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The Speyside Secondary football team will have an unscheduled overnight stay in Trinidad tonight, as they hope to end a tumultuous week and testing season on a bright note.
The “Country Boys” need a win over East Mucurapo Secondary to leapfrog Trinity College East in the 16 team standings and preserve their Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division spot.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
East Mucurapo, who are 15th at present, are already relegated as things stand. However, the North Zone team might be paying close attention to an unfolding registration furore involving St Benedict’s College.
If St Benedict’s are found guilty and the letter of the law is followed, the southern bigwigs would be suspended from the competition. And, in that scenario, East Mucurapo could save themselves with a win over Speyside by three clear goals.
East Mucurapo and Speyside were initially scheduled to tackle each other from 3.30pm today at the Queen’s Royal College ground in St Clair. However, the game was postponed by match officials due to concerns over lightning.
The SSFL executive quickly—arguably, a rarity—agreed with the Tobago school to absorb their costs for an overnight stay at a guest house nearby along with dinner, breakfast and lunch, as well as to change their return tickets.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Some Speyside Secondary players have exams tomorrow. But team technical director Kerry Lynch assured boys that they will receive make-up tests.
They need only, he said, focus on a win over East Mucurapo.
One problem that Lynch had no answer for, though, is a rift with his technical staff, which lead to the resignation of his head coach Ako Shumba George on Thursday 14 November.
“Recent events and damaging rumours have now made my position untenable and the situation increasingly difficult to endure,” stated George, in his resignation letter. “[…] Throughout the season, my authority as head coach has been frequently overlooked and, in some instances, completely disregarded.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
“I have also been subjected to lies and deceit from both Speyside High School officials and members of the team’s technical staff…”
George is in his fourth season as Speyside head coach—a spell that saw the east Tobago team retain their Premier Division status and pick up two zonal Intercol titles. He pointed to Speyside’s clash with Naparima College as an example of his issues this season.
“I was not able to attend the game against Naps, so my assistant [Ryan Stewart] was in charge,” George told Wired868. “I was told about some indiscipline that happened the night before with some of our players. I am not going to go into what that was, but I told the technical staff that these guys were not to participate.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
“Lo and behold, I am watching the game on national tv and I saw the same guys walking out to play. That was just one of the situations that really didn’t rub me the right way.
“That was one of the moments when I said to myself: I feel you run your race, brother.”
Wired868 reached out to Speyside coach Ryan Stewart, the owner of Brother Ry’s Football Academy, for comment on the technical decisions taken against Naparima, in the George’s absence. However, we were unable to get a response up to the time of publication.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Incidentally, Speyside held Naparima 1-1 under Stewart’s guidance. And, ironically, the Lewis Street outing might have had the impact of hardening the views of both differing parties within the Tobago team’s technical staff.
George said he would have quit earlier, but for Lynch’s efforts to keep him onside. Lynch admitted that their head coach left in acrimonious circumstances but said it would not shift their focus, as they try to avoid relegation.
“Some of the boys commented [on George’s departure]—some of them were not happy, some said they understood,” Lynch told Wired868. “Nobody wanted it to happen. For now, all I will say is we are having a bit of transitioning and we just have to take it as the head coach described it.
“I have nothing to add or take away from what the head coach described.”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
George was aggrieved that Speyside’s internal issues came at exactly the time when he felt the team would be pushing on. He led his troops to a 12th place finish in 2023 with the Tobago Intercol title to boot.
“We thought this year we could make the natural push up the table and do better than the Intercol semifinals—but then everything started going to crap,” he said. “For some strange reason, I feel like I was being undermined by people in the team that I would prefer not to mention. The team kept getting inconsistent messages [from their coaches].
“[…] I don’t know if they think we were in the Premier league so long and the progression was too slow. But [with] two Intercol titles in three seasons, I think we were on par with what our objectives were.”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Speyside Secondary’s future is in fresh hands. Stewart’s first official game as head coach is crucial for the team’s short-term future.
Lynch assured school supporters that the boys are hellbent on three points against East Mucurapo.
“I think the boys are confident and focused on the job that is ahead,” said Lynch. “I don’t think they are studying the ins and outs of the management too much.”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
George also wished them well.
“Even though the circumstances of my departure were not ideal, having volunteered my services there for six years a lot of passion for the school was built up,” he said. “I want them to wish them the best for tomorrow and hope they win and secure a next season in the premiership.”
From 3.30pm, the talented Country Boys must play the game of their lives to ensure their top flight survival. East Mucurapo will need some convincing.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
