Toyota Cup: Central suspend Oliver; Sharks without playmaker for Civic clash

Central FC will be without veteran playmaker Marvin Oliver for tomorrow’s Toyota Classic Cup Round of 16 contest with Point Fortin Civic, after the inspirational dreadlocked midfielder was suspended for a bizarre internal matter.

Photo: Comunicaciones midfielder Jorge Aparacio (left) grapples with Central FC star Marvin Oliver during 2015 CONCACAF Champions League action. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Comunicaciones midfielder Jorge Aparacio (left) grapples with Central FC star Marvin Oliver during 2015 CONCACAF Champions League action.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

The “Couva Sharks” face Point Fortin Civic from 8 pm on Friday night in the second match of a double header at the Mahaica Oval. DIRECTV W Connection square off with Club Sando in the earlier fixture from 5.30 pm at the same venue.

However, coach Ross Russell will not have Oliver’s services for the knock out match, due to the 40-year-old player’s reaction to a club fine.

Several Central players did not return from the dressing room to collect their silver medals after their 2-1 loss to bitter Couva rivals, W Connection, in the 2015 First Citizens Bank Cup final on October 30.


Central CEO Brent Sancho and operations director Kevin Harrison were said to be furious at the snub and letters were allegedly relayed to the entire squad through manager Kevin Jeffrey.

Those who did not collect medals were fined five percent of their salaries, without hearings, while those who picked up their medals were warned not to copy their less graceful teammates.

Photo: W Connection captain Alvin Jones lifts the 2015 First Citizens Cup trophy with his teammates, after they edged Central FC 2-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.  (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: W Connection captain Alvin Jones lifts the 2015 First Citizens Cup trophy with his teammates, after they edged Central FC 2-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

According to an anonymous source, Oliver threw the letter on the ground and the club management responded by suspending him for one week.

Since the disciplinary letters merely informed the players of the club’s unilateral decision, Oliver could, arguably, be said to have been suspended for littering.

Thus far, Harrison has not responded to a request for comment from Wired868 while Jeffrey could not be reached.

The impasse is the latest sign of unease between the players and directors at Central, which first surfaced two months ago. Twenty-four of the squad’s 29 players signed petitions in September that urged SIS directors not to allow Harrison and Sancho back at the club with allegations of financial misconduct hanging over their heads.

Instead, SIS essentially washed their hands of all responsibility for the club and handed the reins to the new managerial triumvirate of Sancho, Harrison and Bankers Insurance CEO Vance Gabriel.

Photo: Central FC chairman Brent Sancho welcomes Bankers Insurance CEO Vance Gabriel into the club's fold as a sponsor in January 2015. Gabriel returned the favour by helping restore Sancho to the helm of the Pro League club, after his defeat in the polls at the September 7 general elections.
Photo: Central FC chairman Brent Sancho welcomes Bankers Insurance CEO Vance Gabriel into the club’s fold as a sponsor in January 2015.
Gabriel returned the favour by helping restore Sancho to the helm of the Pro League club, after his defeat in the polls at the September 7 general elections.

Since then, Central have paid off and released former football operations manager Anthony Rougier and technical director Zoran Vranes. Rougier is now director of football at Fyzabad Secondary.


On the field, the club’s results remain largely positive though.

Central are joint top of the Pro League with seven points from three games while they finished second in the First Citizens Cup.

Despite Oliver’s absence, Russell received a boost this week as attacking midfielder Ataulla Guerra returned to full training and he is expected to play against Civic tomorrow.

Central goalkeeper and captain Jan-Michael Williams and striker Willis Plaza will both feature too before they jet off on Saturday to prepare for Trinidad and Tobago’s upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifying matches against Guatemala and the United States on November 13 and 17 respectively.

Photo: W Connection defender Triston Hodge (left) stops Central FC striker Willis Plaza with a superb tackle in the First Citizens Cup final. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: W Connection defender Triston Hodge (left) stops Central FC striker Willis Plaza with a superb tackle in the First Citizens Cup final.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Upcoming Toyota Classic Cup fixtures

Friday November 6

W Connection v Club Sando, 5.30 pm, Mahaica Oval;

Point Fortin Civic v Central FC, 8 pm, Mahaica Oval;

(Saturday November 7)

St Ann’s Rangers v Defence Force, 3 pm, Larry Gomes Stadium;

(Sunday November 8)

Police FC v Guaya United, 3 pm, Guayaguayare Recreation Ground;

Marabella CC v S/Juan Jabloteh, 3 pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

More from Wired868
Get Shiggy with it! Army pip Rangers to near Caribbean spot, while Joevin makes Police debut

As Terminix La Horquetta Rangers owner Richard Ferguson strolled away from his Sportsmax interview in the aftermath of his team’s Read more

“The biggest game we will ever play!” T&T Beach Soccer enjoys moment in the sun

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Beach Soccer Team will be playing for an inaugural spot at the Bali 2023 Read more

Connection and Central set to kick off TTPFL, no break for international match window

The TT Premier Football League now has a kick off date. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) today revealed Read more

Gov’t commits TT$9m to TTPFL; fixtures, title sponsor and cash prizes still unknown

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) will commit a sum of TT$9m over a three-year span Read more

Ex-Pro League star, Akeem Benjamin, shot dead after alleged ‘confrontation’ with police

Former Pro League stand-out Akeem ‘Battery’ Benjamin was one of two men shot dead today during an alleged confrontation with Read more

Neglected by normalisation committee and snubbed by Ascension, TTSL clubs press on alone

The Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) is resigned to going it alone for 2022, as the various local football Read more

About Lasana Liburd

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.

Check Also

Get Shiggy with it! Army pip Rangers to near Caribbean spot, while Joevin makes Police debut

As Terminix La Horquetta Rangers owner Richard Ferguson strolled away from his Sportsmax interview in …

31 comments

  1. I wish W Connection would take example as after their last defeat to North East Stars in a cup final they (W Connection) including their technical staff all walked off without coming forward for their silver medals. It is my feeling that the League should impose fines on the club when this kind of behaviour is displayed.

  2. Nah man…..not d evergreen rastafari

  3. This reads like a satirical piece. Lol.

  4. This calls for the newly minted word. ..”fackery”!

  5. ?????????? sigh sigh sigh what’s next in local football

  6. I wonder what kind of disciplinary code and associated penalties are in place at the club, or all Pro League clubs for that matter?

  7. 5% of what salary? Annual, monthly, weekly?

  8. Probably it’s the manner in how the letter fell to the ground?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.