Superstar Rangers set for UK tour

Trinidad and Tobago football club Superstar Rangers have  received their official invitation to visit Birmingham from Premier League outfit Aston Villa.

The Under-17 team of Rangers will be arriving in Birmingham on April 10. A contingent of 18 players and seven staff members will stay at the Apollo Hotel, Hagley Road in Birmingham. “It gives me great pleasure to invite Superstar Rangers FC to Aston Villa FC and spend ten days with us in England. We have organised all the necessary transport and accommodation. We look forward to your visit which we hope will prove worthwhile to both clubs” stated Villa Community Officer Duncan Riddle in a letter addressed to Rangers chairman Richard Fakoory recently. Pro Sports Caribbean’s Peter Miller will be head and head with Rangers during the stay, having already played a significant role in making the arrangements.

The day following Rangers’ arrival in Birmingham, the contingent will be introduced to youngsters at the Holte School before preceding a luncheon. They will then engage in their first training session at the indoor academy, Villa Park. With three matches on the schedule for Rangers, one of the highlights of the upcoming trip will be the team’s attendance at the Premiership encounter between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on Saturday April 19 at which time the club will be featured in the official match programme as well as being honoured during the half time interval. “This is a trip that we are all looking forward to,” said Fakoory. “It’s going to be no ordinary outing for us and we hope that our club will be able to take a whole lot out of it. Our intentions are also to assist Aston Villa in whichever way necessary. Moreso, the opportunity being presented here for our players and coaches is certainly one they can take with them for the remainder of their careers,” he added.

Rangers are scheduled to play the youth teams of Northampton Town on April 14 and Wrexham the following day. They are also likely to face the Villa Community team. Intense training has been taking place under coaches Errol McFarlane and Mervyn “Gamba” Morris  at President’s Ground, St Ann’s. Among the 18 players making the trip are TT Under-17 captain and midfielder Josimar Belgrave who will skipper the Rangers outfit, goalkeeper Thorne Holder, TT U-17 striker Simba Aberdeen, National defensive duo Marvin and Machel James, another national defender Sean Bateau, Allan Crane (goalkeeper), Corneal Thomas (defender), Stephan Granderson (defender), Keith Williams (defender), Jack Weedon (midfielder), Keston Jones (midfielder), Terryson Lewis (midfielder), Emmanuel Joseph (striker), Kyle Mc Ivor (striker), Kitwana Abosi (midfielder), Stephan St Louis (striker) and Keron Grimes (striker)