PRESIDENT of Prisons FC Jude Gordon admitted that his unit may not have the most talented players in the upcoming T&T Premier Football League (TTPFL), but said teams can expect to face a fit and competitive outfit.
Prisons FC will feature alongside 11 other teams in division one of the TTPFL kicking off on March 10.
Prisons are no strangers to winning in recent years as they claimed the Terminix Super League Football title in 2019 which is the second division in T&T football. It was the club’s first major title in decades.
The team, a mixture of prison officers and civilians, will open their campaign against San Juan Jabloteh at Arima Velodrome from 6.30 pm on March 12.
Anthony Parris, who was the captain of Prisons in 2019, will represent the team again this season. It has not been decided who will captain the team this year.
Anderson Veronique will aim to coach the team to success again, but this time in the top flight of local football.
“I have been at all the sessions and there has been a nice meshing between the officers and the civilians,” Gordon said. “We don’t really have any big names, but what we know we will be one of the fittest, one of the most competitive teams out there because we have a history…we are the defending Super League champs.”
Gordon said the team consistently finished in the top three of the Super League before the covid19 pandemic.
Prisons have their own practice facility at the Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Arouca.
Gordon said the club is funded through the Prisons Sports Club, but additional sponsorship is required.
“One of our major sponsors has been our sports club because we are an independent non-profit organisation, but that does not mean to say (we are not seeking sponsorship).
“Our Prisons Sports Club has funded us recently in terms of our uniforms, our balls, but we are always on the lookout for other sponsors because we need that. We are hard on the pavement beating showing these potential people that it is good to back Prisons, but still on the search though.”
Gordon is looking forward to the new league as it allows the players to play as over the last three years football was only held periodically because of the pandemic.
“Very glad (to see the players back out). We are in a unique position as the Prisons FC service. Prisons have been in the spotlight with our officers being murdered, so it is a morale-boosting opportunity that we have taken advantage of…we looking to change the image of the Prisons service through this football team.”
SOURCE: T&T Newsday