St Clair heads for London town

Bertille St Clair, newly appointed head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Senior football team will be visiting England from tomorrow. The trip was arranged by Jack Warner, a FIFA vice-president after he met the chairman of the English FA, Geoff Thompson, on a recent visit to Tunisia. In London St Clair will be a guest of the Football Association where he will hold discussions with several of their senior technical football people. In addition, he will meet with Trinidad and Tobago’s  professional players based in that country and also with Dr Richard Hawkins, a specialist in physical conditioning attached to the Football Association’s National Training Centre at Lilleshall. Coach St Clair said his impending trip is important. “We must see what is available before we start shaping the squad for 2006. While in London, I am looking forward to meeting as many of our overseas-based professionals as possible so that I can discuss our plans and get their views and commitment. It is important that we need to find out now who is on board and who isn’t,” the Tobagonian said.

“Also, Ron (La Forest, assistant coach) and I have been keeping a close eye on some of the recent matches in the Professional League and we have made some notes. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at a wide range of players, both here and abroad so that when the World Cup matches begin, we will be satisfied that we have brought together the best possible squad of players,” added St Clair. St Clair has already met with the local-based players at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence last Thursday. The meeting was a fruitful one with several players expressing their desire to be part of the “journey.”