Players with Trinidad and Tobago national team experience, such as Cornell Glen, Cyd Gray, Errol McFarlane Jr and Under-20 World Cup goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel, are among the squad likely to line up for Queen's Park Football Club this season.
The new T&T Pro League club was launched yesterday with a breakfast meeting at Jaffa Restaurant, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain. The team is a merger of the footballers who represented Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) in the National Super League and St Ann's Rangers of the Pro League.
They will play matches mainly at the Queen's Park Oval and also at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Former England international defender Terry Fenwick is head coach and technical director, while Rangers' Anthony Street is his assistant. Rangers' Richard Piper is the team administrator.
Yesterday, chief organiser Fenwick told of plans to build a successful club which will focus on youth development. He also announced the formation of the Queen's Park Football Club Youth Academy, the first professional standard academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
"I am proud. I am very proud to be the technical director of Queen's Park Football club," Fenwick said. "I'm looking forward to charting the course for the next generation of Trinidad and Tobago international footballers under the management and guidance of our coaching team. Queen's Park Football Club will be well prepared to compete and represent Trinidad and Tobago.
"The Queen's Park Football Club Youth Academy is the first professional standard football academy training centre in Trinidad and Tobago for the development of future international stars. Players will be groomed and exposed to professional football at a younger age. The academy will provide the platform to ensure that future players are coached to international standards," he added.
Richard Fakoory of Rangers said the merger came about when Mike Smith and Fenwick approached them with the idea. He said Rangers had constantly been grooming and losing youth players to richer clubs and were struggling to make a meaningful impact in the Pro League because of meagre finances and poor facilities.
"Having discussed the proposal at length and having had many meetings, we decided it would be a wise decision for all to go forward. We do not think we could have gotten a better partner than Queen's Park to join forces with," said Fakoory. "The merger to form QPFC is unique, a comfortable fit, and will help put our players on a better footing."
Former T&T Soca Warriors team manager, QPCC president and Queen's Park Football Club chairman Bruce Aanensen congratulated Fakoory and Fenwick for making the merger possible.
"Richard will serve on the board of Queen's Park Football Club and his knowledge and experience will be of extreme value to us. Thanks again Richard," said Aanensen. "Queen's Park Cricket Club would also like to thank Terry Fenwick and Mike Smith for working assiduously to bring it to reality."