Charles-Fevrier, Saunders cop consecutive The Fan Club Coach of the Month awards

Central, the defending Digicel Pro League champions, leads the 2015/16 standings by six points clear of second positioned W Connection and are on a 15-game unbeaten streak in all competitions since promoting assistant coach Saunders as interim head coach in mid-December, after the club parted ways with two-time former Defence Force league-winning coach Ross Russell.

Russell, who picked up the October TFC Coach of the Month award as Central coach, has since then joined North East Stars.

Charles-Fevrier topped the votes in December with four wins from five games, one of which his W Connection side defeated Defence Force 4-0 in the final of the Toyota Classic to claim their second major title this season after the First Citizens Cup.

However Central’s supreme form didn’t go unnoticed, steering to Saunders’ TFC Coach of the Month honours in January and February. The “Couva Sharks” were unbeaten in January and tallied one point more than Connection in the DPL with Saunders at the helm.

The Saunders-led Central were perfect in February with 3 wins from as many games domestically, while Connection, although topping Group 1 in the 2016 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship with maximum 9 points at the end of the month, conceded a league defeat.

Both Charles-Fevrier and Saunders were rewarded at The Fan Club – sports merchandise and apparel outlet store – newest location in Aboutique Mall in Port-of-Spain. TFC rewards each Coach of the Month with a TT$1,000 TFC voucher to be redeemed at any of its outlets, including Movie Town (Port-of-Spain), Trincity and Gulf City Malls.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Saunders, who credits the collective effort of the Central coaching staff which includes the assistance of managing director Brent Sancho and his 2006 FIFA World Cup teammate Stern John.

“It’s not often coaches are rewarded like this, so it’s a good way forward on behalf of the sponsor (TFC) and great having something more to motivate the coaches.

“But all credit to the [Central FC] coaching staff. The coaching staff have been working hard on the training pitch, putting our heads together and this is the result.

“It’s really a collective effort at Central. The players have bought in to the philosophy and working hand in hand with the coaching staff,” ended Saunders, a former Trinidad and Tobago international.

Central and W Connection will resume DPL play on Friday April 01 at the Ato Boldon Stadium against Police FC and North East Stars, respectively, following a three-week break which facilitates the Trinidad and Tobago national team FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying effort due to back-to-back qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines on March 25 in Kingstown and in Port-of-Spain on March 29.

Saunders and Fevrier, riding their impressive waves, will also look ahead towards securing their respective clubs, Central and W Connection, spots at the 2016/17 Concacaf Champions League when they contest the final round of the 2016 Caribbean Club Championship in Haiti.

Central, who defeated W Connection in the Caribbean final last season, will, for a second consecutive time, meet Haiti’s Don Bosco FC in the semi-final round on April 29, while multiple-time Caribbean champions W Connection must tackle Jamaica’s Arnett Gardens.

The 2016 final and third place play-off will be contested on May 01. The two semi-final round winners and third place winners will secure the three Caribbean berths at the 2016/17 Concacaf Champions League.

Last season Central, coached then by former England and Tottenham defender Terry Fenwick, needed penalties to defeat Don Bosco 3-1 following a goalless semi-final draw before edging 9-man W Connection in the final to lift the Caribbean crown.

The Fan Club Coach of the Month 2015-16

October
Ross Russell (Central FC)

November
Stuart Charles-Fevrier (W Connection)

December
Stuart Charles-Fevrier (W Connection)

January
Dale Saunders (Central FC)

February
Dale Saunders (Central FC)