap from Jack was a major accomplishment and was what most of them played for.  So most of them actually voted to join back with with the TTFA.

I also think Arthur Suite had big personal plans but after he joined back with the TTFA, Jack cut his throat.  He again formed another breakaway league but the initial momentum was lost and that soon merged with the TTFA which had regained its strength in Local football.  Suite had some money problems at the same time with his business, so he could not (or did not care to) pump the same sort of funding into the football as previously.  The gates were not as big as in the Premier League days and the best of the best were split between the leagues unlike before where all of the big players not tied to Police and the Defense Force went with Suite.

Those were some good times.

Blessings

Excellent run down 



Great interview by Flex, and superb responses by Steve Hart.  I had to bring this back up having missed it the first go around.

Hard luck Canada.

[Bakes]

To be honest ah felt guilty about posting such negatives after such a great interview with Steve but men on this forum need to understand the history in Trinbago Football.  So I had to oblige the young man who needed a history lesson.

The Football was real sweet in the PFL.  Coops, man yuh bring back memories when yuh mention ECM Motown, big team, when ECM show up yuh know yuh have hard football from the first whistle.

It seems every time there was a general election in the TTFA, the constitution was changed.  If man did not want to be blacklisted, then don't not make a note when Jack did his thing.

Our football was really put back in the stone ages.

Blessings

You have nothing to be ashamed of breds...that was an excellent, excellent account...and seemed totally devoid of bias.  We definitely need to understand what happened before out time.

[fivers]

played in the Premier, but as you know most players who played in that League got banned from the National Team

any of the older heads care to explain to the youths what went on here? what is this premier and why they were banning players?

The Premier League was run by Arthur Suite and came at a time when the National Players and team administrators were truly frustrated with Jack Warner and the TTFA.  Imagine winning the league and then being told that there is no prize money but look a trophy.  One would have to experience a TTFA election to understand how corrupt the TTFA was back then. Thinking back on it now it was really funny. 

Arthur Suite was the owner of ASL which offered decent salaries to players because the truth be told in those times the only professional teams in T&T were Police and the Defense Force (and still football was not their first job).  The Premier League provided serious dollars to the teams, most from Arthur Suite pocket but gate receipts were good back then.  When you went to a Premier game in PSA ground on a Friday night it had real crowd.  Rivalries from the South, East and North was still alive and kicking.  The brand of football was good, real good.

The sad thing was the entire national team was in the Premier League with the exception of the Army and Police players who stayed in the TTFA league.  ASL had players like Spann, Sammy Llewelyn, Ralph "Arab" Nelson, Ron La, Spiderman Carter, Marlon Charles.  Although it is my belief that Jack Warner was at his weakest and on his way out then,  Arthur Suite made a deal with the devil to join back with the TTFA. 

Banning the players was what Jack and the TTFA thought would force the players back from this breakaway league that was threatening his position.  I believe the main reason Suite entertain rejoining the TTFA was in the best interest of the players and the country (and not to appear like Jack a dictator doing things against the wishes of the players), to allow them to represent the National Team once again.  Although there was not as great an interest from England for our players in thos times, the banned players could not play for the National team or particpate in Concacaf Club championship and as a result really could not be exposed to the likes of the NASL at the time (although it was a dying league showed interst in a number of player). Also players could showcase their skills when Suite brought some real big teams home to play ASL: Flamengo with Zico, Arsenal, All Black EPL team with Cyril Regis, Cosmos with Pele, etc.  The fact is having known a lot of those players, the National Team with all the crap from Jack was a major accomplishment and was what most of them played for.  So most of them actually voted to join back with with the TTFA.

I also think Arthur Suite had big personal plans but after he joined back with the TTFA, Jack cut his throat.  He again formed another breakaway league but the initial momentum was lost and that soon merged with the TTFA which had regained its strength in Local football.  Suite had some money problems at the same time with his business, so he could not (or did not care to) pump the same sort of funding into the football as previously.  The gates were not as big as in the Premier League days and the best of the best were split between the leagues unlike before where all of the big players not tied to Police and the Defense Force went with Suite.

Those were some good times.

Blessings

Jack Warner is a real snake boy. My father told me about him along time ago. He said, "Imagine, back in the day the country wanted to start a professional league and Jack Warner banned it because he was not directly involved in it and that he could not profit from it". This guy is totally destroying football in T&T, even from so far back. very sad. What I want to know is, why our government is just sitting by and watch this happen?

[kounty]

gov't cyah fix everything homey...from road to hospital to corruption in ttff.   we not livin in a communist society, so the onus have to be on we to check NGOs like TTFF.

[WestCoast]

To be honest ah felt guilty about posting such negatives after such a great interview with Steve but men on this forum need to understand the history in Trinbago Football.  So I had to oblige the young man who needed a history lesson.
The Football was real sweet in the PFL.  Coops, man yuh bring back memories when yuh mention ECM Motown, big team, when ECM show up yuh know yuh have hard football from the first whistle.
It seems every time there was a general election in the TTFA, the constitution was changed.  If man did not want to be blacklisted, then don't not make a note when Jack did his thing.
Our football was really put back in the stone ages.
Blessings

You have nothing to be ashamed of breds...that was an excellent, excellent account...and seemed totally devoid of bias.  We definitely need to understand what happened before out time.

I wonder if Mr. Arthur Suite still looking for his 50% cut from Austin?
Lower St. John, my hope is that one day all this will NEVER be able to happen.

[Sam]

How come this interview was never published in the Canadian official football website ? I believe it is tops. !!! and seeing that we have nuff Canadians posters here and a Trini coaching de Canadian team I taught it would have been published there.....

[Sam]

Flex get mention here for this interview.

http://soccerpaper.com/edition/?p=121

[acb]

Flex get mention here for this interview.

http://soccerpaper.com/edition/?p=121

buss up the man government name like if he pitch marbles with him.

[Big Magician]

check it

well done harty..
good luck vz  argentina ( small game..as harty said in joke..lol)

[Flex]

Coach hopes to take Canada to World Cup.
By Glenn MacDonald (TheChronicleHerald).

Stephen Hart enjoys watching the FIFA World Cup.

The head coach of Canada’s men’s national soccer team would enjoy it even more if Canada was involved.

The 50-year-old Hart, a Halifax resident, took over as head coach in December. He had served as interim coach since March 2009 after Dale Mitchell was fired for Canada’s weak 0-4-2 record in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Canada has appeared in only one World Cup (1986). They are ranked 63rd in the latest FIFA world rankings, ahead of New Zealand, North Korea and South Africa, all of which had a team in this year’s World Cup.

With the international spectacle heading into its final week, Hart, who moved to Canada from his native Trinidad and Tobago in 1980 to attend Saint Mary’s University, said his goal is to lead Canada back to the world’s most widely viewed sporting event.

Q: How does the national team look at this stage?

A: We are in a process of rebuilding, so to speak. We are trying to increase the roster depth on our national team and we have been looking at quite a few players in our last three games. We’ll continue that trend until the end of 2010.

Q: Do you see Canada playing in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

A: Our whole goal is to have a squad prepared and with a complete understanding of each other going into qualification in late 2011. That time is going to rush up on us. We have prioritized what needs to be done. There’s always a possibility that we’ll have a team there. But it all comes down to how well we can compete in the (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football championship).

Q: What would a World Cup appearance mean to the sport in this country?

A: We weren’t at the World Cup before 1986 and we haven’t been there since. I think the whole country would get behind the team. The whole soccer infrastructure would probably grow out of it, hopefully. It would be a very, very healthy situation.

Q: Would we see a trickle-down effect if Canada qualified for the World Cup?

A: It could mean better infrastructure. A lot of young players would have a place to play. The biggest downfall for Canada has been the infrastructure on the professional side. Right now, they are dependent on a U.S. league. We have to take care of that as well as university soccer and senior soccer in each of the provinces. It’s that complete sort of thinking that is needed for our game to grow.

Q: Who do you like in the World Cup?

A: I think the way it’s shaping up, Holland are a very, very difficult team to beat. I don’t think they’re necessarily playing the best soccer but they’re a difficult team to beat and of course we’ve seen the consistency of Germany throughout the tournament.

But I think whichever team wins the Germany-Spain matchup will probably go on to win the World Cup.


Stephen Hart, Canada’s national men’s soccer team coach, at Mainland North Common in Halifax. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)

( gmacdonald@herald.ca)

[maxg]

Wha is all dis starboy ting tantana...allyuh go swell the man head, anybody could coach, when we get results we go talk...the man encourage me to get back into coaching, so ah gone to coach ah div 2 womens team..if ah stop dey, ah could put that on meh resume...nice...but we is 0-7, 1 goal for and 20 against,  MzG cussin meh, boy wha you get into, why yuh wastin we time, who send yuh back in this thing ? and the man nowhere in sight....doh matter the women ah have only ever play house league before(the tryouts end up being ah waste, fren ting), results is wha eventually matter...well I watchin he now, he better get some results, otherwise next time MzG see him, I go leave him to face d music  ...even if after, we still    ..... cause I doh wha she hit meh with "Da iz d man who send yuh"     

[pecan]

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1190440.html



Stephen Hart enjoys watching the FIFA World Cup.

The head coach of Canada’s men’s national soccer team would enjoy it even more if Canada was involved.

The 50-year-old Hart, a Halifax resident, took over as head coach in December. He had served as interim coach since March 2009 after Dale Mitchell was fired for Canada’s weak 0-4-2 record in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Canada has appeared in only one World Cup (1986). They are ranked 63rd in the latest FIFA world rankings, ahead of New Zealand, North Korea and South Africa, all of which had a team in this year’s World Cup.

With the international spectacle heading into its final week, Hart, who moved to Canada from his native Trinidad and Tobago in 1980 to attend Saint Mary’s University, said his goal is to lead Canada back to the world’s most widely viewed sporting event.

Q: How does the national team look at this stage?

A: We are in a process of rebuilding, so to speak. We are trying to increase the roster depth on our national team and we have been looking at quite a few players in our last three games. We’ll continue that trend until the end of 2010.

Q: Do you see Canada playing in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

A: Our whole goal is to have a squad prepared and with a complete understanding of each other going into qualification in late 2011. That time is going to rush up on us. We have prioritized what needs to be done. There’s always a possibility that we’ll have a team there. But it all comes down to how well we can compete in the (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football championship).

Q: What would a World Cup appearance mean to the sport in this country?

A: We weren’t at the World Cup before 1986 and we haven’t been there since. I think the whole country would get behind the team. The whole soccer infrastructure would probably grow out of it, hopefully. It would be a very, very healthy situation.

Q: Would we see a trickle-down effect if Canada qualified for the World Cup?

A: It could mean better infrastructure. A lot of young players would have a place to play. The biggest downfall for Canada has been the infrastructure on the professional side. Right now, they are dependent on a U.S. league. We have to take care of that as well as university soccer and senior soccer in each of the provinces. It’s that complete sort of thinking that is needed for our game to grow.

Q: Who do you like in the World Cup?

A: I think the way it’s shaping up, Holland are a very, very difficult team to beat. I don’t think they’re necessarily playing the best soccer but they’re a difficult team to beat and of course we’ve seen the consistency of Germany throughout the tournament.

But I think whichever team wins the Germany-Spain matchup will probably go on to win the World Cup.

[Controversial]

should have been the head coach for tt long time

[Mose]

Let him stay right where he is. He wouldn't last in TT. He would either leave after getting fed of Jack and he sh*t or he would tell Jack where to go and get fired!

[socachynee]

http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content=20100901_135916_8900

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2010/09/02/sp-stephen-hart-canada.html

[Sam]

White follows his heart

After a tough, drawn-out wrestling match, with the decision of whether to play for the land of his birth or his adopted country, striker O'Brian White is set to make his senior team debut for Jamaica in tonight's friendly football inter-national here against Costa Rica.

The St Ann-born White, who recently finished his second professional season for Toronto FC in North America's Major League Soccer (MLS), had been strongly wooed by Canada. According to Canada's head coach Stephen Hart, White was invited to that country's senior team camp in January, but declined, citing studies.

In late August, White, who represented Jamaica at several youth levels, indicated he would make a decision on which country to represent at the end of the MLS season.

He was then invited to play for Jamaica against Trinidad and Tobago last month, but he did not make that game, due to business with his club. Now, it appears he has finally made up his mind. But the call, White admitted, was not easy.

"Yeah, very hard decision," he said, after completing his first training session with the Boyz here yesterday.

According to White, who migrated to Canada as a teenager, he was not contacted by Jamaica earlier on, although he was willing to represent the country. Canada's persistence also gave him second thoughts.

"My heart was always with Jamaica," the 24-year-old said. "I was disappointed that I never got called back [to the national programme] for such a long time. And then, I live in Toronto and (Canada) came knocking, so obviously I was thinking about playing for Canada, definitely."

Yet the 6'1", 175-pound White claimed there was no dramatic turning point for his final decision.

"I just think it is in my best interest to come out and play this game [for Jamaica]," he said.

The choice left Stephen Hart disappointed, but the Trinidad and Tobago-born coach said there were no hard feelings against White.

"Players make these decisions based on what they think is best for them," Hart said on Monday after learning that White was joining the Reggae Boyz at the same hotel where he is with Canada's Under-23 squad. "I wish him the best of luck."

SOURCE - Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer

[Sando]

Hart has Canucks on the beat
(FIFA.com)
Thursday 21 April 2011

Canada’s history in the world’s game has been one of feast or famine. Playing officially for the first time in 1924 (although they have an unofficial match on the books dating  back to 1885), the huge North America nation – known for a sporting devotion to ice hockey – has failed to find consistency in their footballing ability. They have, however, experienced moments of great triumph, most notably qualifying for the FIFA World Cup™ finals in Mexico in 1986 and shocking the region’s big two of Mexico and bordering neighbours USA by picking up a CONCACAF Gold Cup crown under the tutelage of current Australia coach Holger Osieck.

New manager Stephen Hart, a former Trinidad and Tobago international who earned seven caps for the Soca Warriors, is left with the task of reviving those glory days and carving out a path for steadier development and performance on the international stage. Team Canada’s start to 2011 is cause for optimism as it comes with some heartening results and a nine-point jump up in the most recent release of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

Recent friendly action has seen the team beat Belarus 1-0 in Turkey. A lone goal from defender Andre Hainault was the decider in a game that Hart described as “a mixed performance.” Regardless of the coach’s assessment, the result was significantly better than the drab 1-0 loss to Greece in Larissa in February, Canada’s only other game so far this year after ending 2010 with a creditable draw against Ukraine.

Canada are now up to 75th overall in the world and seventh in their CONCACAF zone. Though it is still a long way off their best-ever ranking of 40th achieved in 1996, it is cause for hope in the camp and on the terraces too.

The next opportunity for Hart to take his side into competitive action will be at the 2011 Gold Cup this June in the USA. The Canadians, or the Canucks as they are fondly known, have been drawn into Group C alongside the USA, who knocked the men in red out at the semi-final stage of the 2007 finals, and Caribbean up-and-comers Guadeloupe. Panama is the other team in the section and coach Hart rates them as one of the trickier sides to face: “They [Panama] have been playing a very dynamic sort of game, very athletic.”

There will be a drive in the side to re-create the heroics of 2000, when Canada defeated Mexico and Colombia to lift the country’s only regional title and fill up some space in a decidedly sparse trophy cabinet, in the process becoming the only side other than Mexico or the USA to win the Gold Cup. Hart and his men will prepare for this latest instalment of the Gold Cup finals with a friendly against Ecuador on the first of June.

The Gold Cup will act as the logical springboard for a run toward the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014. With standout players like captain and all-time caps leader Paul Stalteri of Borussia Monchengladbach and PSV Eindhoven’s rising star Atiba Hutchinson, Hart hopes he has enough firepower to send Canada to its first world finals in 25 years, or at least do better than the poor showings they put in over the past two qualifying cycles, going out on both occasions at the first group stage.

“The World Cup qualification is everything to us, everything to us.  That’s what we want,” said a determined coach as he looks to end the downward trajectory and aim Canada skywards once again.