FS I get what you saying brother. For people who live in reality such a situations can be understood. In these situation you have to work with what is, before you can change to what you want it to be.
The EPL did not start as it is today and had to(even up to recent times) make changes and adjustments as they go. A major problem with T&T society is the want to be at the same level of countries who are hundreds of years ahead of us. We have to start accepting who we are and then work from there.
Go strong FS
Before you know where you want to arrive at, you have to know where you are now. We have stop kidding ourselves and look at what we have today.
There is no recognised structure for a talented 8 year old to follow. No pathway of progression. No support and development system.
As was noted by President, you can simply form a team and join the ProLeague. That can't be right. But that's what we have.
Central FC will not change T&T football. They will not be football's equivalent of the second coming. But they will attempt to make changes, small changes, that will move football forward.
Some old time soldier said something like "The scariest part of being in command is that you lead a full on charge at the enemy and look round to see nobody is following you." It doesn't matter how good your ideas are, if the other clubs don't embrace change, football won't change.
Everyone is complaining about the state of our football. Central FC may not be to everyones taste and certainly some people will take offence to some of their ideas. But those same people want change and you can't expect some kind of Utopian revolution.
This country can sustain a 10 club professional league. Many SuperLeague clubs like Santa Rosa deserve to play professional football. Tobago most definitely should be represented.
The only thing stopping them is money. To get the money, you have to employ full time staff. You can't employ full time staff without money! So Catch 22.
The only way is to secure a sponsor with vision who understands that before players, uniforms, even footballs, a club needs professional management. Put it this way. If you invented a revolutionary new device, would your first employees be factory workers, janitors, delivery drivers, or would you want a financial whizz who can secure your venture funding?
The problem, as in every country, is that businessmen aren't prepared to invest. Companies want to give you product instead of money.
You think Carlsberg paid Liverpool in beer for shirt sponsorship. Did Continental just give UEFA tyres for sponsoring the Champions League?
If Shaq was a Trini, he probably would have asked for TT$25,000 to promote Hoops Of Life. We have to up our game. Not get greedy, but start selling something which provides value for a fair price. If you ask for crumbs, you get crumbs. Clubs have to stop talking to brand managers and start talking to the owners. Easier said than done. But these people are surprisingly receptive once you can meet them.
This, to me, is a key role of the Minister of Sport. Connect the clubs to the big fish. Once the clubs meet these people, it's up to them to offer something of value. The best will succeed, and the others will fail. But I bet we could all name 10 massive companies who don't support football. One per club, and football could develop ex potentially. Imagine if Bhagwansinghs sponsored Santa Rosa? If Prestige Holdings sponsored Westside? If Ansa McColl sponsored Tobago? If BPTT had sponsored South End?
But, we mustn't put Jabloteh/CLICO as an example. I don't know the level of investment by CLICO, but it certainly gave Jabloteh an edge. However, it all appears to have gone onto the field. There should have been a CLICO stadium in San Juan. A CLICO academy. And there should have been other substantial sponsors.
I apologise....I didn't mean to write this much!!