T'is the season to play "footie", as the Brits refer to their beloved past time and the world's most popular sport. The Trinidad Express Newspaper caught up with members of the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, at home and abroad, and asked how they planned to spend their Christmas and what was on their menu. This is what they had to say:
Leo Beenhakker (National coach/Holland):
I will spend the day at home (13 kilometres from Amsterdam) with my family; my wife and kids. Everyone will each have (his or her) favourite meal for Christmas. I will have fish and other seafood for my lunch.
Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham/Wales):
I planned a very quiet day because my wife (Gloria) and daughter (Celine) are back in Trinidad for the holidays. Luckily enough, we (Wrexham) got Christmas Day off so I will just stay home and relax because after Christmas we have four games in eight days. I have to cook something for myself since my wife isn't here so you looking at something very simple. I will probably make macaroni pie, stew chicken and potato salad. The ham already baked so I will have that for breakfast and that will do me.
Kelvin Jack (Dundee/Scotland):
I have training as usual on Christmas morning so I have to get in at 9.15. So there is chance of me waiting up for Santa on Christmas Eve. I will probably go over by Jason Scotland for dinner later in the day with my girlfriend (Shelly) and her sister (Sharmaine). I will have normal Trini food for lunch; macaroni pie, some different stews and everything.
Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA/Fire/Trinidad):
I supposed to go by Nigel Pierre in the morning to play in a "fathers against non-fathers" football match in Cocorite. I will lime there for half of the day and then lime with my family. After that, I'm going house to house. I plan to eat everything except pork. You're talking fish, baked chicken, stew chicken, turkey; once my belly can consume it, I'll be having it.
Shaka Hislop (West Ham/England):
My kids will be up at the crack of dawn as usual and then we will have breakfast together as a family (wife Desha, daughters Maalana, Khazia, Talia, Nia, brother Kona and his girlfriend Maria). Then, I have to go to training for 10 a.m. In my 14 seasons as a professional in England, I only once had Christmas off. It is hard on the kids because they have to sit around and watch their presents under the tree but can't open them until I get back. But my training should only take about two hours and it would be a normal Christmas Day from then on. My wife always cooks a traditional "Trini" lunch; so there will be turkey, pork, beef, macaroni pie, pigeon peas. I got my pastelle brought up from Trinidad and my wife made sorrel from some fresh sorrel we got from Trinidad too; so everything ready and waiting.
Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers/Scotland):
I am training on Christmas Day so I have to head for the training ground for 10 am. Training starts at 10.30. After that, I will just go by some Scottish and Nigerian friends and hang out. I'm eating whatever they cook. Most likely it will be a traditional Scottish dinner with turkey and potatoes and so on.
Cyd Gray (CLF San Juan Jabloteh/Trinidad):
First of all, I am going to play in a game at the poor house in Cocorite with Nigel Pierre. After that, I'm just relaxing at home with home in El Socorro with my family (girlfriend Natakie and son Jardel). Basically, I don't eat too much. I am not sure what I am having. Whatever my girlfriend cooks.
Jason Scotland (St Johnstone/Scotland):
I have training at 10.30 in the morning. Then (my girlfriend) Nimpha is making a meal for me and (Kelvin) Jack and his girlfriend (Shelly) and her sister (Sharmaine) will come over to hang out. I think (Nimpha) is making baked chicken, red beans, macaroni pie and two Christmas salads (not sure what she was talking about when she said "Christmas salads"). She was hoping to make callaloo too but we couldn't get callaloo bush from Trinidad in time.
Brent Sancho (Gillingham/England):
We have training in the morning at 9 a.m. My mom (Pearl) is here for Christmas so I plan to spend the day with her and then go by Coxie (T&T teammate Ian Cox). Coxie is married and has three kids. It will be very low keyed. I won't drink anything too festive because we have a game on Boxing Day but, as far as food goes, that is something different. My mom is cooking turkey, curry goat, fried rice and macaroni pie. I have to eat within reason, of course, which means half the turkey and not the whole one.