It is amazing how Jack Warner is being blamed for the state of our football in this country says Earl “Mango” Pierre, president of the T&T Football Players Association in Brooklyn, New York.
These former nationals knew the individual (Jack) that they were dealing with and it took 16 players last year to stand up for what is right.
Some of the other players did not revolt because Jack has them in his pocket. All this madness with the football would not have been taking place if these players like Gally stated the Players Association.
I understand that Gally is hurting because he is no longer considered to be part of the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) national coaching staff, and if we had qualified in 1989, none of this would have been said.
Like all the others, he would have been a hero, made his money, and said nothing.
Gally also has to understand great coaches get fired for one reason or the other so he should not take it so personal.
One thing I agree with him on is that all great players, or all former national players, should be given a pass for life to attend the matches.
Gally also has to remember that it was not Jack Warner who was the coach of the Strike Squad in 1989. He was the one who coached the team and made the decision not to play our No 1 goalkeeper Earl “Spiderman” Carter, our No 1 midfielder Hudson “Baba” Charles and forward Maurice Alibey. I still can’t understand Gally’s move, after following the team during the qualifications, and to Los Angeles where I witnessed a great come back to draw the match against the Americans.
And, of course, Hudson “Baba” Charles scoring the goal and after running straight to me in the stands to get the jersey off my back that I had promise to give to him if he had scored the goal. This was normal of me because I love to give players incentives.
How can any coach leave out the best playmaker on the team? Why did Leo Beenhakker leave out the little “Magician” Russell Latapy, our No 1 player and playmaker, as well?
In the return match on November 19, 1989, when I saw the line-up and Carter was not in goal and “Baba” and Alibey not on the field, I told Tansley Thompson my good friend who was standing next to me that something was wrong ..... that was not the team that gave the Americans a run for their money.
My question was how can a team be changed up so drastically in such a short space of time. Up to this day, I still believe that we sold out the match.
Thanks to Jack and the position that he has in FIFA, we made it to the 2006 World Cup, and, if he recently said that we are going to South Africa, we are going.
Pierre said that he hopes that the match T&T won against America a fortnight ago, broke that jinx that they (the Americans) had on us for so many years.
The only problem I have with Jack is that if he promise the players money give them what was promised. I only hope that the players wouldn’t take Jack’s word for granted in the future, but rather let him put it in writing and sign on the dotted line.
Players should be the centre of all activities and they should be first in almost everything.
Thanks to TTFF, and Gally back in 1989, they brought a real World Cup atmosphere to our country and I will never forget that experience when I also took part by demonstrating my skills with the ball at half time - I did it for the team and the love that I always had for Gally, whom I consider as one of the best players I have seen locally. I must say ‘one must never bit the hands that feed you’.”
As I said before, our football is in a mess and we need to put aside our differences and work together for the future of our children, grandchildren, flag and country.
Let us not allow petty jealousies, rumours and squabbles create a rift which evil forces can use to destroy us all. Let us all commit ourselves to seeking that which is for the common good. For if individual and selfish desires are allowed to cloud our sense of unity and judgment the outcome will be collective destruction. Let us always remember that the courage of our convictions will enable us to reach the desired goal no matter how distant it may seem.
The road may be long and rocky, the climb may be high and steep but if we persevere, we shall overcome all the obstacles and we shall get there sooner than we think.