Just a week before beginning its first TT ProLeague season, Central FC is making plans off the field with “the Sharks” looking to confirm its commitment to the central region by giving the changing rooms at Presentation College, Chaguanas a facelift.
“Presentation College have been really supportive of Central FC,” said Central managing director Brent Sancho. “The principal, Mr Ribeiro has allowed us to use the fields here for our training sessions and his staff have been fantastic.”
Although the newly formed club is training at several locations, they consider Presentation College to be the home base. “To be fair, everyone we have approached in the region has been very excited about having a professional team in Central and have been very helpful to us,” said Sancho.
“The Sharks” decided that they wanted to show appreciation to the school for hosting the club and decided to refurbish the schools’ changing rooms. “Our players and staff will be repainting the changing rooms in both the colours of Presentation College and Central FC.
We have plumbers coming in to put in new shower units and new toilets and we will also be installing an industrial washer and dryer so that the school can wash their uniforms on site, (ultimately) saving them time and money.”
The club will be meeting with the Pro League administrators on Monday to pay their league application fees. “It’s been a long and frustrating process,” said Manager, Norris Ferguson. “But we’re now fully focused on competing in this seasons Pro League.”
Ferguson said that the club has had to delay certain protocols while they have been waiting to join the Pro League. “Until we could actually say that we are officially a Pro League club, we have not been able to write contracts or register players,” said Ferguson, who is also a Concacaf match commissioner and is due to oversee upcoming World Cup qualifying games.
“We have held back from formally meeting with Central Zone administrators and have also been unable to meet with sponsors. However, after Monday the whole staff will be working around the clock to make up for lost time.”
The club has already begun to make itself known in the central region, and will be supported the SIS Industrial Football League Finals last night at the Plipdeco Ground, Point Lisas, where several Central players and staff will play an exhibition game before the final. Also in attendance to add some glamour will be the Sharkettes, Central FC’s promotion girls.
And on Saturday September 15, the Sharks will launch their first of several fund-raising boat cruises. Leaving Port of Spain at midnight, the Chutney Cruise is bound to be a popular event, giving supporters the chance to lime with the club’s players and staff with tickets costing only $150. “We have much that we want to achieve off the field” said Operations Director, Kevin Harrison.
“We have lots of willing volunteers and Point Lisas Industrial Hardware, one of our initial sponsors, has been very supportive. Once we have officially gained Pro League status, we will be able to finalise several other sponsorship deals, including our shirt sponsorship.”