Pro League symposium a success

The ground-breaking symposium last Thursday brought together a wide cross section of football personalities.

And according the Pro League Chief Executive Dexter Skeene the main purpose of the symposium was to engage in intelligent debate and maximise the Trinidad and Tobago experience at the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany.

“The World Cup is now over, and there are challenges that lie before us that we must face head on if we are to progress,” said Skeene.

Chairman of the T&T Pro League Larry Romany said afterwards, he was extremely satisfied with the symposium, and praised CEO Dexter Skeene for the initiative.

“Consultation is critical, if we are to move forward and take the Pro League to the next level. I am very elated with the response of the league’s stakeholders and it’s now important for us to embrace the ideas put forward,” said Romany.

The feature speakers at the symposium included Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation Technical Director “Lincoln Phillips, FIFA Coaching Instructor Alvin Corneal, National Assistant Coach Anton Corneal, and TTFF Technical Committee member Dr Alvin Henderson. Soca Warriors goalkeeper Shaka Hislop also contributed to the debate via video conference throughout the meeting from his home in England.

Alvin Corneal addressed issues regarding Trinidad and Tobago’s performance at the World Cup and emphasised the need to focus on youth development in the thrust forward to the 2010 Finals in South Africa.

Anton Corneal, who made the trip to Germany as an assistant national coach reflected on the Warriors performance from the technical staff perspective and recalled the challenge of getting the majority of the national team up to the required level of fitness.

Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips addressed the goal-keeping issues at the World Cup and outlined the important role of the custodian in football.

Dr Alvin Henderson pinpointed the need for implementation of plans put forward calling for the development of local coaches and the improvement of community grounds around the country.

He reminded all present for the need to ensure players from the sister isle are given a fair chance, recalling that Trinidad and Tobago’s best player at the World Cup is from that island.

Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop had the entire gathering attentive as he gave an insight into the World Cup experience from the players’ perspective, going into details as to the emotional ride involving the highs and lows the team experienced in Germany.

Hislop, stated at the end of it all, the entire team felt mixed emotions after they loss to Paraguay. “While there was a feeling of disappointment and a bit of sadness that it was all over, there was an over-riding sense of joy and accomplishment, as we all thought we laid a fantastic foundation for future Trinidad and Tobago teams that qualify for a World Cup.”

The 37-year-old goalkeeper, pleaded with the powers that be, not to let this momentum go to waste. “We all need to sit down and move forward in one direction, and ensure we take full advantage of what we achieved as a country in Germany.”

He said he was willing to make himself available for Trinidad and Tobago in the future.

“While I am 37 years old, I still feel fit, and yes I have retirement on my mind, but if I am called on I am willing to play whatever role the authorities sees fit.”

The symposium was greeted with a huge amount of interest, present were former national coaches, club coaches, former national players, administrators, referees, match commissioners and football enthusiasts.

Pro League coaches, Brian Williams, Stuart Charles Fervier and Jamal Shabbazz were all present, as well as former national players — Ken Butcher, Sedley Joseph, Marlon Morris and Philbert Jones.

The referees association was represented by top referee Osmond Downer as well as the chairman of the Primary Schools Football League, Victor Hunte.

The experienced Downer was extremely critical of the treatment meted out to local referees saying the local game cannot move ahead if referees are continued to be taken for granted.

“Imagine the local referees association has no office from which to operate,” he said “For far too long the local officials have not been taken seriously and are being paid pittance,” he said.

“How are we to get top class referees if the monetary gains are not encouraging?”

Downer also suggested that the local authorities take refereeing into the schools and make it part of the curriculum junior referees can emerge at a young age.

The chairman of the Primary Schools League also had a few suggestions.

Hunte says more attention needs to be paid to primary schools football.

“We have a lot of students expressing interest in the sport but teachers are under pressure to finance the travel and running of a school team, so I am hoping coming out of a symposium like this one, more attention can be paid towards the primary schools league.”