English flavor chills Central FC

Ladies and gentlemen kindly put your hands together for Central FC’s Operations Manager, Mr. Kevin Harrison, an English-man with a passion for Trinbago culture, its people, food and most importantly, its football.

Ten years ago living in Trinidad was never even a thought on his mind. Today however Harrison is as Trini they get, even more so than some of the locals themselves. While some locals prefer Reggae and Hip Hop over their own music, Harrison has made it clear that he loves soca and has a huge appetite for curried goat and buss-up-shot.

But enough about Kevin’s obvious love of T&T, lets now focus on getting to know the man and the Club he represents.

Central Football Club is a Trinidad and Tobago professional football club based in California.  Not the famous state located on the west coast of the United States, but the small town in Central Trinidad.

Central FC was founded in July 2012 by former Trinidad and Tobago international footballer Brent Sancho. From its inception, Sancho’s ambition has always been to propel the Club to an active and high achieving one, both on and off the field.

After the Club's first season, Central built a reputation for bringing football to the communities, having completed over twelve projects including the tour of Football League One club, Walsall FC to Trinidad and Tobago in 2013. It should be noted that, a European club has not visited T&T’s shores in over ten years.

The team plays its home games at the Ato Boldon Stadium and is coached by another English-man and former England international Mr. Terry Fenwick, who replaced a fellow England international Graham Rix. Rix’s stint as head coach of the Chaguanas outfit was brief due to cultural differences. 

The moved to replace Rix paid dividends and the Sharks (as the Club is also fondly known) was on its way to its first ever silverware when it copped the 2013 First Citizens Cup Trophy. Subsequent to that achievement they were runners-up in the 2013 FA Trophy competition, only to have lost from spot-kicks to Pro League giants W Connection; following a 2-2 regulation time draw and 30 minutes of goalless extra-time action at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

Since the inclusion of Fenwick, the club has managed to attract some talented and well known T&T players such as; Willis Plaza, Sean de Silva, Leston Paul, Jason Marcano, Rundell Winchester, Jan-Michael Williams, Marvin Oliver, Yohance Marshall and off course middle field ace Ataullah Guerra.

Even the staff has been beefed up with former W Connection staff member Norris Ferguson on their books as General Manager.

It must also be noted, that apart from the teams whose players are government employees (Defence Force and Police) and are required to be T&T citizens, only Central FC and Point Fortin Civic FCs entire teams are made up of 100% Trinidad and Tobago born players.

Harrison meanwhile is also a valuable member of the Soca Warriors Online (SWO) and doesn't miss a day off it.  In fact, he happens to be one of the only supporters who consistently give us updates from the local front.

Another SWO member, Amiel (amielisadore) also drops in and gives us live updates on games. Regarding Amiel Harrison said, "Amiel contacted us just after we formed. He's a Chelsea supporter (like you Flex), so I invited him to meet former Central FC coach Graham Rix. Then he offered to run our supporters club. He works for free with his friend Shane. We are trying to get him on the payroll. He's part of the club now."

Harrison continued, "I want to live in T&T forever (chuckled)"...  unless I get an offer I can't resist in the U.K or the U.S, I want to be here forever.

"My partner, Natalie (a Trini) and I have been together about 3 years now. We have a beautiful 13 month old daughter, Savannah, who is a regular feature in the stands at matches! She loves football and I'd definitely love her to be a Soca Princess one day. My son, Billy, is 21 and lives in England. He has a rock band so doesn't play football much, but he still watches his beloved Gillingham."

"We have such a small office staff (Brent Sancho,  our secretary and office manager, Travita Maharaj and myself) and we do everything. Brent will focus more on controlling the budget, while I concentrate more on marketing & promotion," the Central FC Operations Director further stated.

"But pretty much all decisions are shared and agreed upon. It's a good partnership, utilising and complementing our different skill sets. We still have a long way to go to reach the standards of some clubs in T&T, but then, we do a lot more off the field. We pretty much have our last conversation by phone each day as late as 11pm.

Picking the brain of Kevin Harrison

1. How did you end up living in T&T, and why Trinidad?

KH: I worked for the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) advising players on their pensions & investments, so I visited specific clubs every week like Spurs, Orient and Gillingham. Ian Cox was my liaison at Gillingham and, as with all of the liaisons, we became good friends. I actually had the privilege of informing Coxy that he had been selected for the squad for Germany 06! When the bonus dispute flared up, Coxy, Brent Sancho and Kelvin Jack approached me to advise them and help form FPATT and gain support from the PFA. From that point, my journey to T&T began.

However, it wasn't until I visited T&T as part of a UK Government Trade & Industry mission to the Caribbean that the thought of actually moving permanently arose. Brent was CEO at North East Stars and asked me to assist with raising some sponsorship. Together with Brent, Kevin Jeffrey and Jason Julien, I put together a presentation for DirecTV and we completed one of the biggest sponsorship deals in Pro League history. After that, Daryl Mahabir offered me a job and I thought: Hmm...working in football in the Caribbean? What could possibly go wrong? LOL

2. Why did you leave North East Stars?

KH: There was a gradual shift in power as Daryl Mahabir, the Club’s owner, exerted more influence on key decisions. As owner, that, of course, is his right, but it led to friction. Brent and I had negotiated with a young English coach who had just coached an African nation and we felt he was the right guy for the job. However, Daryl had located a Brazilian coach and invited him over. That was the beginning of the end really and finally I resigned.

3. What are some of the immediate goals for Central FC? Can you also touch on what are some of your expectation for next season or what Central FC would hope to accomplish?

KH: That's a big question! First goal is finishing in the top two and playing in the Caribbean Cup and CONCACAF in 2015. We'd also be happy with another cup! The team believes that they are unbeatable at the moment, but of course, all unbeaten runs have to end sometime. We have also confirmed the visit of an English Championship club for the summer and are now putting together the sponsorship packages. Dexter Skeene is wonderfully supportive of these visits and we want to make it more inclusive for other Pro League players and coaches.

We also want to move some players overseas before next season. We have only sent youngsters on scholarships to USA so far, as we have been careful to establish reliable links in USA and Europe before we send anyone out. The trickiest part is to create a route to UK through Europe, but we think we may have solved that issue now. British clubs are desperate for T&T players and are very frustrated by the UK work permit barriers.

4. I've notice that Central FC is now fully a 100% Trinbago team. What is the Club’s policy as far as foreign players go and do you feel there should be some sort of limitation to foreign players even if they are born in Caricom countries?

KH: We have been openly critical of clubs like Caledonia and W Connection for heavily recruiting from overseas. We believe that there are enough talented T&T players to fill the Pro League with one or two quality foreign players per team. The league is basically funded by taxpayers (either directly attending games or via the government subventions) and that money should be going into T&T football and assisting in building a talent pool for Stephen Hart.

We decided to put our (lack of) money where our mouths are and set out to bring Trinis back home. Talented national team players like Yohance Marshall have fallen below the radar. How can Hart judge these players without watching them regularly? Yohance has been absolutely solid and must be a candidate for selection. The same applies to Sean de Silva. Although he hasn't held down a first team spot yet, he's a fantastic player. The competition in Central F.C. is brutal.

Leston Paul and Marvin Oliver have been amazing and this has reflected in the resurgence of Darren Mitchell. So it's tough for Sean to breakthrough. Players like Willis Plaza, Ataullah Guerra and Leston Paul now get to play in front of Hart every week. Once we decided to go down this route, we said "Well, let’s prove that an all Trini squad can win trophies."  We haven't won anything yet with the 100% Trini squad but, boy, have we set the league alight!

Caricom nationals are not Trinis! We have no problem with talented foreigners plying their trade here. In fact, we will be looking to bring in some quality foreign players in the summer, but this philosophy is all about strengthening the talent pool for T&T. Only when our national team gets stronger will our players be able to access the world’s top leagues. Why settle for Laos when you can play in London? Most players want to play in the UK. Even League One gives them access to bigger and better clubs and much better salaries.

5. If you had to choose the best 21 players from the current league, who would they be? Also, can you give us a brief breakdown of your selections?

KH: Bloody hell, Flex! I really like Kurt Frederick, Gerard Williams and Daneil Cyrus from W.Connection. Also Alvin & Joevin Jones. Trevin Caesar and Marcus Joseph are superb at the lone striker role. But basically, I don't see many players getting into the Central squad at the moment, so most of my top 21 would be Sharks! I like watching Rangers and I think some decent players will come through there. I also admire our former defender, Dario Holmes and I think he's done well at Jabloteh despite their position.

6. Who would you say is Central FC's biggest rivals?

KH: The obvious answer is W Connection. However, we have no league games left against them, so currently its North East Stars and Defence Force. Angus Eve has created a really tight unit at North East Stars. You can stop them scoring, but it's hard to put a goal past them. Army is Army. They are always hard to beat. Again, we have no games left against them, but they are capable of a top two finish. Point Fortin has been great for the league, but I still feel they are a little inconsistent away from home. I really admire W Connection for their organisational skills. They just always seem to move smoothly and the staff (members) are a great bunch of guys.

7. Will we see Central FC owning their own home field anytime in the near future?

KH: I wish I could say yes. Funding is the major problem, but we're working on it. Owning a stadium would make life easier from a playing and training perspective, but the real benefit is that it provides income (if run properly) and allows you to create a proper residential academy for 14-16 year olds and even offer scholarships to CFU nations to send their top youngsters. 

8. I've heard that Central FC is the only team in the Pro League that does not get financial assistance from the Ministry of Sports. Even some Super League teams benefit greatly from government aid. If this is true, why do you feel Central FC is on the government blacklist?

KH: I believe that Jabloteh is also on the blacklist! We have written to Anil Roberts and the Prime Minister, but have yet to receive a reply. Basically, the decision to award the subvention is down to Mr. Roberts and you would need to ask him the reason. I firmly believe that the subvention should be paid to the Pro League and then divided equally. However, I would only pay the clubs half of the money. The remainder would need to be earned by way of community projects and self promotion such as active websites, facebook, media appearances, press releases etc.

Too many clubs just sit back and complain about lack of fans, lack of sponsors, lack of press coverage, but they do nothing. Some say they tried in the past, but got nowhere. So what? We should just give up? I've only seen Rangers and Central do any community projects this year. If each club received subvention and invested 2 or 3 thousand dollars per month, we could buy a full page each week in all 3 papers promoting our games, our clubs and our players.

9. There is a rumour that the League board is manipulated by some of the older club members who basically get preferential treatment. Have you heard the same?. Also, are you happy with the way things are being run in the League and what do you feel can be done to make a positive change?

KH: First you have to recognise that the league is a democratic business model. However, as the CFU has proved, one club, one vote is not always democratic. There does seem to be a cabal within the League, but that is to be expected. Look how the TTFA Executive is elected. The whole Pro League receives one vote. And so does each school. How can a league employing 300 people have the same weight as a school? Dexter Skeene comes in for a lot of criticism, but his hands are tied. He is an employee of the League and if a group of clubs vote together on certain issues, Dexter has to follow that decision.

The thing is, Central F.C. would exert the same influence if it could. It's only natural that you build alliances to see through the policies that you believe in. The only way to bring about change is to introduce more clubs, but, of course, their admission has to be approved by the board. Each club has their own agenda and they will believe that their agendas are the best way forward. However, sometimes you have to look at the big picture. A decision may not immediately benefit you now, but if it makes the league stronger, then it's a good decision. I have always maintained that the League is only as strong as its weakest club, so that club must be supported in order to maintain a healthy league.

The League should also financially support the two clubs in the Caribbean Cup. There is no funding offered to take part and it's an expensive trip. However, you do receive US$40,000 from CONCACAF if you win through to the Champions League. We all must support our clubs reaching the Champions League because it promotes T&T football across the region and further afield.

10. Do you feel the League needs a change from the top? I believe having someone in power for over a decade could be a bad thing. Jack Warner for example left us in a terrible state because we allowed him to dictate T&T football for over 3 decades.  I’m not saying that Dexter Skeene is a bad guy, but why not seek assistance to help market and improve the League?

KH: As I mentioned, I don't believe Dexter is the problem, but the League is its own worst enemy at times. The League has just appointed a marketing manager so perhaps we will see some improvement. However, again, unless the clubs really buy into his ideas, nothing will change. Look at how Central has built its brand. There's still an awful long way to go, but who is following our lead? We introduced 8 page match programmes last year. All they cost is some paper and ink, yet no other club has followed suit. Our facebook page gets 2,000 plus hits a week. We now do live match updates. These are all virtually free and easy to do, yet no one is bothering.

11. Can you tell us about some of the Sharks’ rising stars and who we can look forward to seeing set the League ablaze in the future?

KH: Leston Paul is going to break into the national team. He doesn't do anything spectacular, but he makes short sharp passes that launch penetrating attacks. I call him our Makele. I'm not sure exactly what he does, but when he's not there you really notice. Darren "Chucky" Mitchell has been outstanding since January. He is so quick and aggressive and has gelled well with the new guys. Jamal Jack has found a new lease on life and is loving his football.

Rundell Winchester hit a loss of form and I think that was a case of too much too soon. He scored our winner in the First Citizens Cup and was awarded MVP, then he was Pro League player of the month and then had the two Jamaica games all at age 19. He's finding his form again now and will be a contender for the national squad. Dwight Quintero also lost his way slightly, but once he gets regular first team football he will be lethal. 17 year old Nicholas Dillon is progressing nicely and would do well in the European game.

12. The Super League teams do relatively well whenever they meet a Pro League teams in competitions. It seems the level is right up to par with the top flight league. Do you feel it’s time to make it official and restructure the leagues in T&T to a promotion/regulation system where the Super League can become the second tier team. This way more teams will compete at a higher level and the brand will be more competitive.  Can you also touch on the Caribbean Football League.

KH: The only reason that the Super League can't be as you describe is finance. Unfortunately, that is more important than talent. If a club goes bust, 30 people become unemployed. Players may miss half a season if the transfer window is closed. Financial stability must be the first consideration. However, you could have a situation where the bottom Pro League team is relegated and the Super League winners are promoted if they meet the financial criteria. If they don't, then there is no relegation in that year.

Personally, I would prefer a 12 - 14 team Pro League with less cup competitions. A longer league programme allows for dips in form and rewards consistency. You could start off badly, yet still recover or vice versa. A good run would need to be 10 or 15 games rather than 5 or 6. We play from August to May, so there's plenty of time and we pay players for that period, so let's work them harder! But the problem will always be venues.

I would also play through Carnival, but encompass it. Maybe we'd have a double header followed by the Pro League fete? That would also create income. Regarding venues, I would have the government create a "Regional Wembley" within each corporation. This ground would be protected and maintained and used only for Pro League, Super League and the bigger school matches. All of the "community" grounds are so poor that they don't actually serve the community properly. At least have one ground per region where kids can get excited about playing on in big matches.

Finally, Caribbean Football League (CFL) is essential to developing professional football in the Caribbean, but it cannot be a limited circus like the IPL. It must be a sustainable full season in order to add substance to the football pyramid and not just an on/off temporary money spinner. If our best players are to compete, they must do so on an ongoing basis otherwise their ability to perform for the national teams may be affected.

Thank you for the opportunity of droning on, and keep up the good work, Flex!


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