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The Trinidad and Tobago Pro League's top two clubs have joined forces in condemnation of the 2008 fixture list, which has been cluttered over the past month.
The Pro League outfits were required to play between nine and 12 games during the past four weeks and CLICO San Juan Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick and W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier felt it affected the standard of play, particularly in the Lucozade Big Six competition.

Several Pro League clubs also contributed players to the national squad who had four competitive matches during that period.

Fenwick suggested that the routine postponement and rescheduling of matches, as well as the sheer volume of fixtures, turned off some of the Pro League's supporters.

"I think there was a nice buzz at the start of the season and there were more people watching Pro League games," said the former England international defender. "But by the end of the season there was a game every other day and it is ridiculous

"There are some wonderfully entertaining players in this country but they are too tired to perform. You get to a point where you just want to get through the 90 minutes, pick up the points and get away and that is not how it should be."

Fevrier felt that, after 26 unbeaten games, Connection ran out of steam as they could not find the extra energy to defeat Jabloteh in last Saturday's decisive fixture and the latter team held on to a draw, which was enough to secure the 2008 Pro League and Lucozade Big Six crowns.

"I haven't done a training session since November 11," said Fevrier, "and we have been playing every other day since October 29. I like to work on our mistakes in training but I cannot do that when we have just one day to recover before our next game.

"The calendar was so congested and ad hoc because of international fixtures and the CONCACAF Champions Cup There needs to be better planning and coordination between CONCACAF and the local football bodies."

Jabloteh had a marginally easier run as the controversial omission of their best players from the national set-up meant they had fresher bodies. Ironically, two from the three Jabloteh selectees selected for the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals are bit-part players.

World Cup 2006 defender Cyd Gray has not represented Jabloteh for the past seven games and will not be re-signed, while central defender Karlon Murray lost his starting place to the 18-year-old pairing of Joel Russell and Robert Primus.

But Fenwick believes his decision to train twice a day in the midst of the packed schedule gave Jabloteh the edge.

"You have to work on these kids in their minds," said Fenwick, "and take them away from feeling sorry for themselves or thinking up excuses. I am a big believer in mind over matter and that was a winning formula for us.

"So I think we had a better attitude than most of the teams we played against."

Still, Fenwick's decision to rest his first team players from Monday's Toyota Classic Cup opener against 1976 Angostura Tobago Phoenix showed his concern for their physical condition.

The Jabloteh boss had sympathy for the sponsors too.

"What about the sponsors who want the best possible exposure?" he asked. "And the Cup competitions are rushed and it is just Monday, Wednesday, Friday and see you next season when (the Pro League executive) have their hands out for another cheque. That can't be right."