After being sacked by Central FC, veteran midfielder Marvin Oliver is now hoping to start his own coaching school to make ends meet.
Before the academy could be started however the 41-year old rastafarian, is calling on a number of successful sportsmen from the San Juan/Santa Cruz area such as West Indies batting legend Brian Lara, brothers Dwayne and Darren Bravo, Olympic trackstar Ato Boldon and ex-national footballers Hector Sam, Marvin Andrews and Jason Scotland to help him acquire equipment such as footballs, cones, goalposts, bibs, coolers and uniforms etc to get his project off the ground.
He is also calling on corporate T&T to join him as he embarks on this new journey in his life. Oliver, who was asked to assist Central FC coach Dale Saunders after the firing of Ross Russell late last year, is promising that his academy will be one with a difference. “It will not only teach young people about football but it must also tell young budding footballers about the importance of Almight God in their lives because of what he has done and continues to do for them” Oliver said.
With no means of income presently, the dread-locks footballer has set the Easter vacation for the start of his academy at the San Juan Secondary ground.
Only last year he graduated with a FIFA Grassroots Certificate at the Hasely Crawford Stadium last year, a course he did with Sam and another former national striker Kerry Baptiste.
He explained he has been terribly disappointed by the recent developments at the Central ‘Sharks’ as he had done nothing to offend them. Oliver, whose national career began with a Jean Lilywhite-coached Under-15 team that was triumphant at an international tournament in Martinique in 1990, was fired when he asked if it was alright for him to be sent out on loan with another club.
Club manager Kevin Jeffreys delivered a termination letter to him soon after his request at a training session at the training ground of the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, but he has since said he will challenge the dismissal, although Central FC management responded a few days later, saying the letter it gave to him was not a termination letter but a warning that his contract can be terminated.
Oliver is expected to meet with his Attorneys today to decide on a way forward. He told Guardian his life had been turned upsided down, with his children questioning what he would do now to generate income. “My biggest son in the United States Jamari Oliver called me and said he was disappointed to have heard what had happened to me at Central FC” Oliver said.
He said while he does not hold any malice against the club’s managing director Brent Sancho, he was saddened by claims by him that they helped him (Oliver) build his house, when he did not even receive something as small as a nail, from the club to construct his home.
“Because of this fabrication, my children have been questioning me on whether I received monies to build the house but spent it out” Oliver concluded.