Birchall's mum cant' wait for World Cup dream.

[Tallman]

Birchall's mum cant' wait for World Cup dream.
The Sentinel.

While Chris Birchall couldn't stop smiling after drawing England in next summer's World Cup finals, mum Jenny's eyes were filled with tears when asked how proud she was.
Birchall qualifies for Trinidad and Tobago as Jenny was born there after her parents emigrated. She settled back in England as an 18-year-old before meeting husband Phil and having sons Chris, aged 21, and elder brother Simon, 23.
Jenny says she never had any concerns that Chris would be accepted when he was called up for Trinidad last May - becoming the first white player to represent the country for 60 years.
However, the unlikely tale took a further twist on Friday night when Birchall, who now has 15 caps for his country, saw his team drawn in the same group as England, Sweden and Paraguay.
Jenny said: "I am absolutely ecstatic, it is just unbelievable.
"The draw is a fantastic result because Chris will be playing against Steven Gerrard, one of his heroes, along with a few more heroes in the England team.
"All the family will be going to watch him play and I will be very honoured and proud to see him.
"Watching Chris play for Trinidad for the first time was fantastic and he has just got better and better from there."
Jenny said she has been overwhelmed by the reception she and her family have been given in Trinidad, but also thanked the staff at Port Vale, who have coached the midfielder since he joined the club's school of excellence as a nine-year-old.
She said: "The manager, Martin Foyle, and everyone at Port Vale have been brilliant with Chris, helping him come through from the school of excellence and the youth team.
"We owe them lots of thanks because they have been great."
However, Jenny - with tongue firmly in cheek - revealed she has also played a part in developing her son's football skills, particularly the long-range goals which have made him a favourite for club and country.
She grinned: "When both boys were little, we used to go to Westbridge Park in Stone on a Sunday. I would be in goal and Phil and the two lads would play out. They could only shoot if they were so many yards out, so it started at a very early age."

[morvant]

ah aint go lie

i cyar wait until the day when you would hear bout ah man playing and not ah white or black man playing

this is ah nice story but now allyuh overdoing it

when de movie comming out

stupesssssssssss

[Disgruntled_Trini]

big up Birchall ah true success story

he has taken the opportunity that was given to him with both hands and made the best of it

which is probably why he is endeared by the Trinidad public not like some other players I see men does be arguing about on the forum (names withheld to protect the complacent)

big up Me Mum everytime

 

[Pointman]

I real like this boy oui. He come thru and played for we in the earlies when we were at the bottom ah de table and now it paying off for him in a HUGE way. Thaks Me Mum, you're ah hard worker, all de bes

[Cowen]

ah aint go lie

i cyar wait until the day when you would hear bout ah man playing and not ah white or black man playing

this is ah nice story but now allyuh overdoing it

when de movie comming out

stupesssssssssss

True dat.

[Rodney]

ah aint go lie

i cyar wait until the day when you would hear bout ah man playing and not ah white or black man playing

this is ah nice story but now allyuh overdoing it

when de movie comming out

stupesssssssssss

So true man...especially when the damn statement not even accurate 

[Filho]

ah aint go lie

i cyar wait until the day when you would hear bout ah man playing and not ah white or black man playing

this is ah nice story but now allyuh overdoing it

when de movie comming out

stupesssssssssss

So true man...especially when the damn statement not even accurate 

it is just a matter of time. nowadays nobody talks about black players for France, Holland or England etc...because it is the norm. The more 'Birchall's' that play for caribbean and African teams..the more desensitized the world gets and it becomes 'normal'. At least Chris being white has been looked at as a novelty, or a 'cool' thing and not a negative thing...and yeah...i doubt he is the first white in 60 years...that takes us back to pre-independence 1945...had to have white TnT ballers then. but like you say...who cares anyway

[Touches]

Heheheh,

So now Trinidad need a proper Chinee baller......looking just like Jet li.

A Indian baller and a Syrian one.........I feel next 10 years they go emerge.

Watch and see they go break down every football sterotype there is.....Come from Westmoorings, had the best life, Could play piano, pan and sitar, talking three languages and went to Fatima and guess who go be the brightest of the lot  .......move on to college and get scout and playing for Arsenal with degree in engineering and mathematics.

Alyuh doe laugh. it go happen just now

[100% Barataria]

Touches, like yuh fuhgeh man like Socrates ah wah, Dr. and star baller in one, yeah, TT guh come so jus now....

[Touches]

YUh know we have a few of them on the team that bright and have degree.

Sealy have he papers from Wake Forrest and Shaka is a Engineer from Howard.

Also I think both Stern and Trotman (rip) had papers from Mercer.

Sancho have he ting from St Johns.

Former Warriors Rahim as well as Rojas

Education is a good thing and it good to see plenty of our players have something to fallback on when football done

[Disgruntled_Trini]

YUh know we have a few of them on the team that bright and have degree.

Sealy have he papers from Wake Forrest and Shaka is a Engineer from Howard.

Also I think both Stern and Trotman (rip) had papers from Mercer.

Sancho have he ting from St Johns.

Former Warriors Rahim as well as Rojas

Education is a good thing and it good to see plenty of our players have something to fallback on when football done

fuh sure
more and more football becoming ah thnking man's game yuh jes cyah be ah brut off the street with raw talent yuh had to have a upstairs

every semester more and more players going to the US to play college ball and they getting college education

Plus academies like Ajax you have to do well in school and have a certain level of discipline to be able to play.

[OutsideMan]

Hey don't forget that many of the players from the SSFL who don't end up playing pro ball, or for the country, instead choose to pursue their University degrees.  I can name dozens who've done just that from my old high school from Sando alone.  These guys are not household names on the front pages of the papers (well some are), but they are success stories in their own right. 

[BigToe]

ah aint go lie

i cyar wait until the day when you would hear bout ah man playing and not ah white or black man playing

this is ah nice story but now allyuh overdoing it

when de movie comming out

stupesssssssssss

agreed, it getting real old real fast

[skins]

I can't wait to see birchall blast a goal in the world cup. That would be the dream of all dreams.

[Peong]

Since allyuh talkin about de education ting:

I find that goin to college and gettin a degree is great for any person, but for an aspiring pro footballer, college slows down your development in a major way.

How many pros in Europe have anything past secondary school education? 
Those fellas trainin for a living from at least age 18, which is the age most people enter college.

Compare a man who trainin whole day at a football academy to a man who have to split his time between studies and practice, and who you think will develop more as a player?

And then when they get their degree, their best chance at playin pro ball is in de MLS, where spaces are very limited.

It just not conducive to us putting out the best players we can, but at the same time yuh cah tell a man not to get his degree.

[fishs]

Since allyuh talkin about de education ting:

I find that goin to college and gettin a degree is great for any person, but for an aspiring pro footballer, college slows down your development in a major way.

How many pros in Europe have anything past secondary school education? 
Those fellas trainin for a living from at least age 18, which is the age most people enter college.

Compare a man who trainin whole day at a football academy to a man who have to split his time between studies and practice, and who you think will develop more as a player?

And then when they get their degree, their best chance at playin pro ball is in de MLS, where spaces are very limited.

It just not conducive to us putting out the best players we can, but at the same time yuh cah tell a man not to get his degree.

Agreed.
Professional footbal is just that professional.
To become the best at what you do and get paid for it takes time and committment.
A lot of our athletes get scolarships to colleges in the states and they would not have made it through our system to go say UWI . However they get to these colleges and represent in their sport, be it football, athletics, swimming etc. Most that I know end up getting a scolarship in physical education and either stay there and contribute or come back home and work for the ministry of education or sport, fair play to them. The exceptional athletes move on from school to play or compete professionally.
But football has its own peculiar requirements that virtually stunts educational development.
Most of the top pros have come through some sort of club academy where football development is the main course so to speak.
 For instance I was looking at a documentary on essien yesterday and he said he always wanted to play pro ball and when he got called to a football academy in France he jumped at the opportunity. This was a French third division team and he was 16 at the time. Look where he is in a few short years... making lots of money and playing with one of the worlds top teams.
I think the years spent persuing a scolarship in the states wastes time if your goal is to play at the highest level in a world class team and make money doing it.
Of course it helps if very early somebody in the know can advise you whether you have the potential to make or not.

[rasajoy]

Check this out what they say about Chris in the 32 Finalist

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=350730&root=worldcup&cc=5739