The story of Real Maracas is the sad reality about the pitfalls of TT football. This is one of the reason that community football is in shambles, and will be so if the stakeholders in football don't get their act together.
http://www.looptt.com/content/super-league-club-disappearedReal Maracas FC was the toast of the Maracas-St Joseph area in 2010 when it was promoted to the National Super League.
The club climbed out of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association's East Zone to make it to the second-highest tier in local football.
Now, 11 years on, the club no longer exists and the last time players wore the colors of Real Maracas FC was in 2016.
"The proudest moment for us was when, after years and years of being in the top three of the East Zone, and working towards a qualification. We qualified in 2010," said former Real Maracas FC General Secretary Rene Lendore told LoopTT.
Ms. Lendore said to keep the club going in the Super League was costly, but Real Maracas kept their collective heads above the water mainly through support from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, and later from Pro League club Central FC.
The final three seasons in the National Super League before the club folded in 2016, were the most financially turbulent times for Real Maracas.
Transport was a major financial headache.
"When you think transport, you have to go to Siparia, you have to go to Guayaguayare, and this is two rounds of football," Ms. Lendore said.
Real Maracas, like the other Super League teams, played matches in Tobago, and Ms. Lendore said these trips were particularly costly.
"We could not afford overnight accommodation, so our players would go to Tobago on the 10 am flight, and they would sit in the pavilion and wait for the game to be played. After the game, we came back home the same night. That's difficult for any team," Ms. Lendore said.
On one trip to Tobago, the team went in at half-time to find their dressing room had been burglarized.
The players lost money, cell phones, and other valuables, which were never recovered or replaced.
"Nothing came out of that. Not from the Super League, not from the Tobago police, nothing. We lost everything, but we had to go out and play," Ms. Lendore said.
During the 2016 season, the club hierarchy had to dip into their pockets to keep the club afloat, with some administrators losing up to $60,000 of their own money in the process.
Then came the difficult decision by the club to end operations.
"It was hard. It was heartbreaking," said Ms. Lendore, "It was the demise of Real Maracas football club, that flew the flag of Maracas for 13-odd years plus."
There were attempts to revive the club, with attempts to merge with another club in Petit Valley falling flat.
In addition, appeals to get corporate Trinidad and Tobago involved in the club, also fell away.
"We had big names coming forward to buy the spot (in the National Super League) and still carry the name Real Maracas. But that was fought from all angles by people who claim they love Trinidad and Tobago football," said Ms. Lendore.
Asked if she believes that Real Maracas could be revived now, with COVID-19 making a big dent on sports globally, Ms. Lendore is less certain.
"I personally don't. I still wish somebody would come forward. We have a lot of talent that is being wasted in Maracas Valley. The guys too need an avenue to expend their energies because they are finding time to do a number of things I don't really want to go into," Ms. Lendore said.
In its final season, Real Maracas was coached by former Joe Public, Ma Pau Stars, Guaya United, and T&T U-20 coach Michael McComie, and included in their line-up former stars Marvin Oliver and midfielder Ryan "Fry" Stewart.
Real Maracas' home ground, the Maracas Recreation Ground, was overgrown when LoopTT visited on Sunday.
However, residents said efforts to make the ground usable was underway.