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Author Topic: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.  (Read 19477 times)

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Offline Sando

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Offline Trinitozbone

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #61 on: July 29, 2011, 11:49:20 AM »
Galley is the heart and soul of Trinidad and Tobago football. There are others like him but they are no where close to our national teams. Talk about a country that does not value it's treasures!

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #62 on: July 30, 2011, 06:17:43 AM »
Trinitozbone, this is how we 'trini' treat our own especially those who contribute at the highest level. You can feed ah 'trini' for 364 days of the year, that one day you aint feed them.ohgarrd!!! They need to really understand the struggles and stress these people go through. I think they should listen to a kaiso by Prowler called " Beneath the surface."

Offline Flex

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #63 on: August 04, 2011, 07:01:26 PM »
FYI

Gally said the formation used for the Strike Squad was 2-3-2-3.

Something like this...

____________Maurice_____________
_______Francis______Morris_______
Faustin______Jamerson_____Williams
_____Latapy___________Charles___
___Lewis____Jones_____Yorke
« Last Edit: August 08, 2011, 11:25:23 AM by Flex »
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Offline davyjenny1

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #64 on: August 04, 2011, 10:59:01 PM »
Trinitozbone, this is how we 'trini' treat our own especially those who contribute at the highest level. You can feed ah 'trini' for 364 days of the year, that one day you aint feed them.ohgarrd!!! They need to really understand the struggles and stress these people go through. I think they should listen to a kaiso by Prowler called " Beneath the surface."
That is ah boss Kaiso
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the impossible lies in a person determination.

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Offline Flex

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #65 on: August 15, 2012, 12:44:07 PM »
copyrights to - socawarriors.net



Gally meets the late Eric Williams.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Star Child

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #66 on: March 21, 2013, 09:28:55 AM »
Just saw this one, a wonderful read, great job Flex.

Gally brought everyone together, indio, afro, dougla, white etc etc.

Wonderful days.


Offline coache

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #67 on: March 21, 2013, 10:00:47 AM »
In my mind the Strike Squad was by far the best Trinidad team I have ever seen in my lifetime ..I was not living in Trinidad during their run but I watched their matches on t.v. whenever I could. The attacking players were young ,fearless and fast, the defenders were strong, stable and seasoned. The football was free flowing. Thanks  to Gally for his leadership...now it's up to Hudson Charles and Shabazz...it's much more challenging in these times because the players aren't as good ...

Offline Observer

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #68 on: March 21, 2013, 10:24:00 AM »
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview, Great job Fex. Respect Gally :applause: :applause:

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Offline Errol

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #69 on: March 21, 2013, 10:40:04 AM »
The introduction to this interview was bar none....

 :applause:  :applause:  :applause:


Offline doc

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #70 on: March 21, 2013, 12:31:02 PM »
There was another Trini on the '68 Atlanta Chiefs championship team. Who was that player?
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Offline Tallman

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #71 on: March 21, 2013, 12:39:51 PM »
There was another Trini on the '68 Atlanta Chiefs championship team. Who was that player?

Bertrand Grell
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Offline doc

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #72 on: March 21, 2013, 01:55:31 PM »
There was another Trini on the '68 Atlanta Chiefs championship team. Who was that player?

Bertrand Grell
:thumbsup: unsong hero?
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Offline Sam

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #73 on: December 14, 2013, 03:10:22 AM »
ABFA identifies possible TD for national team
By Carl Joseph
antiguaobserver.com.
Nov, 28th, 2013.


ST JOHN’S, Antigua- Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has finally identified two of the three men being considered for the post of technical director of the national football programme – Everald “Gally” Cummings, Peter Nowak and a yet to be named coach out of England.

ABFA General Secretary Gordon “Banks” Derrick, appearing on the Good Morning JoJo Sports Show, said, “ We had spoken to Mr ‘Gally’ Cummings in Trinidad and we tried to get him, but he’s coaching at University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and another club team. He’s on a contract and he was trying to see how he could have re-jigged the contract, but it didn’t work out.

“And there are a couple others that we’re looking at. We made some offers. Remember, we don’t have any money. We just told them exactly what we could afford and they’re looking at it now and we’re just waiting for a response from them,” he added.

Cummings was a football mid-fielder who played for six years in the North American Soccer League. He also played professionally in Mexico. He was a mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the 1960s and 1970s and later became the national team coach of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1980s during the Strike Squad years.

Nowak, meantime, acted as assistant under Bob Bradley during his tenure with the United States Men’s national team, and the Under-23 Men’s national team, which competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Nowak came under much scrutiny, however, leading to his firing by his last club team, Philadelphia Union.

The FA is scheduled to make its decision for the post of technical director by the end of January next year.

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Offline Trini _2026

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ABFA and possible TD in talks
« Reply #74 on: September 11, 2014, 02:01:59 PM »
ABFA and possible TD in talks
Antigua Observer


http://antiguaobserver.com/abfa-and-possible-td-in-talks/

Former Polish professional footballer, Pitor Nowak, could be the country’s next technical director.

The 50 year old, who enjoyed a successful career in Europe playing for several Polish clubs, was spotted at the Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) during the country’s successful run in Group 5 of the CFU Caribbean Cup.

Reports are that Nowak was, at that time, engaged in talks with the ABFA over possibly joining the coaching staff.

General Secretary, Gordon “Banks” Derrick confirmed the FA is in talks with Nowak but could not give further details.

“We would have had discussions with him but I would want to leave it at that for now, but the FAP has started to come back to us … part of the mandate is that we must have that technical director in place so we are moving swiftly to fulfill that because we really don’t want to have any more issues with the big bosses up east,” he said.

Asked how soon the FA expects talks to be completed, Derrick said a new TD could be confirmed by the end of the year.

“They didn’t really give us a specific timeline, but it would have to be within a reasonable time. Technical directors are not just waiting to come and coach Antigua & Barbuda so you have to find the right one and of course, see who’s available and try and get that to work. I think, if we are looking at a reasonable time, within four to six months would be more than reasonable for us to get somebody,” the GS said.

Nowak was also an important member of the Poland national football team throughout the 1990s, earning 24 caps, serving as national captain for several years, and being voted Polish Player of the Year in 1996.

As a coach, he is a former assistant coach of the United States men’s national soccer team under Bob Bradley, former head coach of United States U-23 men’s national soccer team, and former head coach of DC United and Philadelphia Union of MLS.

« Last Edit: September 11, 2014, 02:03:35 PM by Trini _2018 »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

Offline Trini _2026

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Re: ABFA and possible TD in talks
« Reply #75 on: September 11, 2014, 02:02:06 PM »
Match dates: 6–13 October 2014.
Group 7

Trinidad and Tobago 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Antigua and Barbuda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Saint Lucia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dominican Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

Offline Star Child

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #76 on: June 04, 2015, 04:19:07 PM »
Maybe they could revisit this to see if anything suspicious was done to aid the US as they had to win to host the 1994 world cup, after this Jack got is real power.

Seeing that they investigating everything now after the lastest FIFA fiasco but what probably really helped the US the FBI ignoring?

  :)


Offline Deeks

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #77 on: June 04, 2015, 05:02:03 PM »
Maybe they could revisit this to see if anything suspicious was done to aid the US as they had to win to host the 1994 world cup, after this Jack got is real power.

Seeing that they investigating everything now after the lastest FIFA fiasco but what probably really helped the US the FBI ignoring?

  :)



While I think that money passed for the US WC. The FIFA hierarchy was always leaning for the US holding the WC. The turnout for the LA Olympics had already convinced them that it was a win/win decision. Let me refesh allyuh memory, Havelange was in charge. He had Concacaf first and foremost. Remember, Jack was his "outside child". He got the SA group and most of the African  and Asian groups. The Euros could not beat that. And the US WC delivered big time. They made big money. Record crowds for all the games. And that is with 24 teams. Now the WC has 32 teams. The US has more than enough stadiums with 60 thousand plus capacity to host. They don't have to build any. You don't think FIFA will not want to host it again in the US.

Offline Flex

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #78 on: September 02, 2015, 05:35:22 PM »
By Gabre Cummings.

I experienced a moment of pride today as a son, a football fan and as a Trinidad and Tobago National. 3 guys from the Mexican media network Televisa flew in from Mexico to interview my father about his professional football career playing in the Mexican Premier League and his long tenure as a national player and especially the game in which Trinidad destroyed Mexico 4-0 in the 1974 CONCACAF world cup qualifiers for Germany '74.

For those who don't know that game was the worst CONCACAF loss in Mexican football history in which "Gally" Cummings scored the first two of the 4 goal drubbing of Mexico who were at that time the previous world cups hosts and reached the quarter finals in a WC that the Brazil national team with Pele, Tastao, Rivelino and Jairzinho became legendary(1970). Gally who was playing for the New York Cosmos at the time in the NASL was then pursued by about 4 Mexican professional teams after his performance against Mexico in the CONCACAF and eventually he chose Veracruz because their altitude and climate were similar to Trinidad being on the eastern side of Mexico where our Caribbean Sea was. I moved to Mexico along with my Dad, mom and sis when I was barely 6 months old.

As these three Mexican media men arrived at my parents house in Lange Park they jumped out of their vehicle and ran towards my father and took turns shaking his hands joyfully & passionately and then began hugging him like school boys who finally got to meet their hero. After that they practically filmed everything in sight for 3 hrs, including me. Lol.

The Televisa sports anchor who did the interview (with his 2 camera men) explained to us that in Mexico they try to hide what happened in that CONCACAF tournament in Haiti back in 1973 and the impact it had on Mexican football. They even tried to blame Haitian Voodoo on what Trinidad did to them. He enthusiastically told us that "Gally" was the catalyst that transformed Mexican national team football. In Mexico my father is known as "El Verdugo de Mexico" meaning the executioner of Mexico. After that defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico's football plunged into disarray and they would have to wait13 years before they would see the World Cup again as hosts in 1986.

The ending wasn't happy for Trinidad either who were robbed out of the world cup by the hosts (Haiti) after scoring 5 times to have 4 disallowed by referees paid off by "Papa Doc" the dictator of Haiti at that time. The referees were subsequently banned for life but there was no time for a replay of the game so Haiti still represented the region along with the other 15 teams in the 1974 WC.

Even though Everald "Gally" Cummings was awarded the CONCACAF MVP trophy and presented with the Hummingbird gold medal on returning to Trinidad by Dr Eric Williams (the father of our nation), nothing positive was taken from the teams performance by the TTFA and we would have to wait 16 yrs until the same "Gally" Cummings (@ 38 yrs old)created the beloved "Strike Squad" to get a taste of high level CONCACAF world cup qualifying football again (1989).





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Offline Cocorite

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #79 on: September 02, 2015, 07:19:19 PM »
Wow. Wonderful!! Thank you for sharing.

I keep saying that T&T's footballing history needs to be passed on to our young. It needs to be ingrained in their psyche.

Can't wait to see the documentary. When will it come out?
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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #80 on: September 02, 2015, 09:35:03 PM »
For the younger generation who don't know how big these men are.

Congrats Gally.  :beermug:
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Offline Star Child

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #81 on: January 21, 2017, 07:20:26 AM »
Gally should be Technical Director or run for TTFA President, either him, Kelvin Jack or Terry Fenwick.


Offline Tallman

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #82 on: January 21, 2017, 07:42:21 AM »
Gally should be Technical Director or run for TTFA President, either him, Kelvin Jack or Terry Fenwick.

Based on what?
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Offline Anbrat

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #83 on: January 21, 2017, 12:30:57 PM »
Gally should be Technical Director or run for TTFA President, either him, Kelvin Jack or Terry Fenwick.

Based on what?
Fair question.

Offline Sando

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #84 on: January 18, 2020, 04:42:13 PM »
Lincoln Phillips is now the Ambassador of the North America Talent Identification. Wonder if Gally might be a good local prospect for the same?


Offline Errol

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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #85 on: January 19, 2020, 11:33:39 AM »
This have to be one of the best interview legendary Gally probably ever got for his hard work.


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Re: SWO Introduces: The mastermind behind the famous Strike Squad.
« Reply #86 on: March 06, 2022, 12:57:09 AM »
Learning from ourselves: Gally reflects on Strike Squad concept.
T&T Newsday Reports.


EVERALD 'GALLY' Cummings’ autobiography is an engrossing recollection of the football life of one of Trinidad and Tobago's elite sportsmen, from his beginnings in Newtown and the East Dry River, Port of Spain to his phenomenal development as a young footballer. He was selected at 15 to play for Paragon and, not long after, was called up for the T&T men's team, the youngest player to date to have that distinction.

While still at Fatima College, Gally was contracted to play professionally for the Atlanta Chiefs, in the then-racially segregated US city of Atlanta. Over the years, he moved to the less forbidding atmosphere of Vera Cruz in Mexico and later to the New York Cosmos before returning home to Trinidad to pioneer a professional league, and to further prepare himself for a coaching career.

In writing that reveals a keen awareness of his world and careful appraisal of the individuals that enter his orbit, Gally showcased characters from the tragic Glory Guys’ captain Clyde Blondell to the notorious Haitian dictator Baby Doc Duvalier, along with different generations of national and club footballers, and the activity at the foundation of Trinbago’s football.

His remarkable personal achievement as a footballer at home and abroad, his successes coaching Glory Guys and other local teams, compared to the disastrous performances of the national team in its qualifying matches in regional and global football during the mid-1980s, made a persuasive case for him, and the TTFA (TT Football Association) eventually offered him the position of men's team coach.

This was his opportunity both to motivate a dispirited team for a game at home against the United States a few days later, and to resurrect the national effort to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. To do this required that T&T football - its administration even more than the players - moved from its old ways of thinking into the self-awareness of the value of its own style. Gally knew what he had to do.

Many years earlier, as a young professional interacting with footballers from different parts of the world, Gally recognised that the different playing styles they exhibited was the expression of the different cultures from which they had come. The culture that gave T&T's game its shape, rhythm, deceptiveness and acceleration was Trinbagonian. But the continuous introduction of foreign coaches had, he complained, convinced the T&T team players to adapt their styles.

What the T&T team needed, Gally emphasised, was to develop within a culture that was their own. This was what he sought to do. With the help of kaisonians, soca singers and rapso artists, the style soon had a name: Kaisoca. The national team would be the Strike Squad.

By the time November 19, 1989 arrived, the Strike Squad had established themselves as a force in CONCACAF. Players who had been largely unknown became household names. Now, with one game to play, the team needed a single point from their final qualifying match against the US to secure a place in Italy .

Gally detailed the dramas of that day – the team’s accustomed routine changed to something grander and more insane; the bigger church in which the players were to be blessed; the red carpet under the bus; the premature declaration by the government of a Strike Squad public holiday; the tickets for the game vastly oversold and more than half the fans holding tickets unable to get into the stadium to see the game; the players, overwhelmed by suffocating supporters, having to fight their way to get past the stadium gate. At the end of 90 minutes of play, Trinidad and Tobago were not going to Italy.

In his autobiography, Gally did not back away from identifying the forces he believes responsible for contributing to the unhappy outcome. He had his say to the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the overcrowding of the stadium on the day. The inquiry was aborted and never resumed.

In the eerie aftermath of the game, Gally is removed as coach and two interim coaches were installed in his place. The first request reportedly made by them was that the national team no longer be called The Strike Squad. What had made the Strike Squad name so objectionable? Did it now mean that we were to get away from the culture that Gally had been ringing in our ears and return to foreign coaches?

But that is not so easy now; for what Gally had done in his tenure as coach was to emphasise T&T's football as an expression of the nation's culture.

Gally’s autobiography is a testimony of a serious participant whose football career has spanned our entire Independence period. He has left us with a wisdom he has himself lived: that as we go forward as a civilisation we need to not only value, as we have been taught, what we learn from our colonisers, but to value what we can learn only from ourselves.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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