By Franklin Wilson
Saturday February 23rd, 2008 will be remembered as one of the greatest days yet in the history of football in the Caribbean and in Guyana, thanks to the vision of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), backed by Digicel and facilitated by Sunderland Academy of Light.
This partnership saw the birthing of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics which was conducted in eight Caribbean Countries by England and Caribbean Football Icon, John Barnes.
One of the immediate benefits out of these clinics will see eight of the regions top young players going to Sunderland’s Academy multi-million dollar State of the Art training facility for a one week stint.
Originally, it was announced that six players will be selected but the Sunderland boss decided to increase that quota by two.
When head coach of the clinics Barnes was about to make the announcement one could have heard a pin drop in the Venetian Suite at the Terra Nova Hotel, 17 Waterloo Road Kingston , Jamaica.
The players selected are 17 year-old Guyana and Alpha United forward Andrew Murray Jnr. who was the 7th player announced as one of the two bonus places. The other was 16 year-old St. Kitts and Nevis under-20 midfielder Devaughn Elliott who currently attends the Washington Archibald High School.
Elliott is one of two Kittians in the eight, the other being 19 year-old Gerard Williams, another midfielder who is a member of Trinidad and Tobago Pro. League side W. Connection F.C.
Haiti also were awarded two places, 18 year-old defensive midfielders Joseph Guemsley, a member of the Baltimore F.C (Saint Marc) and Renaud Brisley, their national under-20 captain and member of the Zenith F.C.
Suriname’s Emilio Limon (19) a member of the Robin Hood F.C, where former Guyana national Jermaine Brown plays, is the other player chosen. Trinidad and Tobago’s Leston (17) Paul a member of the Defence Force and another 17 year-old, Jamaican right midfielder, Akeem Brown, who plays with Meadhaven F.C. were chosen. Out of the eight players, Murray is the only forward.
Digicel Group CEO Colm Delves in brief remarks said these stars of the future had an incredible opportunity to further develop their skills under Barnes’ tuition. Barnes in turn said had the chance to witness first hand, the incredible talent that exists in this region.
“We at Digicel are absolutely passionate about sport and the development of football and with operations in 23 countries in the region, we are proud to support local and national teams as well as developing regional initiatives such as the Kick Start Clinics and the Digicel Caribbean Cup.”
Delves said the CFU has been of great support to Digicel over the past number of years with the various initiatives they have been involved in to develop football.
Barnes, Delves said, undertook the role as head coach with enthusiasm, passion and commitment that are synonymous with the way in which he approached his football as a player. “A true professional, and great ambassador for football.”
The Group CEO also made special mention of some of his staff members who worked tirelessly over the past eight weeks or so to make the clinics the success it was, Sponsorship Manager Shelly Ann Brown and Group Sponsorship Manager, Kieran Foley, among others.
“I would like to wish all the players traveling to Sunderland the best of luck and from a personal perspective as a Sunderland supporter from my days of living in the north east of England I can truly say that nowhere you can find such passion and love for the game as you will find in Sunderland, not to mention the state of the art training facilities at the Academy of Life. I know that you will have an experience of a life time and I hope that this exposure help spur and develop your football careers and you can show the premier league what the Caribbean has to offer.”
FIFA Vice President, CONCACAF and CFU Vice President Austin Jack Warner in his remarks said that it is the beginning of a new era in the regions football and this day will never be forgotten.
While congratulating the selected players and Barnes for a job well done, Warner noted that football is the world’s greatest sports and it gives young people a sense of hope and it allows the flags of the various nations to be flown.
“Our flags can’t be flown on the fields of war, never, and therefore, what Digicel has done is to identify the most important sport, seek our partnership and most importantly to take them when they are young.
Acknowledging the good work Digicel has been doing in terms of their expansion, now in Oceana and Papa New Guinea, Warner told Delves that ‘nothing they have achieved in those areas will be as important as what you (Delves) and John has achieved in the Caribbean in the past six weeks.’
“And therefore I want to say thanks very much, there are no adequate words we can find to thank you and John for what you have done, what you will continue to do and what we hope you will always do.”
Barnes in giving an overview of the Clinics said at first when the idea was muted, he was a bit doubtful given the magnitude of the event but he was very pleased when the wheels were put in motion admitting it was a very ambitious project. He also thanked Shell Ann Browne who was very instrumental in getting the programme off the ground.
He said that for him it is the beginning of the way forward for football in the Caribbean.
“Because we are very fortunate that it has come at a time (Clinics) when we needed something to look up to, aspire, empower and inspire our young players.”
He made reference to what happened in Africa many, many years ago in terms of scouts being there and the level and quality of their players now in Europe and England and the impact they have been making. Africa also having their Cup of Nations, which was watched by the entire world.
“Now, the Caribbean is where the next pool of talent will come from and I’ve said it all along, especially in the last weeks, someone like Arsene Wenger who at one time had 10 players of African decent including Sol Campbell on the pitch at one time. He recognizes the physical abilities of these players and he believes that with the encouragement and right environment, players from these parts can become top players in the world.”
He mentioned that Africa now has become saturated and the scouts and agents are looking for a new region and while players from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have gone to England, now is a good time for the game in the Caribbean to go to the next level in this regard.
Ability of the players
Barnes who played for England 79 times and also played with Watford, Liverpool and New Castle United said it was a wonderful experience for him to see the quality that abounds in the region.
“It is something I expected, something that didn’t surprise me but what I was surprised about is the discipline, desire and commitment that the players actually showed. I want them to live this out throughout their entire careers because that’s what we need to move forward because we have the necessary talent.
He said what he saw in terms of commitment in all the countries give him lots of hope that football in the Caribbean is moving in the right direction. “For me it was a wonderful journey.”
Also attending yesterday’s historical function were Jamaica’s Minister of Sport Olivia Babsy Grange, Jamaica Football Federation President Capt. Horace Burrell and St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association Peter Jenkins.
The eight countries that the Digicel Kick Start clinics visited were Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. At the end of each clinic, the national under-20 team in each territory played a game against select sides some of which were picked through text message competitions.
This is a great opportunity for the eight players to train with Barclay’s Premier League club Sunderland AFC’s young Academy footballers and learn from the international expertise of the club’s youth coaching staff. Barclay’s Premier League is one of the world’s most watched leagues.
Sunderland AFC is working with Digicel to promote its brand in the Caribbean and will host Digicel’s UK training camp at the Academy, the club’s state of the art training ground.
The sponsors of this inaugural clinic, which Delves said will be looked at seriously by Digicel in terms of being an annual feature, were Digicel, the Caribbean Football Union, FIFA Vice-President, Jack Warner and Sunderland AFC.
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