Joe Public.
'The Eastern Lion'


Possible Starters: 
A.Figueroa - GK Larry Bacchus - D Keyeno Thomas - D Seon Powers - D
Jair Lopez Saldaña - D Lyndon Andrews - M Dale Saunders - M Arnold Dwarika - M
Devon Leacock - M Gary Glasgow - F Reon Nelson - F

 

CLUB NEWS: 

03-Jul-2008 N/E Stars tame Eastern Lions.
30-Jun-2008 Joe Public thump Petrotrin.
06-May-2008 Colombian stops Eastern Lions.
09-Apr-2008 Joe Pubic tie rivals Jabloteh.
07-Apr-2008 Joe Public open season with draw.
15-Dec-2007 Defence Force halts Joe Public.
13-Dec-2007 Eastern Lions capture 2007 FA title. 
11-Dec-2007 Eastern Lions leapfrog.
11-Dec-2007 Joe Public & Shaka Hislop Tribute Cup.
22-Nov-2007 Joe Public rattle Jabloteh again.
17-Nov-2007 Harbour View beat Public to win CFU title.
15-Nov-2007 Public, Harbour View in Caribbean final.
09-Nov-2007 Public whipping for Racing Club.
08-Nov-2007 McComie milks spotlight.
06-Nov-2007 Terry Fenwick denies racist abuse.
04-Nov-2007 McComie: Fenwick is weak.
03-Nov-2007 Public crowned Toyota Classic champs.
04-Oct-2007 McComie muzzles Caledonia.
22-Sept-2007 Connection sends Joe Public packing.
20-Sept-2007 Jagdeosingh joins Joe Public.
07-Sept-2007 The Joe Public reshuffle finally begins.
12-Aug-2007 Stars hold Joe Public.
01-Aug-2007 Caledonia tame Lions.
29-Jul-2007 Eastern Lions back on track.
15-Jul-2007 Cubans sacked, draw with Connection.
01-Jul-2007 Baptiste double-up on Rangers.
05-May-2007 Joe Public hammers Tobago United.
02-May-2007 Caledonia beat Joe Public.
22-Apr-2007 Defending champs stop Connection.
17-Apr-2007 Dwarika inspire Lions pass woeful Army.
15-Apr-2007 Petrotrin keep Lions at bay in opener.
10-Apr-2007 Noreiga signs 2-year deal with Champs.
15-Mar-2007 Nigel Pierre returns to Macoya.
06-Mar-2007 Baptiste signs with Champions Joe Public.
03-Mar-2007 Wiltshire moves to Joe Public.
23-Feb-2007 Cubans take over the Eastern Lions.
02-Jan-2007 Joe Public win Guyanese Tournament.
24-Dec-2006 Public off to shining start in Guyana.
05-Dec-2006 Tears of joy from coach McCommie.
29-Nov-2006 Public close in on title with win over AIA.
26-Nov-2006 Public stay top with slim win.
23-Nov-2006 F.A. Cup round-up reports.
19-Nov-2006 Cyd Gray stuns Joe Public.
18-Nov-2006 Franklyn enters the ‘Eastern Lions’ den.
15-Nov-2006 Public edge Barbados in warm-up match.
12-Nov-2006 Stars edge Public in ‘Big Six’ thriller.
10-Nov-2006 Jabloteh & Public to meet in FA cup.
20-Sept-2006 Nelson hattrick, ‘Lions’ roar past Tobago.
16-Sept-2006 Joe Public gets young Spann.
13-Sept-2006 Joe Public held to another draw.
11-Sept-2006 Joe Public snap up new foursome.
10-Sept-2006 Rangers hold down Lions.
26-Aug-2006 Lions still ‘King of the Jungle".
23-Aug-2006 Joe Public stay ahead of the pack.
14-Aug-2006 ‘Chubby’ halts North East Stars.
09-Aug-2006 Joe Public take PFL lead.
06-Aug-2006 Joe Public close gap on Jabloteh.
31-Jul-2006 Jabloteh, Joe Public in deadlock.
26-Jul-2006 ‘Little Tobago’ beat ‘Eastern Lions’.
23-Jul-2006 Eastern Lions put Connection to rest.
12-Jun-2006 Caledonia run past ‘Eastern Lions’.
05-Jun-2006 No stopping Joe Public.
17-May-2006 Joe Public maintain winning ways.
08-May-2006 Joe Public maintain lead.
01-May-2006 Leaders fall, Dwarika play spoiler.
17-Apr-2006 Caledonia AIA win East derby.
15-Apr-2006 Warner: JPFC will always be consistent.
10-Apr-2006 Joe Public post victory.
01-Apr-2006 Joe Public coming to entertain.

16-Mar-2006 - Former Trinidad and Tobago national team footballers Gary Glasgow and Arnold Dwarika will put on Joe Public jerseys when the 2006 T&T Pro League season kicks off next month. ... More.


23-Feb-2006 - Joe Public Football Club footballers are back in the T&T Pro League. And yesterday the club’s owner Jack Warner said he will do all necessary to win the competition even if it means recruiting overseas players, but only in the short term. ... More.


30-Oct-2005 - W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh showed how penalty kicks should be taken as they beat Defence Force and Joe Public, respectively, to reach the final of the inaugural Toyota Classic competition. ... More.


23-Oct-2005 - Joe Public were on the verge of going out of the Toyota Classic at the first hurdle before staging a remarkable late recovery to see off Caledonia AIA Fire on penalty kicks in their quarterfinal match on Friday night at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar. ... More.


05-Oct-2005 - On August 26 Joe Public successfully defended its Sportworld National Super League Knock-Out title, beating WASA Clean and White 3-0 in the final of the competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. ... More.


28-Aug-2005 - Joe Public put on an inspired display against WASA Clean and White in the final of the 2005 Sportworld National Super League knockout competition, at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on Friday night, to go away with a 3-0 victory. ... More.


Joe Public invited to Barcelona for training camp.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
19-Jan-2005 - Joe Public Football club completed its two-match Brazil tour with a 5-0 defeat to top club Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro last weekend. But despite the heavy loss, the local team was able to catch the eye of Vice President of Spanish club Barcelona Sandro Rosselini who has invited them to his club for a training stint in April.
Rosselini saw the “Eastern Lions” in action as he also met with FIFA Vice President and Joe Public owner Jack Warner last weekend. Also meeting members of the Joe Public team were former FIFA President Joao Havelange, President of the Brazil FA, Ricardo Texeira and Finta boss Bertollini.
Joe Public, coached by former national goalkeeper Michael McComie were able to match the Brazilian powerhouse during the opening half as they went into the dressing room a goal behind after Brazilian 1994 World Cup team member Junior put the home team ahead with a 34th minute header.
But just as Public picked up the pace and seemed likely to pull a goal back, Flamengo got their second item in the 50th minute and then put the match out of Public’s reach with further goals in the 58th, 80th and 85th minutes.
Joe Public went into the game after suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to another Brazilian side Volta Redonda last week. The also suffered the loss of three players, with Hollis Brown and Terrance McAllister going off with shoulder injuries and Carlington Smith sustaining a fractured leg.
Throughout the three match series Joe Public was given kudos for its tremendous discipline and the President of Brazil's strongest Football Federation. President Marcos Polo of the Santos Football Federation, at a luncheon in honour of President Warner's visit, invited the local club to participate in Santos’ competition in 2006.
Coach McComie summed up the tour which cost Joe Public $350,000 as a great learning experience for the team managed by Sam Phillip.
“I think the players have benefited tremendously from this trip. Despite the fact that we lost the games, we were able to learn quite a few things and hearing from persons like the Barcelona Vice President was an honour for all the players. This sort of experience is certain to benefit our players which in the long run will be a plus for football in our country as well,” McComie said. Warner arrives back in Trinidad with the team this Thursday.

Abu Bakr meets Joe Public in Brazil.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
11-Jan-2005 - Goalkeeper Ayinde Abu Bakr, despite having a request for a US visa turned down last week, will meet up with the rest of the Joe Public football team in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday as alternative arrangements were made for him by the club management to travel through Caracas.
Bakr did not travel with the rest of the team on Sunday night. The team, under coach Michael McComie, arrived in Brazil via Miami and are scheduled to play three practice matches before taking on Volta Redonda on Sunday and then Flamengo two days later in a game which will be televised live on Sport TV in Brazil.
”We are obviously excited about this trip because for several of the players on the team it will be their first visit to what many consider to be the mecca of football. They will no doubt benefit from the exposure of playing against top teams like Flamengo and the chance to train and play in Brazil is really what a lot of players dream of when you come from our region,” McComie said. Club owner Jack Warner will meet the team in Rio on Friday.

Joe Public off to Brazil…. but Abu Bakr gets visa blank.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
08-Jan-2005 - Last years National Super League Champions Joe Public will leave here on Sunday night for Sao Paulo, Brazil to contest a four-team tournament. But they will have to play with just one regular goalkeeper after Ayinde Abu Bakr was refused a US visa by the US Embassy on Friday to enter the United States as the Joe Public team will be traveling via Miami on their way to Brazil.
The former Queen’s Royal College goalie, the son of Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, had his request turned down for no stated reason. His brother Radanjah Abu Bakr, who leaves for California on Saturday morning with the T&T Under 20 team, was initially turned down but was then granted his visa solely because of the fact that he will be on national duty.
Joe Public, owned by CONCACAF President Jack Warner, will now travel only with Kevin Graham as their goalkeeper and head coach Michael McComie may have to put on the gloves as well if Graham becomes injured.
The “Eastern Lions” will come up against Brazilian giants Flamengo during the action which runs from January 13-17 in Rio de Janeiro.
They will overnight in Sao Paulo where they will also play a training match against a local club team before journeying to Rio for their first game against Flamengo on January 13 which is also being televised live in Brazil. Joe Public will then face Volta Redonda FC and Santa Cruz FC before returning home.
They will however be traveling without national team players Marlon Rojas and Derek King who will be with the senior team in Antigua. Jamaican Wolry Wolfe has also been called to the Jamaican national team and is unavailable along with countryman Tyrone Sawyers. But McComie mentioned that two other Jamaican players have been called. They are former Jamaican national youth players Denzil Watson and Adrian Mitchell.
Among some of the local players in the Joe Public team include former National Under 17 players Terrance McCalister and Seon Power, former Under 20 and senior team goalkeeper Kevin Graham and Hollis Brown and Garvin McKenna who both have senior national team experience. Jamaican prolific goalscorer Roen Nelson is also in the 17-man traveling squad which will be joined by four Brazilian players on arrival in Rio.
“We have been preparing for this tournament for a while now and the only disadvantage we may face is the fact that our team is made up of a lot of younger players which means that there is a lack of experience. But that too is the reason for us going on a trip like this because it will enable the guys to get that exposure and have a taste of what it is like to play at such a level which really is something you can get if you are on a national team, “ McComie said.
“Our work rate is what we expect will make up for that lack of experience. The outing on a whole is not one where we are going solely with the hope of winning all the matches. The main objective is to use it as preparations for upcoming season as well as to allow the players to get a feel of what it is to play teams like Flamengo. Our aim is to give good representation of Trinidad and Tobago and by extent the entire region,” McComie added.

Joe Public Team:
Kevin Graham, George Dublin, Adrian Mitchell, Seon Power, Hollis Brown, Denzil Watson, Jason Springer, Devon Caseman, Garvin McKeynna, Terrance McAllister, Nigel Hart, Roen Nelson, Carlington Smith, Devin Elcock, Anton Hutchinson, Sherwin Marcano, Marc Leslie.

Staff:
Michael McComie (head coach), Walt Noreiga (Assistant coach), Coulson Dick (equipment manager), Junior Phillip, Victor O'Brien (Physio), Sam Phillip (Manager), Hubert Johnson (head of delegation).

  Search Here for Joe Public Supporters Shirts.

Joe Public Online.


Partner Clubs.

Atletico Paranaense.
FC Dallas.
Portmore United.
Waterhouse FC.


Managers:
Jack Warner - Owner.
Daryll Warner - Managing Director.
Vijay Bahgan.
Sam Phillip.

Address:
Kantac Plaza
131 Eastern Main Road, Arouca
Trinidad, WI
Phone:  (868) 642 0163
Fax: (868) 642 0161


Coach:
Michael McComie (Interim Coach).
Walt Noriega (Possible Coach).

Technical Director.
Keith Look Loy - Trinidad.

Keith Jeffrey - Under 15 Coach.
Derek King - Under 17 Coach.
Marlon Charles - Women Coach.


Assistants:
Maurice O’Donnell - Scotland.
Michael Grayson.


Goalkeepers:
1.Alejandro Figueroa - Colombia.
Jacomeno Barrette - Jamaica.
Leston Shade.
22.Shurland Awai.


Defenders:
15.Adrian Mitchell - Jamaica/Trinidad.
16.Abassi McPherson - Guyana.
4.Anthony Noreiga.
20.Brian Wollaston - Jamaica.
16.Carlos Gonzales - Colombia.
Dion Peters.
23.Irvinor English - Jamaica.
3.Jorge Da Silva - Brazil.
13.Jason Springer.
23.Keyeno Thomas.
11.Kevin Lamey - Jamaica.
Larry Bacchus.
Marcelle Francois.
20.Seon Powers.
3.Terrance McAllister.


Midfielders:
9.Arnold Dwarika.
8.Dale Saunders - capt.
24.Dexter Thornhill.
Devon Leacock - Tobago.
6.Jair Lopez Saldaña - Colombia.
17.Kerry Baptiste.
10.Lyndon Andrews.
30.Silas Spann.
Ricardo Peltier.
Travis Mulraine.
15.Tousha Benjamin.
Wolry Wolfe - Jamaica.


Forwards:
Devon Mitchell.
19.
Carlyle Mitchell.
12.Gary Glasgow.
21.Gregory Richardson - Guyana.
Jamal Gay.
14.Kareem Joachim.
Kerry Noray.
Reon Nelson
- Jamaica.
7.Shane Calderon.


Based:
East  - Trinidad.


Team Photos:
Joe Public In Action Photo 1.
Joe Public In Action Photo 2.
Joe Public In Action Photo 3.
Joe Public In Action Photo 4.


PFL Teams Standings & Scorers:
Click Here.


Last PFL/Big Six Game Played:
01-Jul- 08 - Joe Public  0  2  North East Stars.


  
Home Field:
Marvin Lee Stadium - East Trinidad/ Seating: 8,000.

The Football Confederation's Centre of Excellence (now Marvin Lee Stadium) is a multi-purpose facility named for a giant of the past and built for the success of the future of football in the entire Confederation. 
The name itself - from henceforth The Havelange Centre of Excellence - is a tribute to Dr Joao Havelange, President of FIFA from 1974 to his retirement in 1998, a period when all aspects of the world game were advanced by his vision and tireless work. 
The Havelange Centre of Excellence has a 8,000 seat stadium, full sized practice field, two mini-fields, an indoor field, swimming pool and a 50-bed residence.


SOME TOP JOE PUBLIC GAMES:


1.  International Tournament:
Joe Public 4  vs  0 London All Stars (England) - 25-May-1998.
Joe Public Goal Scorers:
Dwight Yorke 2, Geoffrey Wharton-Lake, Arnold Dwarika.


2.   Caribbean Cup:
Joe Public 1 vs 1 Harbour View (Jamaica) - 14-Dec-2000.
Joe Public Goal Scorer:
Angus Eve 46th.


3.   Concacaf Champion Cup:
Joe Public 0 v 2 Chicago Fire (USA).


4.   FRIENDLY GAME:
Joe Public 2 v 0 Guinness Harlem Bombers (Dominica).
Joe Public Scorers:
Kerwin Jemmott, Adrine Narine.


5.   Caribbean Cup:
Joe Public 5  v 0 Robin Hood (Suriname).
Joe Public Scorers:
Angus Eve 2, Kerwin Jemmott, Ansil Elcock.


6.  International Tournament:
Joe Public 0 v 0 Blackpool (England) - 01-Aug-2000.


7.  Concacaf Champion Cup:
Joe Public 0 v 1 Pachuca (Mexico).
16-Jan-2001.


8.  L-Sporto Cup - 17-Oct-2001.
Joe Public 2 vs 0 W Connection.
Joe Public Scorers:
Nigel Pierre, Arnold Dwarika.


9.  L-Sporto Cup - 15-Nov-2001.
Joe Public 1 vs 0 Caledonia AIA.
Joe Public Scorer:
Adrian Narine 49th.


10. L-Sporto Final - 6-Dec-2001.
 Joe Public 1 vs 0 Carib FC.
Joe Public Scorer:
Pierre Bruny 55th.


11. Friendly - 13-Jan-2005.
 Joe Public 1 vs 2 Volta Redonda (Brazil).



12.
 Friendly - 15-Jan-2005.
 Joe Public 0 vs 5 Flamengo (Brazil).


13. Kashif & Shanghai tournament.
22-Dec-2006.

Blue Berry Hill (Guyana) 0 vs Joe Public 4.
Joe Public Scorers:
Devon Mitchell 27th, 42nd, Wolry Wolfe 35th, Kendell Davis 66th.


14. Kashif & Shanghai tournament.
25-Dec-2006.

PELE FC (Guyana) 0 vs Joe Public 3.
Joe Public Scorers:
Devon Mitchell 31st, Kendell Davis 65th, 80th.


15. Kashif & Shanghai tournament.
31-Dec-2006.

Alpha United (Guyana) 0 vs Joe Public 2.
Joe Public Scorer:
Arnold Dwarika 56th, 80th.


16. Kashif & Shanghai tournament.
01-Jan-2007 - Final.

Topp 20 (Guyana) 0 vs Joe Public 1.
Joe Public Scorer:
Gary Glasgow 40th.


17. Toyota Classic Final.
02-Nov-2007.
Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Joe Public 2 v San Juan Jabloteh 1.
Joe Public Scorers:
Kerry Baptiste 76th, Roen Nelson 90th+.


18. CONCACAF Champion Cup.
06-Nov-2007.
Marvin Lee Stadium.
Joe Public 5 v Sagicor South East United (Dominica) 0.
Joe Public Scorers:
Kerry Baptiste 40th, 45th, Keyeno Thomas 19th, Terrance McAllister 24th, Gregory Richardson 43th.


19. CONCACAF Champion Cup.
08-Nov-2007.
Marvin Lee Stadium.
Joe Public 7 v SV RCA (Aruba) 0.
Joe Public Scorers:
Kerry Baptiste 19th, 51st, 78th, Lyndon Andrews 62nd, Kendall Davis 66th, 90th, Kerry Noray 81st.


20. CONCACAF Champion Cup.
11-Nov-2007.
Marvin Lee Stadium.
Joe Public 4 v Bassa SC (Antigua) 0.
Joe Public Scorers:
Roen Nelson 25th, 30th, 51st, Kerry Baptiste 75th.


21. CONCACAF Champion Cup.
14-Nov-2007.
Marvin Lee Stadium.
Joe Public 1 v Puerto Rico Islanders 0.
Joe Public Scorer:
Gregory Richardson 80th.


22. CONCACAF Champion Cup.
16-Nov-2007.
Marvin Lee Stadium.
Joe Public 1 v Harbour View FC 2.
Joe Public Scorer:
Kerry Baptiste 16th.


Joe Public staying out Pro League.

By: Ian Prescott - T&T Express Newspapers.
06-Oct-2004 - South West Drillers and Tobago United may very well stay in the T&T Pro League by default.
The teams, who will finish in the bottom two at the end of the third round of the 2004 T&T Pro League, were due to enter a playoff with the top four finishers in the National Super League to determine which of them will play in the 2005 Pro League.
However, both 2004 Super League champions Joe Public and runners-up LSporto Connection may not be taking up the option to enter the professional ranks.
Yesterday, Joe Public manager Sam Phillip maintained that the Eastern Lions have not changed the position they adopted when leaving the Pro League earlier this year to play in the Super League.
"We have just left the Pro League," the former Army man said. "As far as I am aware, we will still be playing in the Super League."
And coach Miguel Hackett announced that Super League runners-up LSporto Connection are taking a wait-and-see approach to their promotion option.
Much of the decision depends on whether they can secure a sponsor who have the resources to pay professional footballers and also bear the additional cost associated with pro football.
"Yesterday we had a meeting about it and we decided that we will wait until the Super League made a decision on the match between us and WASA.
Also, we have to talk with sponsors to see if they willing to put out that kind of money.
I personally feel that with the kind of players we have, once we get a good sponsor we could make it," Hackett said.
Lennox Watson, chairman of the National Super League's Competition and Tournament Committee, said that although the Super League wanted to ensure there was the option for its teams to be promoted to the top flight, he was of the opinion that Super League teams may not yet be prepared for the responsibility of playing professional football.
"We have given the top teams in the Super League the option to enter the Pro League, but the ultimate decision is theirs to make." Watson told the Express.
"The question is whether or not they are ready to move out."
Watson added that should Joe Public and LSporto Connection decline to enter the Pro League playoffs, the Competition and Tournament Committee will have to meet to decide whether to give the promotion option to other Super League teams.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Phillips, technical director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, will conduct a training programme for football coaches and aspiring coaches at the Arima Town Hall, Sorzano Street today and tomorrow, beginning at 6 p.m. each day.
The programme is being organised under the auspices of the recently-formed Arima Sports/Games Advisory Committee and all those interested are invited to attend.

Adrian Narine’s arrest shocks Jack Warner.

T&T Newsday Newspapers.
09-Jan-2004 - Joe Public boss Jack Austin Warner admitted he was surprised at the arrest of former national and Joe Public footballer Adrian Narine for drug possession at the Heathrow Airport, London, last month. “I was extremely shocked,” said Warner, “because he had the potential to become a very good footballer.” But he conceded that two years ago the 27-year-old midfielder “began to show tendencies which the club found to be unacceptable and we parted company.” Narine was detained by security officers following arrival at the world-renowned airport for alleged possession of three kilogrammes of cocaine.
Warner continued: “I’m very sorry for what has happened and where he is because it’s not something one wishes for anybody. I hope others will learn from his experience.” Narine, who also had stints with Caledonia AIA, Arima Fire and American club San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer (MLS) was due to appear in court in London this week.

Eastern Lions to pull out Pro League.

By Joel Bailey - T&T Newsday.
08-Jan-2004 - It’s official! Joe Public Football Club are indeed playing their final season in the T&T Pro League. According to club chairman and owner Jack Austin Warner, Joe Public will be out of the competition at the end of the current season. “Joe Public will be playing, if accepted, in the Super League,” added the FIFA vice-president and head of CONCACAF. The club was formed in 1996 by the Warner family (Jack, wife Maureen as well as sons Daryan and Darryl) with veteran administrator Harold Taylor as co-chairman. It is based at the Lever Brothers ground in Tunapuna, which is now the site of the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence. With a stated aim of “setting the trend for establishing high standards of professionalism at club football in the Caribbean” Joe Public won the 1998 Craven A Semi-Professional Football League and were runners-up in 1997, 1999 and 2001. They also copped the 2001 FA Trophy, after being the beaten finalists in 1999 and 2000. But the club has been on a downward slide since and, bedevilled by indiscipline and lack of financial returns, have suffered to make an impact this season.
“Joe Public, over the last six years, have spent over $21 million and I don’t think that is value for money. And nothing I’ve seen in the Pro League seems to suggest that there will be an improvement,” Warner said. Commenting on the current Pro League, which have lacked an official sponsor since Warner pulled out of local football after the 2001 General Elections, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) advisor said: “I wish them well if they can improve.” “I’ve tried to get the two leagues (Pro and Super) to merge, and therefore use all the expertise that we have in a small country. I did not succeed. I also tried to see whether they can attract sponsors since I’ve left. They have not done that. “For me, I could not continue with the financial haemorrhage that has taken place with my company, my family and the association,” he said.
The Macoya-based club had a number of coaches during their stint at the highest level of local football, including Keith Look Loy, Yugoslavian Zoran Vranes, Jamaal Shabazz, Kenny Joseph, Clayton Morris, and the incumbent Ron La Forest while Richard Abraham and Joseph Sam Phillip served as managers of the club. And, among the long list of high-profile players to wear the Joe Public’s colours were national representatives Arnold Dwarika, Travis Mulraine, Nigel Pierre, Dale Saunders, Michael McComie, Lyndon Andrews, Kerwyn Jemmott, Stokely Mason, Keyeno Thomas, Adaryl John and Angus Eve as well as midfielder Kendall Velox (St Vincent) and striker McUnisa Conteh (Sierra Leone).

D/Force draw 2-2 vs Joe Public.

TnT Newsday Reports.
05-Dec-2003 - Defence Force were held to a 2-2 draw by “the Eastern Lions” Joe Public in their rescheduled 26th round fixture in the T&T Pro League at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima.
Following Wednesday night’s match, the Army-Coast Guard combination remain fourth on the standings with 44 points from 28 matches while the Macoya-based club are seven points behind in sixth spot. CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh head the standings with 68 points, seven more than W Connection. Striker Christian Freitas put the Eastern Lions ahead in the 11th minute but quick goals by Corey Rivers, in the 55th, and Vincent Garcia three minutes later, put Defence Force in the ascendancy. But their lead will not last however, as ex-national Under-17 midfielder Ochieng Abosi found the mark in the 79th. And St Anthony’s College midfielder Clevon George registered a hat-trick, scoring in the 32nd, 42nd and 76th minutes, as the Army-Coast Guard combination prevailed 3-0 in their Under-20 matchup against the Lions.

Joe Public threaten to walk.

By Ian Prescott.
8-Nov-2003 - Joe Public Football Club have threatened to pull out of the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League at the end of the 2003/2004 season, which closes on January 31.
This comes at the same time as the East giants have informed their players that there will be a reassessment of their financial worth when the current Pro League season ends.
At Joe Public—which is owned by Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation adviser and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner—team manager Sam Phillip confirmed that the Eastern Lions were restructuring their operations and that such changes could affect players’ salaries. The club’s footballers have been informed by letter of possible changes when their contracts end on January 31.
“We are reshaping the club,” explained Phillip. “So we are looking over everybody’s situation at the end of the season. We will not be offering new contracts until we look at everybody and do an assessment of them.”
Larry Romany, chairman of the T&T Pro League, also confirmed that Joe Public have threatened to leave the Pro League at the end of the season.
But Romany immediately said that was a decision for the club and would have no bearing on the functioning of the Pro League.
“They sent a letter indicating that they did not like how the league was running and they may leave if there were not changes.”
Romany further explained that Joe Public wanted increased marketing and public relations exposure of the Pro League, which is poorly attended.
He said the Pro League will soon embark on a marketing campaign and so would have satisfied one of the grouses sounded by Joe Public.
The Express was also informed that Arima Fire, another East team, were also considering leaving Pro League Football, but Romany countered that the Fire issue had already been cleared up amicably.
“The problem with Fire was more administrative,” said Romany. “That has since been resolved. Fire will be playing next year.”
Romany, who was installed as Pro League chairman last May, pointed to a rosy future for the teams which will compete in the 2004/2005 season of the league. He said many tangible benefits will be had, beginning this year.
Among the benefits, Romany revealed, was that all the teams in the T&T Pro League will receive prize money from this season.
Romany is banking on a written assurance from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs that the T&T Pro League would receive financial assistance for the next four years.
He added that Prime Minister Patrick Manning had also spoken about a disbursement to the T&T Pro League during a post-Cabinet address about three months ago.
But Romany did not want to disclose the exact amount which the government will pump into the T&T Pro League until he had seen the Cabinet note.
However, Romany added that the disbursment will assist Pro League teams in covering administrative costs and that, at least, most will be able to break even at the end of each season.

Jabloteh stretch lead.

By Gregory Trujillo.
20-Oct-2003 - San Juan Jabloteh forged eight points clear at the head of the standings in the Trinidad and Tobago Professional Football League with a 4-0 win over Joe Public on Saturday under lights at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
And, arch-rival Vibe CT 105 W Connection slumped further away from the defending champion, as it was held 2-2 by North East yesterday at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Former Joe Public striker, Nigel Pierre, sidelined for over three months while awaiting a transfer to Jabloteh, had his old team-mates bewildered in the 28th minute when he opened the scoring.
After chest-trapping a cross from Nigel Daniel, the national senior player let fly a bullet past goalkeeper Kevin Graham with the entire Joe Public defence caught looking at the move.
Ten minutes after coming out from the interval with a 1-0 advantage, Cornell Glenn increased the lead with his 15th goal of the season.
Devon Mitchell came on as a substitute for Pierre in the 70th and immediately Jabloteh kicked into another gear with a quick double from the former Arima Fire player.
Both goals (73rd and 77th) were half chances and Mitchell made them count with clinical finishing.
Top players Otis Season, Travis Mulraine and Angus Eve were missing from the line-up but Hill believes that their absence has not affected the team.

Joe Public held by Starworld Strikers.

By Mark Pouchet.
13-Oct-2003 - Joe Public and Starworld Strikers played to a 1-1 draw in their rescheduled round 13 match yesterday when the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League took advantage of the cancellation of the T&T/Peru friendly international to update their fixture list.
However, across in the sister isle, the South West Institute of Football (SWIF) did not manage to make the trek to face Tobago United at Roxborough Sporting Complex.
At the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, there was play in a game that featured two teams in mid-table.
A lot of to-ing and fro-ing characterised the match, which never saw one side dominate over the other.
That despite the fact that the Starworld Strikers’ attacking play looked more threatening than that of their opponents.
In their Jamaican striker Nicholas Addlery, the South side had a commanding, strong and skilful force on the ball who also put pressure on the Public defence with his hard-running.
With both sides finding it difficult to stroke the ball around with continuity, it was Addlery’s strength that gained his team the advantage after 41 minutes.
With a ball being played back into the Public 18-metre area, Addlery pounced on the opportunity, bumping shoulders with Public defender Seon Power.
That impact sent Power tumbling to the ground and Addlery was given a free shot at goal that he placed low to the Eastern Lions goalkeeper Kevin Graham’s right and into the corner of the net.
With both teams before that looking incapable of getting shots on target, that goal might have been the winner.
But a blunder by keeper Marvin Phillip gave Public the chance to get back into the game.
Ten minutes after the resumption, what should have proved a routine collection turned out to be a “butter-fingers” mishandling, a trickling ball going through Phillip’s hands before Public midfielder Garvin McKenna ran onto the ball to spank it into the roof of the open net.
McKenna thumped the crossbar soon after with a thundering drive, while Strikers’ forward Adrian Nunez dragged one across the face of the goal from close range.
Graham also pulled off a tremendous save close-up from Nunez, diving acrobatically to his left to parry to safety. But those were the precious few times that both teams ever threatened to score.

Yesterday’s T&T Pro-League Results:

Joe Public 1 (Garvin McKenna) vs Starworld Strikers 1 (Nicholas Addlery).

Joe Public 4 (Terrance Jeffery 2, Ochieng Abosi, Mario Assoon) vs Starworld Strikers 1 (Kareem Simon).

Joe Public beats Tobago United.

TnT Guardian Reports.
03-Oct-2003 - A second-half goal by Christian Freitas secured a 2-1 win for Joe Public over Tobago United on Wednesday in a Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League match at Shaw Park in Tobago.
Former Columbus Crew (MLS) and Tobago United captain Kevin Adams gave the home side the lead in the third minute when he scored from the penalty spot after Dwayne Jack was taken down in the area.
Joe Public equalised through Devin Elcock in the 25th minute. Tyronne Brown, aged 21, had an outstanding match between the uprights for Tobago United.
“I would rate him as one of the better young keepers in the country,” said coach Peter Granville after the match.
Granville, a former national coach, also said he would highly recommend Jack for a trial with the national senior team. “The average age of my team is 22 and there are signs of improvement,” he added.
The win was only Joe Public’s fourth in 18 appearances and it was the Tobagonians 15th loss.
Earlier in the Under-20 fixture, Joe Public came away a 2-0 winner with its goals coming from Lincoln Brown and Ordelle Armstrong.

Joe Public draw with SWIF.

By Ian Prescott.
21-Jul-2003 - Sunday afternoon football has once again denied Joe Public a full three points in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League.
Yesterday, the Eastern Lions drew their eighth match in 11 league outings this season when they were held 1-1 by the South West Institute of Football (SWIF) at Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
The meeting between the two mid-division teams never got out of first gear. They both seemed content to play casual Sunday afternoon football until Peter Prosper got two early chances for the southern footballers. First Prosper headed a free-kick from Nicholas Thomas just wide of the far post and later he blasted overbar from outside the six-yard box, after a one-two combination with teammate Bevon Lewis.
That only seem to spur on Joe Public to take a 32nd minute lead through a Denzil Theobald corner, which Ochieng Abosi headed past goalkeeper Andy Dean.
Once they hit the front, Joe Public controlled the rest of the half and should have doubled their tally when Theobald was uprooted by goalkeeper Dean and a penalty awarded in the 42nd minute. But stopper Derek King never looked composed as he took the spot-kick and scooped the ball over the crossbar.
Joe Public were punished by Peter Prosper, who levelled the score at 1-1, three minutes later. The Lebanon-based striker was played through the Joe Public left and buried a low shot past Michael McComie. The SWIF footballers were obviously the more enthusiastic bunch as they left the field at the half.
Joe Public hardly ever looked likely to score in the second session and were lucky not to lose all the points. It all looked like the day would end in defeat for the Eastern Lions when Marlon Minguel rounded goalie McComie in the 56th. Luckily for Joe Public, Seon Power was on the line to head away Minguel’s shot.
Through the hard work of central midfielder Thomas and Kelvin Hernandez on the flank, SWIF stretched the Joe Public defence several times, but they lacked the decisive finish to win the game. McComie was often called upon to cut off several dangerous centres as Hernandez constantly looked to find Prosper in the centre.
Joe Public’s best effort at a goal in the second session came when Sterlin O’Brien who looked to capatilise on poor marking from SWIF on the flank. Coming in from the flank, O’Brien cut into the six-yard box, but hit overbar from close up.

Joe Public held again.

By Ian Prescott.
30-Jun-2003 - There should be little surprise that “Eastern Lions” Joe Public drew their Trinidad and Tobago Pro League 7th-round encounter against Caledonia AIA yesterday. But few would have expected the well-funded team of FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner to lose to the botton of the table strugglers.
Well, that was almost the case until a last-minute blunder by Caledonia AIA custodian Anthony Marshall five minutes into injury time, allowed Joe Public to secure a fortuitous 2-2 stalemate. This was Joe Public’s sixth draw in their seven league outings this season, while lowly AIA are still looking for their first victory.
Yesterday’s battle could well have passed for a charity match between “millionaires” Joe Public and the team which they allow to share their ground at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
But after holding the favourites for the first half hour of the scrappy opening session, Caledonia started to have ambitions of their own.
No one would dare say that yesterday’s meeting between the East neighbours was a pretty affair. But what started as a lacklustre one, bgan to warm up as the goals started to flow.
Striker Valencius Joseph started the ball rolling when he shot Caledonia ahead 33rd minutes into the match. Having failed to get much service from his midfielders earlier, Joseph found himself clear up the left flank, before beating Joe Public goalie, Michael McComie, with a straight drive.
After taking the lead, Caledonia started to look more relaxed and were able to play the ball around the field for the first time. Once behind, Joe Public needed to advance with a little more urgency and that created space for their opponents to play.
Four minutes after his team took the lead, Nigel Hart met a deep cross at the first post, but failed to keep his shot down. Then, a floater from Hart was met first-time by Ryan Stuart who would have scored had a defender’s touch not diverted his shot just wide of McComie’s far post. After a rigid testing, Joe Public survived to finish the half just a goal down.
It took just 14 minutes for Joe Public to pull level through Alvin Beharry. The Joe Public striker seemed to have miskicked an attempted volley, but because goalkeeper Marshall had already committed himself to saving a more powerful drive, the slightest of touches from Beharry scooped the ball over his head.
Undaunted, Caledonia AIA took the lead again in the 76th minute when substitute Abdullah Phillips stroked Randy Ramcharan’s low cross under McComie’s lunge.
Phillips, and later Hart, both had excellent chances of sewing up the victory but muffed clear opportunities. Just when it looked like AIA had survived some late Joe Public pressure, Marshall miscued an attempted punch and dropped the ball at the feet of Keyeno Thomas. With the very last action of the match, defender Thomas forced the ball into Marshall’s net. Charity does indeed begin at home.

W Connection and Joe Public in two all tie.

Nigel Simon.
02-Jun-2003 - At the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, W Connection had only itself to blame for its slip up, twice blowing the lead to the youthful Eastern Lions who were without key players Keyeno Thomas, Nigel Pierre and Derek King, all in Africa on national duty.
W Connection, which was also without skipper Reynold Carrington, Silvio Spann, Kerwyn Jemmott and second-string goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, took the lead in the 43rd minute through ex-Joe Public player Arnold Dwarika for a 1-0 lead at the break.
But two minutes into the second half, Andre Toussaint answered coach Ron La Forest’s call to rediscover his scoring touch and levelled the scores.
Kittitian midfielder George Isaac restored W Connection’s one goal cushion in the 70th minute. However with five minutes left, Devon Caseman earned the Eastern Lions a deserved share of the points, with his first goal of the campaign.

Nigel Pierre strike gives Eastern Lions 1-0 win.

By Nigel Simon.
12-May-2003 - National striker Nigel “Croc” Pierre scored his second goal in as many games to give Joe Public a 1-0 win over Defence Force and joint second place in the T&T Professional League Senior Division.
The 24-year-old Pierre, who netted in the Lions 1-1 draw with champs Jabloteh, got the decisive strike in the 30th minute beating Defence Force custodian Selwyn George at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, yesterday.
With his back towards goal, the tricky Pierre collected a pass from Devon Caseman before he wrong-footed his marker, spun on his left foot and fired a low right footer to the bottom right hand corner of the goal, past a motionless George.
That was the only goal, as both teams found it difficult to control the flow of the game on the dry, bouncy surface.
Several chances went abegging.
Andre Toussaint and Devon Caseman of Joe Public and second-half sub Kevin Carter of the Defence Force all fired wide when it seemed easier to score.
Toussaint and Caseman had clear-cut chances to extend their team’s advantage midway in the second half, having been put through on one-on-one chances with George.
Twice Caseman kicked over the bar from just inside the penalty area while a hesitant Toussaint dragged his efforts wide.
Lions’ midfielder Denzil Theobald also found himself in a goal-scoring position, after eluding Marvin Gordon in the penalty area, but after doing all the hard work he chose to pass the ball.
Within seconds of his ill-advised pass, Theobald was almost made to pay for his mistake, but Defence Force front-man Carter, missed the easiest chance of the game.
Carter, a 60th minute replacement for Wendell Salvary was left with an open goal after Michael McComie ventured out, but hit the right side of the net instead.

‘Centre of Controversy’ Public defend home ground.

By Lasana Liburd.
9-May-2003 - Rene Simoes avoided it like the plague, Hannibal Najjar couldn’t stand to look at it, and Ricky Hill won’t have fond memories of his first trip there.
The controversial Jõao Havelange Centre of Excellence football ground–renamed the Marvin Lee Stadium–was again the focal point for debate after last Sunday’s 2003 Pro League kick off.
Defending champions CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh were the first guests of hosts, Joe Public, and Jabloteh skipper and custodian Kelvin Jack was scathing in his criticisms of the field.
“That pitch is an embarrassment!” Jack said yesterday, after his team were held to a 1-1 draw by Jabloteh. “Football should not be played there and especially professional football. It is always either too hard or too soft.
“In the rainy season, it gets too muddy and too slushy and you are not capable of playing football and when it is too hard (in the dry season), it is just a nightmare to be on.”
Jack was between the uprights last November for the Trinidad and Tobago national team when they lost 1-0 to St Lucia in a Concacaf Gold Cup qualifier.
Then, national technical director Najjar had protested that his players did not want to play there as they felt the surface was sub-standard and offered an advantage to their supposedly less skillful opponents.
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) ignored Najjar’s protests, although his predecessor, Brazilian Simoes, never played a full international at the Macoya ground in a calendar year at the helm.
Hill, Jabloteh’s latest English coach, is no fan either.
“It didn’t make for a conducive passing game,” said the ex-Luton Town star midfielder. “I expected a lot of mistakes because of the difficulty of pitch...There were bare patches, dust and it was very, very firm, while the wind was also a factor as it was quite fierce at times.”
Jack, who led Jabloteh to a 1-0 loss to Public at Macoya last year, insisted the Centre of Excellence field was also potentially dangerous.
“It is the sort of pitch that can cause shin splints, ankle injuries and severe bruising if you fall,” he said. “That pitch is in shambles and it should be dug up and relaid.
“In my opinion, it is not even fit for pigs to play on it.”
Hogwash, according to Public coach Ron La Forest.
The former Jabloteh, St Anthony’s College and Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive coach is considered an advocate of the “touch” game and he was hardly complaining.
“All the grounds in Trinidad and Tobago hard right now,” said La Forest. “All! A-L-L!...But I did not have any problem playing on it.
“It did not affect my game plan.”
La Forest conceded that the cricket pitch in the centre of the ground could interrupt the smoothness of play, but he insisted that players with proper technique would adjust.
His star striker, Nigel Pierre, and key central defender, Derek King, agreed.
“Plenty teams like Jabloteh and (Vibe CT 105) W Connection don’t like to play at the Centre of Excellence,” said King, “but that is to Joe Public’s advantage...We don’t have a problem of playing possession football on the ground.”
Time will tell exactly how much advantage Public extract from their home matches.
Hill conceded that players with proper technique should survive, but insisted that the ground offered more for effort than skill.
And he warned that Public themselves may suffer.
“Looking at their players,” he said, “it might be a disadvantage because they tried to play around the ball in triangles, but a few times their play broke down because of the pitch.”
Connection assistant coach and former national midfield standout, Leroy “Spanner” Spann, suggested that the ground would better suit teams “who like scruffle football”.
Last season, Public seemed to fare better away to lower placed teams, like North East Stars and Arima Fire, than when they hosted them at Macoya.
At the Marvin Lee ground, Hill feels that mistakes are more likely to decide the outcome of the match than the ability to create chances.
Spann is not looking forward to Connection’s visit.
“It is not fit for professional football,” said Spann, “not when you have quality stadiums to play football on...I rather play on it when it is wet so the ball could roll well, but we are prepared to play on any ground.
“Players who have good technique can adjust to it, but they will rather a better ground.”
King and Pierre–perhaps predictably–will beg to disagree.

Joe Public in 2-0 loss to Grenada Under 23s.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
7-Mar-2003 - Joe Public went down 2-0 to Grenada's National Under 23 team in a warm-up encounter on Friday evening.
The "Eastern Lions" who traveled earlier in the day, fell to goals by Chris Charles in the 9th minute and Kerry Bristow in the 41st minute.
Despite the loss, coach Ron La Forest wasn't worried as he described the affair as just the right sort of warm up for his club ahead of the 2003 Professional League season.
St Anthony's College captain and National Under 23 defender Julius James, Under 23 midfielder Denzil Theobald and former National Under 17 midfielder Ochieng Abosi, who skippered Public on the evening, were among those in the starting team.
"It's a young team in training and although they were lacking in penetration, it was a nice team effort," said La Forest. "The build-up was slow and we allowed them (Grenada) too much time with the ball. The second half was more fast paced and better played. The team was a little too laid back and for Sunday's game we hope to have that urgency and penetrative passes that we had in the 2nd half of today's game," he added.
Joe Public are scheduled to take on club Paris in their second match on Sunday.

Joe Public Starting Team:
30.Kevin Graham, 22.Devon Caseman (15.Dwight Scott 60th), 17.Donald La Guerre (12. Raymond Parris), 5.Julius James, 23. Sterling O'Brien (8.Jamal Hamid 90th), 19. Kevaughn Connell (13.Anthony Thompson), 9. Joel Marquis (21.Terrance McAllister), 28.Devin Jordan, 10.Lincoln Brown (11.Devin Elcock 65th), 20.Denzil Theobald, 18. Ochieng Abosi (capt).

Ron La Forest is new Joe Public coach/TD.

By Gregory Trujillo.
26-Jan-2003 - Two good friends have been given the responsibility to serve in top positions at Joe Public, and both pledge to take the club, that will be spending close to $2.7 million in the coming season, to the top of the ladder of the Trinidad and Tobago Professional Football League.
Former Defence Force players, Ron La Forest and Sam Phillip were last week appointed technical director and manager, respectively, of the Jack Warner-owned club, which is based in Arouca.
La Forest, 48, will be replacing Yugoslavian coach Zoran Vranes, who served in that position for the past two years.
Phillip, who is three months older than La Forest, retained his position as manager — a position he has held for two years.
“We want to continue to build on the good work that Vranes has done at the club, especially with the youths,” said Phillip.
The duo hope to continue 30 years of a fruitful friendship by putting their “heads” together in an all-local effort.
“Joe Public has gone totally local with our staff and players all being Trinidadians and Tobagonians,” pointed out Phillip.
Known as the “Eastern Lions”, Joe Public will be relying on a host of young and talented players to take them through the season, along with national standouts Nigel Pierre and Keyeno Thomas, the captain.
Among some of the other players contracted to the club are Derek King, Andre Toussaint, Hollis Brown, Donovan Thomas, Kevin Graham, Devon Caseman, Devon Jordan, Jamal Hamid, Sterling O’Brien, Terrence McAllister, Raymond Parris, Joel Marquis-Wharton, Devin Elcock, Lincoln Brown and Tyronne Brown.
Over the past year, Joe Public lost the services of Arnold Dwarika, Stokely Mason, Kerwyn Jemmott, Adrian Narine and Joseph Peters.
Both Phillip and La Forest have a wealth of experience, being certified coaches and having played for the national senior team.
“I will also be able to help the technical director from time to time with the coaching,” said Phillip.
“It’s a plus for our team. As you know, two heads are better than one.”
La Forest insisted that once he is working with a team in the PFL all the others will “have to look at me”.
“Look for very attractive and entertaining football from Joe Public,” said La Forest, who is also coach of the national Under-17 squad.
“I have the players capable of playing entertaining football.
“I had the privilege to work with the Under-19’s and Pro team last season, so basically I know what I have.
“As a player, I love competing. It will be no different when I send out my team.”
Last season, the former Belmont Secondary player steered St Anthony’s College to a clean sweep the Championship Division of the Secondary Schools Football League.
Both he and Phillip played for Defence Force from 1976 to 1980.
La Forest, who also played in Hong Kong, started coaching in 1986 with ECM Motown.
He also had successful stints with Frontline, Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh.
Joe Public will begin training on Monday, February 3 at its home at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
“Our eyes will be opened for any good players to join us, ” Sam ended.
Meanwhile, T&T national players walked out on a training session on Monday morning in a protest for better conditions while on national duty, star stopper Keyeno Thomas paid the ultimate price for his role in the strike as he was among three players sacked by the club, owned by FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.
Versatile full backs Jeremy Delpino and Hollis Brown were also dismissed by the “Eastern Lions” with immediate effect via a press release.

Eastern Lions chew up Jabloteh.

By Ian Prescott.
7-Oct-2002 - Joe Public may have made a significant impact on the outcome of the 2002 season of the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League despite having little chance of winning the title themselves.
Yesterday, at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Denzil Theobald accepted a late gift from CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh goalkeeper Kelvin Jack to give the Eastern Lions a 1-0 victory.
Before that, Joe Public had done almost nothing to deserve success. But they showed tremendous character to hold Jabloteh at bay despite playing a man short for a long period.
Joe Public looked to be gaining only a valuable point, until Jack's David Seaman-like blunder gave them the whole pot.
Jack looked untroubled by a routine centre, until he dropped the ball at Theobald's feet five minutes from full-time.
Surprised, Theobald almost ran the ball out of play, but regained his composure and blasted it high into the net.
The goal was the high point of an often brutal game which saw both Joe Public's Andre Toussaint (59th) and Jabloteh hard man Travis Mulraine given marching orders by referee Richard Piper.
Toussaint was first to go when Cyd Gray fell clutching his face, seemingly in total agony. After consultation between Piper and assistant referee Mereire Gonzales, Toussaint was adjudged to have elbowed Gray and was sent off.
By that time, the seriousness of the occasion seemed to be getting to the players and both the tackles and yellow cards were coming in quick succession.
Jabloteh had been making most of the running on the heavy ground, but repeatedly failed to break down strong Joe Public resolve at the back.
Gary Glasgow should have given Jabloteh the lead after four minutes, when the ball bounced over defender Derek King to Glasgow, who poked the sphere past goalkeeper Donavan Thomas, but wide of an upright.
And Kerry Noray and Josh Johnson also failed to score from good positions.
Joe Public's lone chance in the first session fell to Toussaint, who hit straight at goalie Jack when it seemed easier to find the far post.
Joe Public hardly looked like the home team as Jabloteh pinned them back in the second half. Jabloteh may have been dominating the play, but down the stretch the teams were even as they traded hard tackles and serious infringements.
After Toussaint's indiscretion, Jabloteh's Ancil Elcock mowed down Theobald from the back to pick up his yellow card, with many in the crowd calling for a tougher sanction.
Joe Public's Dale Saunders matched Elcock's ferocity when his high tackle felled big defender Brent Sancho like a dead oak. Saunders, too, was lucky to walk away with just a yellow.
The tough tackles were coming quickly as the then urgent Jabloteh team started applying pressure on the Eastern Lions.
And 80 minutes into the match, substitute Errol McFarlane seemed to have finally breached the Joe Public wall.
Turning skilfully on his marker, McFarlane must have seen all of the inside of the far post as he unleashed a low, hard drive. But goalkeeper Thomas made what must have been his best save in a Joe Public shirt when he dropped low to his left to deflect the shot.
Minutes later, Thomas just got his hands up in time to fend off a deflected Mulraine free-kick. As the ball was played back into the area, both striker Cornell Glen and goalkeeper Thomas went in with high kicks. Both missed.
Eventually the ball rolled to McFarlane, who should have just banged it home. Instead, he attempted to walk the ball over the line from close up and was foiled by an outstretched leg.
Joe Public made full use of the reprieve by launching the counter-attack which eventually saw Theobald benefitting from Jack's generosity.
Suddenly, Jabloteh were facing the pressure of losing a second successive Pro League title towards the end of the season.
And being Mulraine, Jabloteh's hard man did what most now come to expect of him...he sent an opponent flying with a hefty tackle down the sideline.
By now, Mulraine has become familiar with the script and never hesitated as he walked towards the opposing touchline, pursued by referee Piper, who was still trying to issue a second yellow card to the offender.
Despite the loss, Jabloteh are still at the top of the standings with 56 points from 24 matches.
But defending champions Vibe CT 105 W. Connection now have a chance to catch them in the last five rounds of the season.
Connection, who did not play yesterday, have a match in hand and can move to within a point of Jabloteh if they win it.
Joe Public are a distant third on 42 points from 24 matches.
Last year, Connection won the title when Jabloteh lost crucial points towards the end of the season. Could it be a case of deja vu in 2002"

Arnold Dwarika, Nigel Pierre fired.

By Keith Clement.
6-July-2002 - National footballers Arnold Dwarika and Nigel Pierre were yesterday fired by Joe Public Football club.
The two players had their contracts terminated by its owner, businessman Austin Jack Warner.
Warner said, "I had enough. They have things too easy and the discipline was not there. They're the best paid players in the country, but perhaps life is too easy at Joe Public." Warner, who is also a FIFA vice president said, "I'm going to re-structure the club so that each individual will own-up to his responsibilities."
Asked what will become of the two players, Warner replied, "They are free to play for whosoever they want on free transfers, while the other players would be relegated to the second team."
Warner said, "Joe Public players earned between T&T$7,500 and $4,000, a month and they work for just 90 minutes a week."
Dwarika, a midfielder and the club's ex-captain, was the 1999 and 2000 "Footballer of the Year". He got a house and car for his exploits on the field and was the best paid player at the club.
Warner's decision to sack the duo resulted from their participation in the Jogglers' Soccermania which took place at St Mary's College last month.
Another national standout with the club, defender Stokey Mason together with Adrian Narine, Joseph "Gouti" Peters, Kendall Velox, Pierre and Dwarika were sanctioned for breaking the club's rules by playing in the event.
Except for Dwarika, 29, and Pierre 22, the others have been relegated to play for the "Eastern Lions" in the Eastern Football Association.
The Club will also slash their salaries by half as part of the re-structuring process.
The six players did not suit up for Wednesday's Pro League encounter with Arima Fire which going into the match with only five of its regular players, Joe Public managed to scramble a 1-0 victory with an Andre Toussaint header in the 83rd minute.
Apart from Toussaint, the other regulars in the starting line-up were goalkeeper Donovan Thomas, skipper Dale Sanders, George Dublin and Gayson Gregory.
Eight of the club's Under-19 players were drafted into the side in the absence of the "Naughty Six". They were Davin Jordan, Hollis Brown, Sterling O'Brien, Julius James, Kevon Cornell, Terrance McAllister, Keiron Benito and Lincoln Brown.
Pierre said they all knew of the circumstances if they played in any competition not relating to the Pro League since it was scribed in their contracts but they took one chance too many.
Warner said the Joe Public budget is $3.8million annually and already this year he has spent $1.3 million on the club. Joe Public has been having one of its leanest seasons in top flight football since 1997 after joining the Semi-Pro League.
Team Administrator, Sam Phillip said yesterday that the decision by the management of the club to discipline the six players stemmed from their playing for another side without permission.
"We have a rule at the club where the players cannot play in any other league or game without our permission," said Phillip.
"If this rule is flouted, the guilty player or players face either suspension, a fine or relegated to a lower division," he added.
Phillip explained that Dwarika, Pierre, Mason, Narine, Peters and Velox will be closely monitored over the next month.
Dwarika who played a vital role in Trinidad and Tobago's final World Cup qualifying matches, has struggled to make it into the Eastern Lions starting lineup in the inaugural 2002 T&T Pro League football season, while Pierre was expected to return for trials in England later this month.
Jemmott has run afoul of club rules in the past, while Narine recently returned from an unsuccessful stint in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States It is understood Warner is not taking the situation lightly, especially with the current below-par performances of the Eastern Lions in the pro league. technical director Zoran Vranes said he too was dissatisfied with the unimpressive performances of some of his players.
"It is clear that some of these players are not giving their best. Some of them are not serious.
"We have to blood the younger players and give them a chance, and I hope Mr Warner supports my move to look more at the youngsters," Vranes said.

Joe Public sign coach La Forest - Vranes elevated to technical director.

By LASANA LIBURD.
25-May-2002 - FORMER CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh head coach Ron La Forest has emerged from the football wilderness to take a coaching post at Joe Public.
La Forest, who was replaced by ex-English international Terry Fenwick at Jabloteh in the 2001 pre-season, discreetly signed with Public on May 14 for a one-year contract and an option to renew for a further year.
He has already started duties with Public and was on the bench last Sunday when the “Eastern Lions” whipped North East Stars 3-1 in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League.
Yugoslav Zoran Vranes still heads the Public technical staff and now holds the title of technical director.
However, the local football arena was abuzz with the news of La Forest’s new post and the possibilities it opens for Vranes, with the position of Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) technical director now vacant.
Joe Public is owned by FIFA vice-president Jack Warner—still an influential figure in local football circles despite quitting as T&TFF special adviser last December—and has offered its coaches to the national team before at such critical times.
One such example was the T&TFF’s hiring of Scotsman Ian Porterfield, who replaced Bertille St Clair as national coach in March 2000, just a month after Porterfield was announced as the Public coach.
Vranes is also a former Trinidad and Tobago coach.
The Yugoslav led the national team between 1995 and 1996, steering them to two Caribbean Cup titles before being sacked by Warner just one match into the CONCACAF stage of the 1998 World Cup qualifiers.
Vranes returned to the national technical staff last year to assist Porterfield and even coached the team once in his absence—a crucial 2-1 Caribbean Cup win over Jamaica—but parted ways with the “Soca Warriors” soon after.
There were rumours of a serious difference of opinion between Vranes and Porterfield, although that was never confirmed.
Likewise, Public team administrator Richard Abraham told the Sunday Express that he knew nothing of a move to replace outgoing T&TFF technical director Rene Simoes with Vranes.
Abraham explained that Vranes had been handling a larger than usual workload this season due to the exit of former assistant coach Alvin Thomas, who has taken up a job as a teacher.
Public defender Coulson Dick replaced Thomas but is still an active player and is not yet seen as a suitable long-term replacement.
“Coulson Dick has been Zoran’s assistant but he is still a player and has no experience as a coach,” said Abraham. “We needed someone who Zoran can leave to conduct courses in his absence and relieve the pressure in handling both (the under-19 and senior) teams...
“As far as I know, there is no plan for Zoran Vranes to handle the national team.”
La Forest, who led Jabloteh to successive First Citizens Bank Cups in 1999 and 2000, is just glad to be back at the highest level of the domestic game.
“It feels good,” said La Forest yesterday. “I still have a lot of knowledge to share with the young ones.”
He dismissed questions of any lingering animosity over his exit from Jabloteh, who have gone title-less without him.
“They called it as they saw it,” he said. “They thought that they needed to change to move forward. There are no hard feelings and there will be no special feelings when I come up against them.
“But you know that I like competing.”
Vranes could not be reached for comment on the latest addition to his technical staff and his own role as technical director.
T&TFF president Oliver Camps is out of the country, representing the federation at Wednesday’s FIFA congress in Seoul, South Korea.

'Eastern Lions' aim to avenge last season's loss.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
15-Apr-2002 - National strike duo of Arnold Dwarika and Nigel Pierre will form what their coach Zoran Vranes hopes will be the most lethal attacking partnership in the 2002 Professional League season.
Both members of the "Soca Warriors" outfit will spearhead the "Eastern Lions" who despite capturing the 2-1 FA Trophy, will be hoping to avenge last season's edge into second place in the League by Vibe CT 105 W Connection.
Yugoslavian-born coach Zoran Vranes has been hard at work with his team since the start of the year and is hopeful that they can produce the good when it comes to competition. Team administrator Sam Phillips indicated this week however, that whole Joe Public will be aiming to capture some silverware, one of their main emphasis will be placed on strengthening their youth development.
Some nine players coming out of the club's Under 19 team last season will be in the Public senior team this time around and according to Sam, they hope that the number will continue increasing. Seven players who campaigned with Joe Youths in the North Association last year have signed professional contracts with Public in time for the new PFL season. Some of these younger players were also part of the Public outfit which won the PFL Reserve knockout competition last season. Joe Youths also captured titles in the North Zone competitions.
Out of the Joe Public youth programme, eight players have obtained scholarships to attend university in the United States from July including Nkosi Aberdeen (Lafayette College), Kevin Norman (Wake Forest University), Naeem Frederick (Appalachian State University), Marc Anthony (University of Colorado), Ossie Telesford and Kareem Benito (Liberty University) and Ryan Abraham (University of South Florida) and Rhett Abraham (Furman University), who are the sons of club general manager Richard Abraham.
Only three foreigners are on the Joe Public professional team roster for this season including Antiguan duo Gayson Gregory and George Dublin and new signing, midfielder Hugo Lareservee of South Africa.
The rest of the squad will include Derek King, national midfielders Dale Saunders and Stokely Mason, Alvin Beharry, Devin Jordan and promising striker Andre Toussaint who should provide good back up to Dwarika and Pierre. Michael McComie decided against returning to the club and so Donovan Thomas and former national under 20 goalkeeper Kevin Graham will contest for the spot between the uprights.
"We always go into a season expecting to do well. I am satisfied with the way our preparations have gone. The coach ahs been doing a good job to ensure things are in place. But while we want to do well one of our main aims is to also to continue building a successful youth programme," said Phillips. "We are looking to build a team which will continue to supply the national team with players. This season we intend to play good football as always and take each game at its merit," he added.
So far the "Eastern Lions" have enjoyed good results in their preseason build up including 5-0 and 4-0 victories over Carib FC and WASA Clean and White respectively, a 9-0 thrashing of Club Sando, 1-1 and 0-0 draw with CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh and a 0-0 stalemate with Defence Force.
Abraham, who is now serving as general manager of the club including senior and youth teams, remains confident that Dwarika and company will be tough to overcome and any team entering the lions den, the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, will have to be well braced for the battle.

Joe Public slashes 2002 budget.

By LASANA LIBURD.
13-Jan-2002 - PROFESSIONAL Football League (PFL) outfit, Joe Public, will operate on a slashed budget in 2002 as FIFA vice-president Jack Warner’s change in attitude towards Trinidad and Tobago football hits home.
Warner, who is chairman of the Public team, recently declared he is severing ties with local football and will relinquish several posts, including special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) and the PFL.
Public will also feel the pinch as Warner ordered a cut in their budget from $4.2 million to $2.7 million. That budget includes all Public football teams and their coaching academy.
Already, a shuffle has been ordered at both administrative and playing levels.
The biggest casualty is club captain and former national World Youth Cup goalkeeper Michael McComie, who will not have his contract renewed.
McComie, according to team manager Richard Abraham, had run afoul of his employers after allegedly leaving a team camp under false pretenses.
McComie was allowed to leave a Public camp to visit his daughter, only to be shown on television participating in a minor league match at Chinese Association, St Ann’s.
The club has also released six other players, including speedy Vincentian left winger Kendall Velox, Antiguan midfielder Ranja Christian, Tobagonian defender Coulson Dick, Colombian left back Luis Murillo and former National Flour Mills striker Marc Borde.
Dick would be kept on as an assistant coach, though. Sturdy Haitian stopper Pierre Bruny and Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Kerwyn “Hardest” Jemmott are both on standby.
Bruny, who was among the league's top players for the 2001 season, has been told that no players will be given salary increases and he must accept that decision if he chooses to remain with Public.
Jemmott, on the other hand, is due for a one-on-one conversation with Warner in which he must prove his commitment to the club after a rocky relationship with Public's Yugoslav coach Zoran Vranes last season.
Incidentally, Vranes will be kept on at Public, as well as Antiguans George Dublin, an uncompromising defender, and teenaged striker Gayson Gregory.
At present, the salaries at Public range from $2,000 to $6,500 per month, not including match bonuses.
Abraham insisted, though, that the “Eastern Lions” would remain alive to participate in local football, whether or not the PFL survives.
All PFL club officials are to attend a retreat this weekend in which several issues will be discussed, including a reduction in the minimum wage from $2,000 to $1,200 per month.
Caribbean Football Union (CFU) general secretary Harold Taylor will represent Public at the meeting in his official capacity as club deputy chairman.

'Joe Public dedicates FA Cup to Mickey.

T&T Guardian Reporting.
9-Dec-2001 - THE players and staff of Joe Public Football Club have dedicated their FA Cup victory to their former teammate Mickey Trotman.
Joe Public nicknamed the "Eastern Lions" beat Carib FC 1-0 to lift their biggest trophy in the club's history in the L-Sporto Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation FA Cup final played last Wednesday night at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
Trotman had been a member of the "Easter Lions" in between his international stint in the United States, and was even in talks about a possible return to the club this season before his passing in a vehicular accident in October.
Mickey, his brother Stefan, who played for WASA Clean and White, the third placed finishers in the FA Cup, and a friend Tasha Moses, all died in the one-car accident in their home town of Arima.
Joe Public captain and goalkeeper Michael McComie and coach Zoran Vranes paid tribute to Trotman.
"Definitely this victory is for Mickey Trotman. Not only the FA Cup, but basically every game. We had clippings from the newspapers reminding us about Mickey's presence in the dressing room.
"Mickey was part of us, and he is still part of us and this one was for him and the Trotman family," McComie said moments after Wednesday's victory in which defender Pierre Bruny scored.
He added it was the perfect way to make up for the loss in the PFL.
"We were a bit disappointed about not winning the League, but things didn't go our way on that night. The conditions were difficult in the FA final and we made the best of it.
"We have to start rebuilding now in terms of preparations for next year. But now we will go on a break and some of us have contracts that will expire at the end of this season.
"Negotiations will start soon but now it's just a matter of relaxing because we never really got a break this season. When the PFL was on a break , we always had to go into camp with the national team, so it was always difficult for Joe Public."
He also made special mention of club chairman Jack Warner for his efforts on the local scene.
"He deserved credit for the PFL League and the competitions. Look at the kind of support we got tonight.
"A lot of people were doubting him before he started the League. The organisation at Joe Public is improving, other organisations are improving, and I think once we can get the lower teams competing well against the bigger ones, then it augurs well for the League," added McComie.
Vranes was equally pleased with the FA Cup success. "It is an important victory for us, as it is the first time we have won the Cup and that is special for us. Unfortunately, we didn't score too many goals. I know that the management was disappointed not to win the League, but I thought that we beat ourselves there. But now I think they will be pleased with this success," the Yugoslavian and former Trinidad and Tobago coach said.
"Unfortunately, before Mickey and I were talking about him coming back to play for us, the sad incident occurred. But this victory is for him," Vranes added.
About the FA Cup triumph, striker Nigel Pierre said, "I think that after missing out on the League title when we lost 4-1 to W Connection, we owed it to ourselves and our owner Jack Warner, to bring home this one, and we did just that."

Joe Public wins FA Cup, $100,000.

By Gregory Trujillo.
6-Dec-2001 - At last Joe Public has won a major prize.Professional Football League club Joe Public is the new FA Trophy winners of T&T. The "Eastern Lions" captured the silverware of the 73rd edition and $100,000 last night edging non-professional challengers Carib FC of the Eastern Football Association 1-0 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
Haitian defender Pierre Bruny netted the match winner and the game's lone goal in the 55th minute of the match played on a heavy Lions Den after early afternoon showers.
The conditions were made difficult following the first match in which Carib's EFA counterparts WASA Clean and White whipped PFL team Caledonia AIA 3-1, with goals from Saure Alvis in the 9th and 23rd minutes and Darren Modeste in the 49th.
National selectee Conrad Smith scored the lone item for the Morvant-based Caledonia outfit in the 17th minute.
After the match Joe Public's Yugoslavian coach Zoran Vranes said he was pleased with his team's victory because it was his team's first trophy for the year. He said however, he was not pleased because Joe Public should have won by ten clear goals.
"We again played good and created many, many chances and the result was supposed to be at least ten goals in our favour," he said.
Vranes contract ends on December 31, 2001, but said, "Depending on what the club wants he will stay on."
Pouncing on a ball that came off the crossbar, Bruny banged a volley from inside the six-yard box that rebounded off goalkeeper Dexter Absolum, who saved over the goal line.
Carib players protested, but referee Noel Bynoe ruled that the goal was legitimate.
In the first half, Joe Public had most of the ball possession and created several chances. However, Carib did well to close the first half goalless with it's defensive structure, which saw the nearest man would push out to stifle the opposition attacking play .
Joe Public march to the title started when they defeated defending champions VIBE CT 105 W Connection 2-0 in their first round encounter.
The runners-up will receive $30,000 and 25 silver medals, while the beaten semifinalists with each receive $5,000.
The losing quarter-finalists will each get $2,000 and beaten second round and first round teams will get $1,000 and $500 respectively.
Sponsors L-Sporto will also provide prizes for the best performance by a non Professional League team, "Man of the Match" for the final, best individual performance by a non-PFL player per round, most promising players and player of the tournament.
Devon Mitchell of Arima Fire and Colin Samuel of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh are the tournament's leading scorers with five goals each.

'Less players away, better it is for us' says Warner.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
FIFA Vice President Jack Warner has indicated that he no longer has interest in the exporting of local players from Joe Public to foreign leagues.
Speaking in light of the recent success of the FIFA Under 17 World Championship and the progress of the T&T senior team under the current technical staff, Warner added that having the majority of players at home will better serve the national team.
"I have no interest in exporting players. I am tired of exporting players and then have difficulty in getting them back to play for the country. We have reached a level where our players are comparable with any player outside. I think that we if we are to keep these players at home under our present Technical Director, we shall achieved much more than if we export them. If our objective is to showcase our skills to the world, Gold Cup, World Cup and Olympics, then our players must stay here and train as a team and now we have the facilities for training. We have the facilities and now we have the best technical staff in the world. We are supposed to have the funding shortly. There will be no excuses anymore," Warner said in an interview on the weekend.
The CONCACAF President mentioned that Joe Public midfielder Arnold Dwarika continues to attract interest from Europe but has declined, preferring to remain in the PFL.
"Nigel Pierre had to go to Egypt, he didn't want to go and I said no problem. Another player had to go to Belgium and doesn't want to go, I said okay. Dwarika (Arnold) is still being courted in Europe, he doesn't want to go and I say okay no problem. I am not concerned about the short term goals. My eyes are on the long term goals," said Warner.
He also commented on the work of Professor Rene Simoes and his assistants saying "The technical staff members are doing their best with limited resources. We don't have enough funding at this present time. But of course that will come. One of the biggest assets to football here is Simoes himself. I think once we have patience, we shall achieve."
PFL Commissioner Colin Prevatt obviously welcomed the thought of T&T's best players remaining at home but added that it would have to be the choice of the individual and the respective clubs.
"That has to be personal decision on the part of the player and the club. We of course will be very happy if all the players decided to ply their trade here because the best interest of T&T football will be served by having the best pool of players right here at home," said Prevatt.


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