Reynold Carrington, arguably Point Fortin Civic’s most popular coach of recent years, is back with his hometown club for a second stint at the professional level after walking off the job two years and three months ago.
The 47-year-old former Trinidad and Tobago international confirmed this week that he is back with Civic and committed to leading the team in the upcoming Pro League 2017 season which kicks off with the Charity Shield clash between league champions Central FC and Pro Bowl winners Defence Force on May 26.
“Both the managers and players… even myself, had time to reflect,” said Carrington who currently serves as councillor for the New Lands/Mahaica in Point Fortin. “And when the opportunity was presented to me to return as Civic coach I was more than happy.”
He added, “Point Fortin is very dear to me. All my heart and all my life is with Point Fortin. It’s all about serving my community and having a true sense of what the people need and it’s the same for the club.” In January of 2015, Carrington had quit the post at a time Civic were seated seventh on the Pro League standings with just 11 points – with three wins, two draws and six defeats – midway through the 2014-15 season—the club’s second term at the PL level.
Carrington said back then, the players lacked motivation and blames the situation on the uncertainties over the salaries of players.
Leroy De Leon took over as caretaker for the remainder of the 2014-15 season which turned into a permanent move for the following 2015-16 season, before another Civic legend Dick Furlong was appointed as coach for 2016-17, but neither had outdone Carrington’s commendable fourth-place finish in 2013-14—the season of the club’s Pro League debut.
De Leon in his stint as caretaker earned Civic to a fifth-place finish but in his full season in charge he couldn’t manage the struggling club higher than an eighth-place finish.
Civic then hit an all-time low in last season’s shortened calendar under Furlong, finishing at the bottom of the 10-team table with just six points.
“If you look at the three coaches, Carrington had the best record,” said Civic’s chairman Garthorn Craig.
Craig said returning to Carrington for the new season was a general consensus by the board of directors which includes himself, vice chairman Keith Bailey, technical director Steve David, Wilfred Cave, Leroy De Leon and returning team manager Ken Mc Cree.
Carrington is hopeful the efforts of the club’s management will secure financial support.
“It’s always going to be difficult to manage players when they are not sure they are going to be paid or their salaries are late.
A lot of times they won’t show up for training when it’s like that, and it’s understandable,” said the former Defence Force, Civic and W Connection star who also had brief spells in the United States and Indonesia.
“I am hoping things will improve. I’ve already started working with the team and trying to find the best available players from the last bunch, while we may have a few players returning to the team,” Carrington concluded.