Global Football

Barney’s bible: The SSFL’s backward rule change; and what Yorke and Jordan did that our youths abandoned

So far I have only touched on youth development from a ball manipulation and decision-making viewpoint. However, playing in competitive games non-stop can also hinder the physical development and health of players.  Again, the local adage that ‘the more you play, the better you get’ is misleading on this count. …

Read More »

Warriors join Montserrat on BOL’s roster, company targets teams ‘not typically showcased’

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), which is under the control of the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee, confirmed a two year deal with unknown Miami-based sportswear company BOL today. Both parties would hope their relationship gets off to a better start the second time around. Wired868 was told by a …

Read More »

Barney’s bible: ‘The more games you play, the better you get’ fallacy leaves T&T players underdeveloped

Youth development in Trinidad, simply put, consists of tournaments and competitions. The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), Youth Pro League (YPL), Republic Bank Youth League, Next Level U-19 Tournament and Commissioner’s Cup are the main players in this arena.  I will use the SSFL as the starting point of the …

Read More »

Barney’s bible: Does T&T player development follow best practices? Are our youth competitions helping or hurting?

A question on The Burdie and Barney podcast during our discussion with former England Premier League and 2006 World Cup goalkeeper Shaka Hislop lingered long after that episode was over:  Have we been developing players? Or were we just blessed with talented players previously and, now, not so much?  At …

Read More »

Human trafficking? Or just a horrible trial? Lamb and McFee respond to police commissioner’s claims

In October 2020, former Trinidad and Tobago national youth team footballers Isaiah ‘Mal’ Garcia and Jaheim McFee boarded a plane at the Piarco International Airport with the intention of becoming professional players in the Egypt First Division. Six months later, both young men are rooming with relatives in London and …

Read More »