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Terry Fenwick has swapped Central FC for a new challenge with Belgian lower division outfit Cercle Sportif Visé.

 “Everything is agreed and it’s just to sign my contract by the end of this week,” said Fenwick, whose contract with Central expires on May 31.

The 54-year-old Fenwick, who is expected to jet off to Belgium next week for his official Visé unveiling, added, “Initially it’s a three-year contract. We have been in discussions for the past few months and it is finalised now.

“It’s a new challenge for me of course. It’s a club with its own ground and facilities, with a great development programme at youth level.”

Only on Tuesday night Fenwick led Central to a second position finish in the 2013-2014 Digicel Pro League and a place in the 2015 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship, which is the qualifying phase to the Concacaf Champions League.

“I would have liked to be there with them(Central) but it’s probably time I took a break from Trinidad and Tobago,” Fenwick said in a displeased tone.

“I find it amazing that everyone wants bigger teams, bigger crowds, better rivalry and faster playing teams, but when it’s against them, they particularly don’t want it and have a problem with me. They are contradicting everything.”

However Fenwick, who earlier this year married Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) corporate lawyer and Trinidadian Reyna Fenwick née Kowlessar, plans to retire in Trinidad though.

“I expect to come back here,” he said. “My wife’s family and everyone are here.”

Fenwick, winner of three league titles among numerous Cup titles with former club San Juan Jabloteh, spent the last 16 months at Central and apart from qualifying the Couva “Sharks” to next season’s Caribbean Club Championship in only its second season of existence, have also won this season’s First Citizens Cup and Lucozade Sport Goal Shield, and finished runner’s up in the last two FA Trophy competitions.

“Being the true gentleman that he is, when Visé approached Terry in January, he explained that he wanted to see out his contract with Central before leaving for Europe,” said Central FC managing director Brent Sancho. “Just like our players, we don’t want to lose them, but when they have such great opportunities, we will not stand in their way.”

Central FC’s operations director, Englishman Kevin Harrison said, “Obviously, everyone at the club will be sad to see Terry leave. If we could have convinced him to stay, we would have, but this move isn’t about money. Terry likes challenges and he has proven himself time and time again as a top coach here in T&T. Now it’s time to replicate that success overseas.”

Visé, backed by new English and Belgian investors, are ambitious of returning to League Two and believes that Fenwick, a former England, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham player, is the right man for the job.

Fenwick said that although Visé finished rock bottom last season in the Second Division [and are likely to be demoted to the Third Division for 2014-2015 season], the club boasts a very good youth system.

He also plans to foster relationships in Europe, not only with Visé, to create opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago players.

“What I want to do, not just for Central, is provide opportunities for players because there are a lot of talent in Trinidad and Tobago,” said the former England international. “Belgium is one of the easiest places to obtain work permits and be on the European market.”

Fenwick, who had rollercoaster spells at English sides Portsmouth and Northamton Town during his early periods as a manager, will lead the Trinidadian club Central FC into the semi-final round of the 2014 Digicel Pro Bowl on Friday night against bitter Couva rivals W Connection from 8 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium. Police FC and Defence Force will contest semi-final one from 6 pm at the Couva venue.

If Central were to advance to the Final on May 23, which he is confident of, Fenwick said he would jet off to Belgium on Monday and return by Wednesday ahead of the title match.

“I’d be leaving Central with a great squad, the best team in Trinidad,” continued Fenwick. “So I’ve left Central in good shape.”

But despite his managerial successes in Trinidad, Fenwick has never had a shot with the Trinidad and Tobago national team, a long desired position of his.

“The (T&T) national set up is a joke,” he said. “I should have been there five, six years ago. I have demonstrated my quality as a coach. I actually had teams play quicker here in Trinidad. Better team preparations and better prepare players to go abroad.

“Some of my players Robert Primus (FC Aktobe / Kazakhstan), (Sheldon) Bateau (KV Mechelen / Belgium) and Khaleem Hyland (Genk / Belgium) all came up through good development and a well disciplined environment to prepare them for the international stage.

“That’s my real achievement; to players develop and move on to bigger and better opportunities. It's not just about winning league titles or Cups for me,” the Englishman ended.

RELATED NEWS

Fenwick quits Central: English coach poised to join Belgium club
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868)


Just hours after Central FC booked its place in the 2015 CONCACAF Champions League qualifying phase, the Digicel Pro League club is set to reveal that its head coach, Terry Fenwick, will not take the “Couva Sharks” into the regional competition.

Instead, the 54-year-old Fenwick revealed today that he has agreed terms with Belgium lower division club, CS Visé, and should be unveiled by the European team next week.

“It is a three year deal,” Fenwick told Wired868. “The bones of it have been thrashed out basically but we put pen to paper by this weekend. Then, I go over there to meet the press first thing next week.”

His sudden departure ends a whirlwind 16-month spell at Central where he took the Sharks from the bottom half of the table to second place and title contenders. During that time, Central lifted the 2013 First Citizens Cup and 2014 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield and was twice a beaten finalist in the TTFA FA Trophy competition. 

Central managing director Brent Sancho confirmed that Fenwick will remain in charge for Friday’s Digicel Pro Bowl semi-final against bitter Couva rival, DIRECTV W Connection, at the Ato Boldon Stadium. He has vowed to temporarily return from Belgium too if the Sharks advance to the Pro Bowl final.

Sancho, who once played under Fenwick at San Juan Jabloteh, said Central was sad to see him go but was thrilled with the work he did there.

“Terry has done a terrific job for us,” Sancho told Wired868. “He is definitely part of the Central FC family and we wish him all the best on his future endeavours… We had a long chat today and have already talked about how he can assist us in the future.”

The two parties confirmed that they are open to moving players from Central to Visé while Fenwick insisted the door was open to talent from other local teams as well. At present, Trinidad and Tobago already has two internationals in the Belgium top flight, Khaleem Hyland and Sheldon Bateau, and both played under the Englishman at Jabloteh.

Fenwick suggested that his knowledge of Hyland and Bateau’s characteristics allows him to gauge the quality necessary for success in Belgium.

“It is a possible shop window and I would want to forge as many relationships with Trinidad and Tobago teams as possible,” said Fenwick. “I know the players too well here and sometimes their confidence and character can be brittle. Sometimes the change of climate and culture can seriously affect their ability to perform when they travel.

“But, with me there, now they know what to expect on the other end.”

The Visé website has already revealed Fenwick’s impending arrival while the club is also set to announce its new owners next week.

As a player, Fenwick represented England at the 1986 World Cup and captained Tottenham and Crystal Palace. His record as a manager in Europe is mixed, though.

He spent three seasons at then Division One club, Portsmouth, between 1995 and 1998 and, in his second full season, came within one place of a play-off spot for the Premier League. However, Fenwick was sacked the following season with “Pompey” at the bottom of Division One and the fans in revolt.

His second stint came at Northampton in 2003 and the club got a new owner, David Cardoza, within two weeks of Fenwick’s arrival. The coach lasted just six weeks and seven winless games in total before he became the second of four sackings by the club in a tumultuous 10-month spell.

“I had a terrible period (at Northampton),” said Fenwick. “There was a transfer embargo when I got there and certain things were not made clear to me about the job beforehand. Then, within two weeks of me taking over, the club changed hands and the Cardozas took over.”

There is some uncertainty at Visé too. The club finished bottom of the First Division this season and is due to be relegated. But there is the possibility that the promoted teams would not meet the financial requirements necessary to take his new employer’s place.

Regardless, Fenwick is happy with his job description and excited by the new challenge.

“It is a club with wonderful facilities and ambitious owners who want to be a development club that sends players on to the big leagues,” he said. “And I have a good history of developing players in Trinidad…

“They have been bottom of the league and well adrift for quite some time; so I am looking to bring pride and passion back to their set-up.”

Fenwick, who married CTV corporate lawyer and Trinidadian Reyna Fenwick née Kowlessar in January 2014, vowed to return to Trinidad to retire eventually. He credited his work at Jabloteh, where he won three league titles, for lifting the standard of professionalism in the local game and helping to develop dozens of players for international service.

Five of the “Soca Warriors” who played in Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup debut against Sweden in 2006—Aurtis Whitley, Cornell Glen, Cyd Gray, Brent Sancho and Collin Samuel—represented Jabloteh under Fenwick.

The combative Englishman often courted controversy in Trinidad too with his criticism of referees, local administrators and rival teams; as well as his infamous altercation with former Connection playmaker Gefferson Goulart. Fenwick was suspended for flattening the Brazilian with a forearm while Goulart was also sanctioned for celebrating in the former’s technical area.

Fenwick admitted that his biggest regret was to have never coached the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

“I would have loved to have had a crack at the national job here,” he said, “and whether it is politics or whatever that was never afforded to me. I’m really disappointed about that.”

Sancho referred to Fenwick as “a true patriot” and suggested that his new posting might be a blessing in disguise for local football.

“He is a true patriot to our country and has gotten a terrific opportunity that will benefit our league,” said Sancho. “We have some tremendous boots to fill but no one is bigger than the club and the club has to move on.”

Central has started drawing up a shortlist for a new coach and hopes to get someone able to help the club grow as an organisation as well as on the field. He mentioned only one possible replacement.

“Stuart Charles,” said Sancho, with a laugh.

The mischievous reference to the Connection coach suggests that the spiky rivalry between the two Couva clubs is unlikely to cool anytime soon.


Editor’s Note:

Digicel Pro Bowl semi-final fixtures on Friday 16 May 2014: Defence Force vs Police, 6 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium; W Connection vs Central FC, 8 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium.

A list of the nine Pro League head coaches and their prior roles with the Trinidad and Tobago national football team:

W Connection: Stuart Charles-Fevrier is a former senior team head coach

Defence Force: Ross Russell is a national youth team coach

Point Fortin Civic: Reynold Carrington is a former national youth team coach

North East Stars: Angus Eve is a former national youth team head coach

Caledonia AIA: Jamaal Shabazz is a former national senior team head coach

St Ann’s Rangers: Anthony Streete is a former national senior team coach

Police: Richard Hood is a former national women’s youth team coach

San Juan Jabloteh: Kevin Jeffrey never coached a national team

Central FC: Terry Fenwick never coached a national team.