North East completes rags-to-riches run in T&T Pro League.

By Gregory Trujillo.
01-Nov-2004 - After three years in existence, the North East Stars footballers have won the biggest prize in local football — the $320,000 title in the T&T Professional Football League.
The “Stars” clinched the crown yesterday, coming from a goal down at half-time to beat Defence Force 3-1 on their Sangre Grande Recreation home ground.
With the victory, the new champion Pro League team reached an unassailable total of 54 points, with a match in hand against cellar-placed Arima Morvant Fire on Sunday in the “Big Six” playoffs.
A proud North East Stars coach, Guyanese James McClean, outlined that his players showed great character and fighting qualities, after finding themselves down in yesterday’s match against a determined Defence Force outfit.
“The team did not blow out Army. We had to fight all the way. We showed the character of what champions are made of,” said McClean.
“Army was in it all the time with a man down. They were proud soldiers,” he added.
By sewing up the title, McClean said, “the foundation has been laid for better things to come. The win makes me feel part of Sangre Grande. Like I belong here — a second home away from home.”
Despite losing key defenceman Anton Pierre in the fourth minute (sent off by referee Shane de Silva for using abusive language), the sailor-soldier combination shot into the lead four minutes later when Jerwyn Balthazar capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Michel Peters to net easily.
The league’s leading goalscorer Jerren Nixon (32 goals) got the equaliser, heading home a cross from the right by Kendall Velox, who dribbled two players before chipping in the pass.
Velox also had a hand in the second goal in the 71st minute. From a free kick he picked out Charles Pollard, who knocked the ball down away from ‘keeper Selwyn George.
Anthony Wolfe put victory out of the reach of Defence Force in the first minute of added-on time, tapping in a Kevin Jeffery right-side pass.
Yesterday’s victory put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches streak by North East Stars, who improved from finishing last in the 2002 season to third place last year, when CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh and Vibe CT 105 W Connection finished first and second.

North East Stars humble W Connection.

By Gregory Trujillo.
10-May-2004 - Goals by home-town boy Anthony Wolfe and Guyanese Carey Harris set up the victory for North East Stars over W Connection. Speedy Wolfe broke clear of the WCFC defence and beat the goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa and Harris was on spot to tap home a sitter. Junior players Keston Pierre and Simeon Augustus had a big hand in the second goal.
From a free-kick deep on the left flank Pierre found Augustus on the other side of the goal. Augustus managed to head the ball goalward and Harris was on the goal-line waiting to score the easiest of chances.
North East Stars coach James McClean was pleased with the performance of his two junior players Pierre and Harris.
“The two played for their moms today and did fantastic,” said McClean. Wolfe also said that his goal was a gift to his mom on “Mothers Day”.

Randolph Jerome runs out for Strikers in PFL.

By Gregory Trujillo.
08-Apr-2004 - South Starworld Strikers has acquired the services of Randolph Jerome, Lyndon Andrews and Shurland David for the 2004 season of the Trinidad and Tobago Professional Football League.
Coach Everard “Gally” Cummings believes that with the trio strengthening his side, Starworld Strikers will be a force to reckon with.
“I think we have a squad this year that will be a top contender,” said Cummings yesterday four days before his side tackles former champion Vibe CT 105 W Connection in a key first round match on Sunday at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
“What I am certain of is that we will be more competitive than last year when we ran fourth,” he said.
“We are still in the process of building a team; one that will play good football and one that will possess players with nice personalities, discipline, enthusiasm and the will to succeed.”
Last season, Jerome, the leading goalscorer in the league, played for North East Stars, Andrews appeared from W Connection and David turned out for Caledonia AIA. In addition to the three, coach Cummings will also have the services of another newcomer Ryan Williams, who was a member a North East Stars.
“Williams is a nice player and will add a little more strength to the side,” said Cummings.
Nifty former Joe Public striker Ochieng Abosi has joined FA Trophy holders North East Stars as a replacement for Guyanese Randolph Jerome, who has moved on to Starworld Strikers.
Youthful Abosi created quite an impression with a young Joe Public team last year and is particularly remembered for a game in which he had W. Connection's Kenwyne Jones struggling to contain him at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
Abosi's acquisition comes after North East Stars owner Darryl Mahabir could no longer afford the financial terms demanded by Guyanese striker Jerome, who was the 2003 Pro League's top scorer with 26 goals.
"What these guys are asking based on what they did last year was simply out of our range," said Mahabir.
Yesterday, Mahabir told the Express he had brought in Abosi, Caledonia AIA's Howard Lowe and reserve keeper Anthony Crichlow to boost his side.
He also added they will be looking at how the team perform before bringing in any further players.
Stars retain the rest of their star players, including Charles Pollard, the 2003 Pro League Player of the Year; Vincentian midfielder Kendall Velox and keeper Trevor Nottingham. Stars, third last season, begin their season Sunday against Arima-Morvant Fire at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

N-E Stars to celebrate with motorcade.

13-Jan-2004 - North East Stars footballers, club members and fans will celebrate their FA Trophy success with a motorcade through the streets of their home town, Sangre Grande, on Friday from 4 pm.
The motorcade, which will involve all the players of the club, will begin at the Sangre Grande Recreation Ground.
North-East Stars, coached by Guyanese Jimmy McLean, captured the prized FA Trophy with a 2-1 win in sudden-death over last year’s winning team, Vibe CT 105 W Connection.

FA Trophy goes North-East.

By Gregory Trujillo - T&T Guardian.
22-Dec-2003 - The coveted FA Trophy changed hands yesterday – from Vibe CT 105 W Connection to North-East Stars. After 120 minutes of gruelling football in heavy conditions, the Sangre Grande-based North-East Stars footballers created a big upset by dethroning their T&T Professional Football League counterparts W Connection 4-1 on penalty kicks at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.
Veteran goalkeeper Trevor Nottingham, who has been a loyal soldier of North-East Stars since the club’s entry into big-time local soccer three years ago, turned hero – after being the villain.
Nottingham, who had a sour start to the match by allowing a soft goal against him in the third minute, saved the second penalty, taken by Brazilian Ronaldo Viana, after the opposing custodian, Alejandro Figueroa, missed the mark by booting the first W Connection spot kick high over the bar.
Kerwyn Navarro, Carey Harris, Randolph Jerome and Jerren Nixon were all on target for the Darryl Mahabir-owned “Stars,” which went on to win its first major title.
After the victory, the first person to hug and congratulate Mahabir was his mother, Bhagwatee Maraj, popularly called “Bago” by Sangre Grande residents.
“She is the driving force behind me and the team,” said Mahabir.
“This is what Sangre Grande needs. Believe me, with this win, look out for bigger things next year,” he added.
Guyanese Randolph Jerome (30th minute) and Jerren Nixon (33rd minute penalty) netted for North-East Stars. Brazilian Ronaldo Viana (3rd minute) and St Lucian Earl Jean (43rd minute) scored for W Connection, who had won the trophy thrice before – in 1999, 2000 and last year.
W Connection, nicknamed the “Savonetta Boys,” got off to a flying start, despite the fact the team had to survive two early scares – a first-minute Anthony Wolfe low curling shot that was not far from the target, and a Nixon shot that sent the ball overbar from on top of the box a minute later.
W Connection scored from the team’s first attack. An attempted throw by North-East Stars defender Glenton Wolfe to goalie Nottingham was intercepted by a quick-moving Jean, whose hard cross sent the ball deflecting off team-mate Arnold Dwarika to an open Viana.
The Brazilian gladly accepted the gift and he placed the ball delightfully into an open net.
W Connection missed an opportunity to increase the lead in the 14th minute when Jean fed Dwarika a cheeky pass, but the the left-footed grounder by the former national standout lacked power and direction and the ball was easily saved by Nottingham.
Jerome, who is the leading goalscorer in the professional league, equalised soon after a Nixon shot struck the crossbar.
Getting the better of a ball that slowed up in the mud, Jerome was more fortunate than Nixon as his shot beat ’keeper Figueroa, the ball coming off from beneath the post before going inside the goal.
Three minutes later, North-East Stars took the lead when Nixon had Figueroa going in the wrong direction in a vain effort to stop his penalty kick.
The penalty was awarded by referee Noel Bynoe, after young defenceman Clyde Leon cut down Kendall Velox, who was making a dangerous run from the left flank into the goal area.
If Nottingham is to take some blame, it should be for the second WCFC goal, scored by Jean.
Missing an easy cross, “Notts” dived at the legs of Jean, in an effort to stop the player, but the strong-running St Lucian kept his footing and ran a few yards before placing the ball into an open goal.
The “Stars” had the better of the second half, but were denied from scoring on several occasions by outstanding goalkeeping from Figueroa.
With no match-winners on its side, W Connection lacked the ammunition in attack, with three light players up front – Dwarika, Titus Elva and Jason Marcano, the latter two coming on as substitutes for Gefferson Goulart and Jean respectively.

FINAL SCORE:
North East Stars 2 (Randolph Jerome 30th, Jerren Nixon 33rd) vs W Connection 2 (Ronaldo Viana 3rd, Earl Jean 43rd).

AFTER PENALTIES:
North East Stars 4 (Kerwyn Navarro, Kerry Harris, Randolph Jerome, Jerren Nixon) vs 1 W Connection (Jose Luis Seabra).

North East Stars:
Trevor Nottingham; Charles Pollard (capt), Abassi McPherson, Glenton Wolfe (Wilfred Joseph 105th), Kern Thomas (Keryn Navarro 84th); Kayode McKinnon, Kendall Velox, Carey Harris, Anthony Wolfe (Kevin Jeffrey 55th); Jerren Nixon, Randolph Jerome.

W Connection:
Alejandro Figueroa; Reynold Carrington (capt), Kenwyne Jones, Elijah Joseph, David Atiba Charles; Jose Luis Seabra, Ronaldo Viana, Gefferson Goulart (Titus Elva 46th), Clyde Leon; Earl Jean (Jason Marcano 50th), Arnold Dwarika (Lyndon Andrews 90th).

North East Stars slams Tobago United 4-1.

By: Gregory Trujillo.
9-Sept-2003 - North East Stars struck back with vengeance to defeat Tobago United 4-1 on Sunday under lights at the Dwight Yorke Stadium. Tobago United, which was seeking to win its first match in its 14th outing, enjoyed the lead up to half-time after Nicholas Jack scored. The visitors came out firing in the second period with Guyanese Randolph Jerome hitting the mark on three occasions.
Jerome started the comeback by scoring the first goal. This was followed by another by Anthony Wolfe and two more by Jerome. North East was also victorious in the Under-20 Division match, winning 2-0. Its goalscorers were Harun Thompson and Kerwyn Matthews.

San Juan Jabloteh crush North East Stars.

By Lasana Liburd.
20-Jul-2003 - There were no "giant-killer" heroics by the North East Stars football team yesterday evening at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
And, as the clock expired, the Sangre Grande outfit looked punch drunk as their hosts, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, kept firing away.
If it were a boxing match, the referee would have been dutybound to blow the whistle and save the battered Pro League outfit. But football is not so humane and Stars were forced to bear the late humiliation.
The final score read 5-2 in favour of the defending league champions, Jabloteh, who now enjoy an eight-point lead over their nearest rivals, Vibe CT 105 W Connection.
Connection can narrow the gap today when they host Tobago United from 4 p.m. at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, though it remains a sizeable advantage.
Still, yesterday's final scoreline was a poor reflection of the contest.
The Stars were not the only team anxiously awaiting the final whistle.
The result apart, yesterday's fare was mostly forgettable as the two clubs endured a war of attrition on the slick surface.
In the past four weeks, the Stars have played eight times in the league and First Citizens Bank (FCB) Cup, while Jabloteh had two outings less due to a default and postponement.
It is a gruelling schedule and the loose, stuttering play from both outfits gave its own testimony.
Stars goalkeeper Trevor Nottingham and stopper Wilfred Joseph—both well into their 30s—felt the strain more than most.
Still, it was the underdogs who struck first in the 18th minute.
Jabloteh right back Ronald Primus was slow to push out as Stars striker Randolph Jerome broke their attempt at an offside trap before taking maximum advantage of Ansil Elcock's late effort to retrieve the ball.
There was the hint of a lowered shoulder by Elcock and Jerome went down easily to win the decision, before burying his penalty to the left of Jabloteh captain and custodian, Kelvin Jack, with the shortest of run-ups.
It was a goal which should have strengthened the Stars' resolve and prompted Jabloteh to return to their slick, fluent passing game.
Instead, passes regularly went astray, players dithered in possession and weak, telegraphed flicks failed to reach their destinations.
It did not make for an appreciable contest for the small crowd, although defensive lapses and misjudgements did create regular scoring chances.
Jabloteh levelled the score in the 34th minute after Cornell Glenn redirected an Otis Seaton shot, but Jerome responded with a close-range glancing header in first half stoppage time following a headed pass from captain Charles Pollard.
The Stars, who lost 5-0 and 5-3 in their visits to this ground last season, were ahead at the interval and at least one fan was enjoying every minute of it.
"This is not last year, yuh know," he said to a disbeliever. "This is not 2002. This is 2003."
But the Stars' determination gave way soon after the break and so, too, their advantage.
It was virtually one-way traffic after Jabloteh midfielder Kerry Baptiste headed home from a Nigel Daniel cross in the 53rd minute—his sixth goal in five consecutive matches.
Seaton scored his third penalty of the season to put the hosts ahead in the 65th minute, after a handled ball from Pollard, and the final outcome was sealed.
The body language from the Stars players was revealing.
Nottingham was on the ground so often that the visiting physio spent as much time in the Stars' penalty area as the Jabloteh strikers.
A tired Joseph was at the mercy of the younger and quicker Glenn and when coach Lloyd Solomon replaced him in the 88th minute, the damage had been done.
Three of the five goals emanated from runs down the right side of the Stars' defence.
Kerry Noray rounded off the scoring in the 83rd and 87th minutes after crossballs from Glenn and Josh Johnson, respectively, to complete the lopsided result.
Worse still, the Stars have just three days' rest before they—and Jabloteh—enter the second leg of their FCB Cup semi-final. It must be a worrying thought for the giant-killers.

W Connection see Stars.

TnT Express Reports.
23-Jun-2003 - North East Stars pulled off the biggest upset of the 2003 Pro League season thus far as they edged two-time domestic champions Vibe CT 105 W Connection 2-1 at the Sangre Grande Recreation Ground yesterday evening.
The Guyanese pair of Charles Pollard and Randolph Jerome proved decisive with a goal apiece—Jerome got the winner from the penalty spot—while free-scoring St Kitts international George Isaac got Connection’s lone item. It was Isaac’s sixth league goal after just seven round of matches to keep the talented Kittian on top the scoring charts.

Defence Force pip unlucky Stars.

By Ian Prescott & Nigel Simon.
02-June-2003 - North East Stars are no longer the pushovers who lost the first 20 matches they played in the Pro League last season.
They proved that yesterday when matching the Defence Force in all departments, until the 84th minute when a well-placed header from striker Russell Pope secured all three points for the Army-Navy combination at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The Round Five victory gave the Defence Force a second success this season as they continued an upward move off the bottom of the 2003 Trinidad and Tobago Pro League.
A year ago, only a committed few would have left Sangre Grande to accompany the country boys to the big city for their outings against one of the major Port of Spain teams.
But things have changed. Traditional powers Defence Force are struggling while Stars are having a better run after a hard first season at the top level last year.
So when they entered the field yesterday, the teams were on level terms.
But after half-hour of enterprising play, the Sangre Grande squad might well feel they should have had the lead.
It was just ten minutes into the match when big stopper Charles Pollard got their first chance.
Pollard could not believe his luck when his powerful header deflected onto the fingertips of goalie Selwyn George and off the Defence Force crossbar. The Guyanese defender, having come forward for a corner-kick, came as close as possible without scoring.
The Stars came close a couple more times, but on each occasion Shawn Lee was not as clinical as he needed to be in front of goal. Having also tried to pick out Randolph Jerome for much of the first half, they would have been most disappointed with his effort when they finally succeeded in freeing him.
The dangerous Guyanese front-man had the goal laid out on a platter for him by a deceptive pass from Glenton Wolfe, but hesitated to use his left foot from eight yards out. Instead, Jerome turned the ball onto his right foot and skied his shot overbar.
Striker Sherman "Ants" Phillip had the best chance for Defence Force in the 35th minute, but failed to get a short pass from Pope past the dive of Trevor Nottingham in the North East Stars goal.
After dominating the early portion of the second session, the Stars should have scored in the 58th minute. The chance came when Defence Force keeper George tried to be cute when handling a cross-ball and only succeeded in giving the ball to Jerome.
After eluding George, Jerome tried brute force to get the ball in the goal but on two occasions found the body of stopper Kelshall Alexander. The missed opportunity would return to haunt North East Stars.
Defence Force looked the stronger down the stretch and got the winner when Pope flicked the ball away from Nottingham from the resulting corner kick, after earlier striking an upright.
Later, substitute Devon Bobb would also get between Alexander and the Defence Force goalie, but just when he looked to give his team a deserved equaliser, George foiled his attempt to score.

Jabloteh inch closer to Pro League title.

By LASANA LIBURD.
14-Oct-2002 - The champagne is on the ice.
Just three 2002 Pro League games—all at their Hasely Crawford Stadium home base—remain for leaders CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh. And wins from two of them will secure the club’s first league title.
A 5-3 Jabloteh win over North East Stars yesterday at the Port of Spain venue coupled with a 2-1 away loss for Vibe CT 105 W Connection to Arima Fire, created the pleasing statistic for the San Juan faithful.
Connection, who are now seven points adrift, have a game in hand but can hardly consider a match away to the Defence Force to be easy points.
And, as if to add to Connection president David J Williams’ concerns, the army/coast guard combination warmed up for that meeting with yesterday’s biggest victory as they mauled hosts Starworld Strikers 7-2 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
In the day’s other Pro League fixture, Caledonia AIA were left to rue a missed penalty as they were edged 1-0 by Joe Public at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
That Joe Public win paled in significance to the success of the electric green Jabloteh men, though. A meeting between the league leaders and the table proppers at such an advanced stage in the season is usually considered a foregone conclusion.
But such an assumption would have ignored the marked improvement of the Sangre Grande outfit in the latter half of the season.
The five earlier clashes featuring the two teams were all won by Jabloteh who scored 17 times without reply.
But Stars owner Darryl Mahabir did not have long to wait before his team gave another indication of their new spirit.
A powerful run and centred pass from Cornell Glen created the opener for Jabloteh. Josh Johnson coverted in the 3rd minute after Kerry Noray just failed to get the decisive touch himself.
However, the Stars were level seven minutes later, when inspirational Guyanese signing Randolph Jerome coolly stroked past Jabloteh custodian Kelvin Jack from the penalty spot.
The equaliser was slightly fortuitous as there seemed to be more theatrics than contact when Anthony Wolfe fell over Jabloteh stopper Brent Sancho who had conceded possession. Referee Cassie Moore thought otherwise.
Wolffe should have doubled the Stars’ advantage a minute later, after Sancho again gifted the ball to the visitors. But the striker took on one player too many after a useful pass from industrious teammate Carey Harris and the opportunity was lost.
Little else from the first 45 minutes was worth mentioning.
The Stars defended en masse with as many as six outfield players in primarily defensive positions. Yet it was a series of misdirected passes by the Jabloteh offence that kept the visitors in the match.
Enter substitute midfielder Kerry Baptiste who replaced the ineffective Gary Glasgow in the 55th minute. By the final whistle, he had scored twice and assisted as many times, to settle frayed Jabloteh nerves.
The concerned looks in the Jabloteh technical area had increased considerably before Baptiste’s first contribution.
Once more, there seemed to be nothing amiss when Jerome went down dramatically in the Jabloteh penalty area in front of a bewildered Sancho in the 60th minute.
But Nigel Hart’s stunning left foot drive from the subsequent free kick was beyond reproach after he was teed up by Harris.
North East Stars were still riding a wave of emotion when Baptiste contrived an equaliser in the 67th minute with a shot that squirmed under the body of Trevor Nottingham after a forage into the opposing penalty area.
Ten minutes later, Baptiste sent Johnson clear down the right flank and his raking crossball was worthy of a goal. Errol McFarlane Jr duly obliged from close range.
The Jabloteh lead was doubled in the 83rd minute as the nippy Baptiste took the ball around two defenders before creating another close ranged opportunity that Glenn gleefully accepted. There was one more controversial penalty in the match as Jerome declined an opportunity to shoot and slumped to the ground after a neat turn past Jabloteh stopper Ian Gray in the 89th minute.
Jerome’s penalty, after a two step run up was again impeccable.
But Baptiste had the last word with another simple Jabloteh finish after a deep cross from Johnson and an unselfish lay off by McFarlane. Their chase for the title, Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick hopes, could well end just as smoothly.

Final Score: 
Jabloteh 5 (Josh Johnson, Kerry Baptiste 2, Errol McFarlane, Cornell Glen), v N/E Stars 3 (Randolph Jerome 2, Nigel Hart).

North East Stars score first PFL victory.

By Ian Prescott.
26-Aug-2002 - Jack Austin Warner’s Joe Public had the dubious distinction of being the first team to lose to North East Stars who beat them 1-0 in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League yesterday at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
After looking totally inept in losing their first 20 matches for the season, North East Stars created the biggest shock of the season when Carey Harris gave them a winner two minutes from time. The move goalwards saw Nigel Hart running down the left flank and then hitting a crossball to Harris who drilled it past the Joe Public defence to score.
The newly-promoted Stars had lost all 18 Pro League matches they had previously played as well as both their encounters in the First Citizens Cup.
An ecstatic North East Stars owner Darryl Mahabir said, however, that yeserday’s victory was long overdue.
“The message before the game was that we must not lose this game. It feels good to win. I believe it’s long overdue and I only hope that it will continue. The team has been improving,” Mahabir declared.
At Joe Public, the result was met with disappointment. Manager Sam Phillip declined comment, while Yugoslav-born head-coach Zoran Vranes blamed inexperience as the reason for the loss.
“From a young team you can expect very good performances like we had against Jabloteh and Defence Force and then very poor performances such as against Caledonia and then again today. This is not very surprising but then again, it is very disappointing.
Vranes felt that his team had created enough chances to win the game, but not having done so, they allowed the underdogs to stay in the game.
“Our defence did not go up and so they allowed the other team to score an easy goal. It was a very easy goal.”

Stars to shine from the East.

By Gregory Trujillo.
12-Apr-2002 - Newcomers North East Stars is confident of having a successful season in the new Professional Football League under coach Lloyd Solomon.
"We don't expect to be run over by the bigger clubs," a confident manager Darrel Mahabir said yesterday.
North East Stars, which has a combination of players from Arima, Sangre Grande, Biche, Valencia, Manzanilla and Toco, opens its account against former champion Defence Force on Sunday at Larry Gomes Stadium, from 4 pm.
"Our defence is very strong and we have a great attack," Mahabir said.
In goal, is the dependable Trevor Nottingham, who is one of several experienced players on the Sangre-Grande-based outfit, which was formed only three years ago.
Nottingham is no stranger to the PFL having stood between the uprights for CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh and Doc's Khelwalaas. He was also a member of Superstar Rangers.
Nottingham will get support in defence from his Arima compatriot Phillip Huggins, Keston de La Rosa, formerly of Valencia Youths, and Ryan Balbosa, who represented Mayaro Composite last year in the Secondary Schools Football League.
Holding up the midfield will be Ricaldo Hernandez (Biche), Sheldon Trim and Keston Glasgow (Toco).
The key players upfront will be Neil Simpson, who was the top goalscorer for Valencia United last year with 21 goals in the Eastern Football Union competition, and Sangre Grande's Jimmy Bobb, a past member of Caledonia AIA and Superstar Rangers.
Trim, who led North East Stars last year, is one of three players bidding for the captain's role. The other two in line are Bobb and Simpson.
North East Stars will use the Sangre Grande Regional Complex as its home ground.
The ground its under repairs, so the team will have to play is first three matches away to Defence Force, Joe Public and Police.
The debutants will play its first match at home on May 5 against defending champions Vibe CT 105 W Connection.

PFL new boys make good.

19-Feb-2002 - North East Stars do not carry a comparable CV, but young owner Darryl Mahabir also hopes to construct an “all star” team from the Eastern Counties region, with screening sessions from Toco to Mayaro.
“Since we started the club, our aim was to achieve the highest level of football in T&T,” said an elated Mahabir.
For the North East Stars, though, the dream was achieved with minimal work on the field.
The Stars have been in existence for just three years and made their first appearance under the aegis of the T&TFF last season, when they placed second in the ECFU league and knockout competitions.
To date, the march past title from the 2000 Economall Millennium (Minor) League is the only trophy won by the club.
But 28-year-old Mahabir, who runs four restaurants and bars in Sangre Grande, is hoping for a fifth-place finish and boasts of an average attendance of 400 spectators, which he expects to see doubled in the PFL.
Should Mahabir succeed in signing hometown boy, striker Jimmy Bobb—a respected striker formerly with Superstar Rangers—he will be the lone household name at the club.
The club also hopes to secure a major sponsor soon.
The upcoming season, which is scheduled to kick off on April 7, will indicate whether either team will emulate fellow upstarts and two-time defending PFL champs, W Connection.
Or if they will fall by the wayside as have Futgof, Point Fortin Civic Centre, Uprising Youths and Doc’s Khelwalaas.

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