A new day is dawning in “South Football”.
Many would remember the glory days of Mr John Alleyne and Mr Norris Ferguson, where the Southern Football Association (SFA) reaped the rewards of proper planning and execution. Back then, there were competitions for various age groups in youth football, and a senior football league with over 20 teams from the various communities across the zone.
In those days, the zone produced outstanding national talents like Leonson Lewis, Dexter Cyrus, Sean De Souza, Reynold Carrington, Anthony Sherwood, Ivan Sampson and countless many others.
Over the last two decades or more, stakeholders in southern football have seen a devastating decline in resources, opportunities and basic organisational needs. Many have been asking for change.
Recently, season after season there have not been any prizes—be it cash, trophies, medals or otherwise. Prior to Covid-19, the zone hosted its 2019 season, and participation plummeted to five teams starting the league, with only four finishing the season.
At its most recent SFA Annual General Meeting earlier this year, there was a quorum of only three teams. Added to this, there has not been either a youth football tournament or a women’s football league of any kind.
Mr Brian K Jordan would like to work with all stakeholders to positively transform the Regional Association.
In announcing his run for the SFA presidency, he stated: “As we collectively rebound from the prolonged Covid-19 shutdown, the time has come to hit the football reset and transform button in the South Zone. I strongly believe we must all work together strategically to get into youth (boys and girls) development mode, not only to improve the football product, but also to change and help young lives.”
He added: “As a businessman and coach, I am going to put together a top class team (Team Transformation) of quality individuals to move everyone forward together, and make the zone a footballing powerhouse again at all levels.”
Mr Jordan is the owner of Next Level Consulting Limited, and is well known nationwide as one of the primary sponsors and masterminds behind one of the largest private youth football tournaments in Trinidad & Tobago, the NLCL U19 Community Cup.
Mr Jordan and his organising committee started the charitable tournament in 2019, and it has successfully grown from ten teams in Trinidad to sixteen teams between Trinidad & Tobago. The tournament returns in December 2022, and he and his committee hope to expand the number of teams again at that time.
He currently lives in San Fernando with his wife and daughter, after growing up in the footballing hotbed of Point Fortin. He is the proud father of two children and grandfather of one.
Further, Mr Jordan attended Naparima College, where he captained the team in the late 1980s before attending Howard University in Washington, DC. He is the son of a former Point Fortin Civic Centre coach, and played for both Civic Centre and Point Fortin United under Neville “Coachie” Frederick and the late Dick Furlonge—before leaving these shores to go overseas.
He lived in the US for over 25 years, and since permanently returning to Trinidad in 2013, he has served as an assistant coach in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), at St Benedict’s College, La Romain and at Presentation College, San Fernando.
He has also been a volunteer coach for seven years at the Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy, and currently coaches with the Union Hall United Football Academy—owned and operated by coach Dexter Cyrus.
In his spare time, Mr Jordan loves watching movies and football, spending quality time with his family, and meditating. Knowing and understanding the many challenges in the zone, some of the goals Mr Jordan (and Team Transformation) have set for a perspective first term would be as follows:
New and Improved Corporate Sponsorship
- Provide value add to sponsors and assist in building brand awareness
- Lower membership and registration fees
- Implement affordable payment plans for team membership and registration fees
- Provide all members with equipment stipend
- Distribute trophies, medals and cash prizes each season
More Opportunities for Focusing on Youth Development
- Design website and database to showcase highlights, and to allow online registration and tracking of teams, players, and match officials
- Develop and implement strategic partnerships with Futsal and Beach Soccer Associations
- Jumpstart Academy football league (primary school ages for boys and girls)
- Reinvigorate Secondary School aged football league (for boys and for girls)
- Initiate and expand new senior women’s football league
- Expand senior men’s football league to a minimum of fifteen teams in men’s league, with a focus on under 23 players, and a plan to expand within first term to twenty teams playing in two 10 team divisions.
- Create and staff a modern technical directorate to ensure global technical standards are provided to, and continuously reviewed or assessed for, all academies and clubs
Improve Communication, Transparency and Accountability
- Increase membership at all levels, age groups, and from every part of the zone
- Empower stakeholders to utilise technology allowing for more match viewership, as well as, transparency and accountability
- Circulate quarterly online newsletter designed to keep stakeholders fully informed of opportunities, ongoings and new initiatives
- Provide financial statements to members every six months
Moving Forward Together – An Ongoing Empowerment Agenda
- Ensure Skinner Park is a hub and home of the Regional Association
- Recruit and support the continued training and internship of new coaches, administrators, groundspeople, and match officials
- Reinvigorate the Centres for Excellence program
- Provide fair compensation to match officials and ensure payments are made in a timely manner
- Work with the TTFA to ensure constitution is reviewed and updated to empower and maximise community and team participation, and to maintain support and interest in a progressive development agenda each year
- Investigate feasibility of payment plan and/or insurance plan for medical, nutritional and psychological treatment of registered stakeholders, including players, coaches, match officials and administrators
- Assist stakeholders to develop sponsorship letters, fundraising strategies, and financial planning tools for individuals requiring urgent assistance, as well as, their organisations
- Setup Holiday hamper drive to assist needy youth and stakeholders
- Design a career pathway from youth football to senior football to coach / match official / administrator
- Setup scouting combines, certification programs, and partnerships/relationships with universities, and professional teams (overseas and locally)
All of this would just be the beginning of positively transforming the zone.
Mr Jordan added: “After final confirmation of the best quality people for the election slate, we will finalise a detailed strategic plan so that all stakeholders can review and provide their feedback on all priorities and ideas.
“This is not about one man. I’m a businessman, have played the game, have been a captain and still love to coach. It’s never about one man, it will always be about having the best team of people.”
He concluded: “If we are lucky enough to gain the trust of the football community in the South Zone and win the election, then all stakeholders will be invited to be a part of our team. Together we know and trust that we can move mountains and help our young people and stakeholders to successfully achieve their fullest potential.”