Grosvenor set for QRC job! Iconic St Anthony’s coach leaves “Westmoorings Tigers”

After 33 years at the helm of St Anthony’s College, Nigel “Grovey” Grosvenor will be lining up on the bench of a North Zone rival in the 2017 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season.

Instead of giving orders to the red “Westmoorings Tigers”, the veteran coach looks set to be calling the shots for the blue and blue of Queen’s Royal College. Grosvenor suggested that his proposed move owed much to a falling out with St Anthony’s principal Maurice Inniss.

Photo: St Anthony's College coach Nigel Grosvenor (right) looks on from the bench during their 2014 Big Four fixture against Naparima College at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: St Anthony’s College coach Nigel Grosvenor (right) looks on from the bench during their 2014 Big Four fixture against Naparima College at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

“The principal has his agenda and I’m not part of the plans,” Grosvenor told Wired868. “He has new plans and wants to take football in a new direction… So I went. I can’t work where I’m not wanted.”

The proposed move, which has not yet been confirmed by QRC principal David Simon, should be a bitter pill for past and present players and fans of the Westmoorings Tigers. Grosvenor is one of the SSFL’s most successful coaches and led his former school to six national titles along with a host of zonal accolades.


He also gave run-outs to numerous past and present Trinidad and Tobago international footballers including World Cup 2006 players Evans Wise, Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones and current Soca Warriors custodian Jan-Michael Williams and defender Yohance Marshall.

Tension between Grosvenor and St Anthony’s principal, Inniss, appears to have been brewing for some time now and Grosvenor’s newly founded coaching academy was caught in the crosshairs.

Grosvenor contends that at the end of March—almost two months after his Tigers Football Coaching School started training at the college grounds—Inniss asked him for a proposal for the use of the premises.

Photo: Sport Minister and ex-St Mary's College football captain Darryl Smith (centre) and SSFL president Anthony Creed (fourth from right) congratulate 2015 North Zone Intercol champs, St Anthony's College. (Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Photo: Sport Minister and ex-St Mary’s College football captain Darryl Smith (centre) and SSFL president Anthony Creed (fourth from right) congratulate 2015 North Zone Intercol champs, St Anthony’s College.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

The requested proposal was delivered but, according to the decorated coach, he still has not received approval to use the Westmoorings venue and he subsequently applied to use the Hasely Crawford Stadium training field for his coaching school. Wired868 tried unsuccessfully to reach Inniss for comment.

Grosvenor insisted that he was prepared to use the Queen’s Park Savannah if necessary rather than let his dream of a coaching academy die.

“One of my major dreams after I retired was to set up a coaching school,” he said. “I want to coach. It’s a major part of my life.”

When Grosvenor retired at the end of the 2016/17 academic year, Inniss allegedly told him that he could no longer be accommodated as a coach on the school’s payroll in the 2017/18 year. So, Grosvenor went about establishing his Coaching School with a view to making his dreams a reality and supplementing his pension income.

However, having called the Westmoorings school home for more than three decades, he did not anticipate the treatment that was meted out to him from that institution.


Photo: St Anthony's College students get behind their team during the 2015 North Zone Intercol final against St Mary's College at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. (Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Photo: St Anthony’s College students get behind their team during the 2015 North Zone Intercol final against St Mary’s College at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

Still, Grosvenor might have been able to take a deep breath and soldier on. But when FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited Trinidad and Tobago last month and St Anthony’s College was among a handful of SSFL schools invited to meet him at a function, the retired teacher was stung to realise that he was not on the guests’ list.

That was the play that breached the coach’s defences and may yet prove—QRC supporters would hope—to be an own goal.

Grovesnor turned his attention instead to the Maraval Road Royalians who only avoided relegation from the SSFL top flight by the slenderest of margins last year. QRC, who were coached by Dexter Gill last season, finished in 13th position on the 14-team table but avoided demotion after benefiting from a rule violation by Presentation College (San Fernando).

Presentation were found to have illegally used Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 Team player Kori Cupid and the resulting alteration to the points tally meant QRC climbed out of the relegation places with 2016 Coca Cola Intercol Champs San Juan North taking their place.

Wily and experienced, Grosvenor was cautiously optimistic about the task at hand although he preferred to focus on his long-term vision for QRC rather than simply targeting short-term success in his first season in charge.

Photo: QRC attacker John-Paul Rochford (centre) takes a crack at goal during 2015 SSFL action against St Augustine Secondary. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: QRC attacker John-Paul Rochford (centre) takes a crack at goal during 2015 SSFL action against St Augustine Secondary.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

“It’s a new chapter, a new experience, a new challenge and I’m excited,” he said. “QRC is QRC. [I’m going to do] whatever I can do for them in terms of gaining the sort of respect that they used to have where the football is concerned.

“Over the last few years, they have not been very successful. So whatever I can do to help. I’m just going there to work with whoever is there.”

As head coach, he would expect to have the full oversight of the school’s football program. But he made it clear that he did not intend to tamper with the College’s rich pre-history and legacy.

“Going to QRC is an honour. I am not going to change the culture,” he said. “[I’ll have] whole program oversight. We have to know what’s going on below when you are coaching on top.

“[…] I am going to work with who is there, like Clint Marcelle with the Under-16 and Wendell “Shaky” David, and we are going to work together.”

Photo: QRC midfielder Demetri Dunkley (centre) sprints off with his teammates after his goal against St Augustine Secondary in the 2015 SSFL season. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: QRC midfielder Demetri Dunkley (centre) sprints off with his teammates after his goal against St Augustine Secondary in the 2015 SSFL season.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Still, Grosvenor admitted to a tinge of regret about leaving St Anthony’s after three decades.

“The people make St Anthony’s College, not the building,” said Grosvenor. “I am leaving the building but I will always be close to the people, the workers, teachers, fans. That’s what is giving me comfort.”

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About Amiel Mohammed

Amiel Mohammed is a sports enthusiast and has worked in communications for Central FC and the Women's Premier League TT. He has also pioneered numerous projects geared towards creating opportunities for the differently abled such as the Differently-Abled Football Camp 2015 and Focus Football Coaching Academy.

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146 comments

  1. I completely DISAGREE that coaches in SSFL spky assemble teams…there are some excellent coaches …

  2. wha de arse I does really be reading boi??..33 yrs and dais how u treat d man??..we gorne thru yes

  3. ALL COLLEGE COACHES RECRUIT PLAYERS. THEY DONT DEVELOP PLAYERS THEY ASSEMBLE TEAMS. AS FOR THE STRUCTURE THE BOYS DO WHAT THEY KNOW. VERY LITTLE REAL COACHING GOES ON AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS

    • Good points. Is it because the coaches don’t know how to coach? Lack of coaching education? Or is ah ego thing?

    • no Brent they just lazy. Look at what happens when they become National Coaches their teams cant make 5 passes together

    • Its hard for me to go along with that view….maybe that’s what goes on now but certainly coaches like Micheal Grayson, Kenny Thomas(RIP), Roderick Warner (RIP), Jap Brown (RIP) and Winston Phillips definitely coached/taught the game (tactics etc) and drilled the basics. Recruitment notwithstanding, in building their teams, they all sought to get the best out of their players and improve them. In that mold I would mention two ‘younger’ coaches I was also exposed to….Hayden Martin and Trevor Spicer. Kenny in particular drilled the hell out of us, so inevitably the basic skills became second nature…Alvin Corneal once said – I’m paraphrasing a bit – that for him, being ‘skillful’ is ‘Execution of technique on demand” (meaning, executing the appropriate technique for the given situation….so a certain level of efficiency is implied). I get your point about when they become national coaches their teams don’t perform optimally. Kenny was a National U23 coach at one point and his teams never really lived up to their potential, but there were other factors that came into play in those instances that mitigated against better results and overall performance. But I would also say that there is a whole generation of players from Brent Bennett time and even before who never played for the senior team, so we never got the full quotient and potential of players that this country had to offer.

    • I’m not sure it’s laziness as well. I actually think it’s a lack of coaching education. Kenny/Grayson were the first coachea who had unlimited water breaks. I played for Bertille and at that time he would never allow that. I bring this up because Bertille took us to the youth WC but had such territorial and intimidating ways it wasn’t funny. It was masked as discipline which is foolish. How does one get the max out of their players if they are not free to be themselves? Granted I can’t speak for coaches in trini today but I’m not sure how much coaching education they are getting. I could say so many negative experiences that I had in trini when compared to the US it’s not even funny.

    • Yeah….I heard Bertille was a ‘tyrant’ but strange enough though he got results….but maybe we’re comparing eras and an ethic that may not be the norm anymore. I’ve seen Roger Prince during his stint as QRC coach…in his thirties at the time….and witnessed the success he had, certainly his methods were very much akin to what we would’ve received from some of the older stalwarts I mentioned earlier, Angus Eve also seems to be doing well, I’ve seen some of his sessions. I hope he continues to improve himself because I think he has something to offer on a National level one day. He has a good attitude. In the US there are basic standards that coaches must adhere to and there are levels they must attain. Their accreditation process does help weed out ‘bad’ coaches…there’s no such system here. Justin may well be correct in his view that the coaches at youth level nowadays are ‘lazy’ and not up to the requisite standard as would obtain in the US.

    • It’s not a good point because it’s not true! I’ve been associated with several coaches at the high school level and seen the great physical, social , emotional and academic development that they’ve imparted to their players. There are some who’s methods were probably less than ideal but they cared and they did develop their players – one example is bertille st Clair.

      Alvin corneal, Roderick Warner (late) Nigel Grosvenor, Michael Grayson, Nevick Denoon – all excellent coaches in their own right to whom a lot of player development could be attributed. I’ve interacted closely or been coached myself by these individuals and can attest to their quality.

    • Jan Steadman, Kenny Joseph, Wyckam (Dada) , Sellers, Arthur “Jap” Brown R.I.P. , and a few others can be added to the list. Them really good yes.

    • Guys ah think we going of course and I’m probably to blame for that. No disputing the coaches you guys mentioned but we were discussing today’s coaches and whether they are good, no good or somewhat lazy. I said I think it because of a lack of coaching education but that goes back a long way too…

    • I realised also that many are calling out coaches from our time and before….I thjink the question is ,as you say, about the current batch….

    • Not just good, not good or lazy but how about a bit too “cocky” too… feel that the hame is about them and dont allow players to play and enjoy the game but rather feel that they should be heard through the entire game some of them one young coach in particular comes to mind. His players are always on edge

    • Yeah I know two Keith Look Loy and Angus Eve. Them really good yes. hahahahaha

    • Well I’m guessing that the main culprit is your friend hence you’re not calling his name Earl Mango Pierre??? Smh

    • hahahahahaha Ah wonder who is that you speaking about eh, give some time nah ah thinking right about now

    • Angus Eve may call out his players a lot but he still gets results and his players, in spite of are inspired to still “play” for him

    • Does he Coach in the school league or the professional League eh Bass Cleff?

    • No nobody wanted him don’t ask me why Maracas took him… zero results except RELEGATION lol

    • No Adam McKell Earl Mango Pierre is asking about the coach I’m referring to

    • ….just realise that..lol…

    • Wait nah Bass Cleff is your former classmate yuh calling out so?

    • hahahahahah Or or Michael Mc Commie, look at that I didn’t even know that he got his throat busted from Caoching Maracas eh, oh well by now you should know that he isn’t normal eh, and I think that many of our Coaches following the international Coaches and think that standing up on the side line and sometimes confusing the players is the way to go in these modern times eh, back in the days that madness never use to happen, the players are Coached at practice and practice games on on game day , all that they was told by the Coach is executed and usually the captain that is chosen by the Coach is like the Coach’s assistant on the field, hence the reason why I like the Dutch man who was the coach of the greatest EPL team in the universe eh Alyuh ever see him standing up by any side lines Coaching is team eh, he gave that to his Assistant Ryan Giggs to do eh Them really good yes.

    • LOLOL……this red ‘oman nuh easy!

    • It is what it is… and anybody can tell you I’m not lying… players were uncomfortable. Remember young Joevin Jones, who was made to run until he vomited out his liver string and almost died??? Who was coaching him then?

    • Man I didn’t even remember it was JJ that he did that too… lawd fadda… I thought he is ah big coach? In fact someone suggested he would be a good fit for St. Anthony’s

    • It was me! But I was not aware of all this ‘other’ history….

    • Yes de same dam Earl Mango Pierre seconded that lol… now tell me who really good?

    • Yeah hence the reason why he will never be allowed to ever Coach another youth national team eh and as I said before he isn’t to normal in his head eh. ah wonder which team he will be Coaching this season . Mc Commie Really good yes.

    • I only knew of his time in the pro league where he had some success.

    • Adam McKell a coach has to he a proper GOAT to get that team he had and not have success at pro league level in TNT

    • Hahahahahaha… I dying with laughter here…. Bass Cleff yuh eh easy….

    • What happened when he went Ma Pau when the quality of players wasn’t as good as that of JP?

    • Well some of the bootleg Coaches in our sweet country will always have success and that is because of the players that they have on their team eh, just look at the 3 times Central F.C. won the professional league eh. Them really good yes

    • Ah tell this red ‘oman mouth is a lethal weapon..LOL

    • No check out the “successes” of Ma Pau with him at the helm

    • So Bass Cleff why allyuh hire him? He give you and Kester Lendor a Gustine discount lololol

    • Bulb smart from long time.. allyuh get chain up lolol

    • I being honest he came claiming he doing we a favour lol a favour yes for me… as a result it helped in my decision to NOT DO ANYTHING regarding football again unless it’s a PAID job… so yuh see out of every bad cometh good…

    • And that is the same thing that is going on with some of the other bootleg Coaches in our sweet country they are selling themselves short just to get the job and even will Coach for free hence the reason why our football in a mess eh. ah set ah Bootleg Coaches whos doesn’t even know that they doesn’t understand the beautiful game steeuuppsss. Them really good yes.

    • People don’t understand that coaching is not only about football… you have to win your players and to do so your people’s skill MUST BE at a certain standard and take time to understand each player’s strength n weaknesses on and off the field particularly in a non profrssional environment. A community at that…

    • My skipper of 12 years… from inception, always reliable, never had discipline problems with that boy… and I had to stand aside and watch him leave HIS TEAM… becoz I had to allow the coach to do his job tho I knew it was in INJUSTICE to the youth..

    • Say what… it’s ALL behind me now, 13 years is enough my conscience is clear that I’ve done my part… now it’s about what’s paying my bills and what’s not.

    • Alyuh know how many moons ago I told them that the Coaches Association and the Players Association shudda be up and running in our sweet country in order to develop our young upcomming want to be Coaches eh, but every man was about themselves and their own Coaching development eh, and it is only now like they all finally woke up and smelt the cofffee , there the Elite Youth developmental program, the FLow Youth professional league and now even the Republic Bank in the mix trying ah thing with the youth football so it seems like they is on the right track eh, but come June 8th when the Soca Worries comes to my second sweetest country to play against the USA down there in Colorado eh, is licks like peas if Coach Dennis doesn’t finally pick the right team with two more prolific goal scorers eh and I dun talk. Them really good yes.

    • You all eh realize we went on on our own thing on the wrong forum… lol I now catch my self

    • But Earl Mango Pierre why don’t u start it?

    • That happens because they are confused on what discipline is. A common problem in trini. Plus he cannot treat adults the same way you treat kids… it will never work.

    • Especially youths who have never been in a “structured” environment. But then one might argue they here to coach not teach life skills… but if u have none that might be a good excuse becoz when u do it becomes second nature

    • Bass Cleff As you know that I have returned to my second sweetest country but oh gosh ah feel like have have gone back in time eh, with the mentality of some of our people and everyone knows the solutions and how to fix our football eh, only ah set ah talk and more talk, when you have some time check out the videos with some of the experts talking this and that with Steve David who is really trying to get back the right vibes with respect to our football and none of them is talking about getting the fields in our commuinities fixed and maintained the same like CIC, Fatima, and The Spec UWI ground with proper seating accomodations the same like in my second sweetest country eh. All the samr meh good friend is planing to get the Coaching Association up and running again and me , well I will continue with meh Players Association to educate our players, defend their rights , and offer the monies and a boots of their choice compete in our professional league for the most goals eh and in a timing also for the Super League.

    • Is Shaka Hislop involved with this players association? As though I heard something to that effect some time ago.

    • That was FPATT they were only concerned about the professional players and some had it to say that they only came up with that in order to get their well deserved millions from the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies when they was promised to get a cut of the profits when the 2006 Soca Worries finally qualified for their first ever World Cup in Germany eh and after it was swept under the carpet, but the Players Association that I am speaking about is for every player, in our sweet country and it won’t only be about the football.

  4. This is a norm in T&T USE you and then ABUSE you. Mr Grosvenor continue to help the youths, this is your focus. Regarding the use of the grounds is similar to San Juan Government Secondary School Alumni has been using the grounds for various activities. Suddenly last year the principal refused the Alumni use of the grounds demanding money. for its use (Was this handed down by the Ministry of Education? For decades we have used the grounds. This is the origins and homeground of Jabloteh. Where these “Johnn/yJane come lately” principals come from. They don’t know the history of schools but suddenly come with these ideas and playing ignorant. As someone pointed out to one of my nieces recently regarding CXC and CAPE, the teacher told her “no one is interested in you the person, the accolades goes to the SCHOOL. Mr Grovesnor put St Anthonys; on the map for football and this is his reward, Haters all around

  5. Same thing happened to Dexter Cyrus at St Benedicts when the new Principal arrived

  6. Pres giveth and taketh away…

  7. But they got 3 points from Pres…and another 3 from East Mucurapo…in the end they finished with 15 points above QRC and St Benedicts

  8. All the same, Fatima and QRC are both in the top flight for next season.

  9. Smh. Didn’t Fatima finish last?

  10. The two colleges beat the drop….lol

  11. You have to add Nicholas and Nigel in the top right hand panel under “Members” for them to see the tag. 😉

  12. If they get out of Championship Division.

  13. So now QRC might win matches?

  14. Trinis enjoy a good drama and seek it in everything. A new principal, a new leadership style, a new strategy so usually some new players. Common common in all areas . Grosvenor is my very good friend and one of the most genuine guys I know. Sad to see him leave his legacy behind but even happier that he’s coming to QRC.

  15. Coachman Grovey!!! Would have NEVER thought I’d see him coach anywhere else but St. Anthony’s

  16. One thing constant in life is change so maybe St. Anthony’s legacy wasn’t meant to live on.

  17. There seems to be something going on at some of our schools in the SSFL. Recall what the new Principal did to another iconic coach at the Green Machine? Personal Agendas and #principalswhofeeltheywereappointedgods

  18. Quesi James your very own Judas

  19. Tactical, Aggressive and always challenging the status quo….although we played together in Gustine , being a Tiger originally makes him a great choice fuh real.

  20. Michael Mc Commie great choice eh

  21. I often thought Grayson would’ve gone QRC, being an old boy an’ all. Tigers should pull out ‘Commie!

  22. The problem with Alyuh trinis is that alyuh cannot handle the changes with respect to the football steeuupps hence the reason the madness is taking place with some of the professional teams where some of the Coaches want to Coach the teams until the end of time eh, so no other Coaches cannot get their chances to prove themselves ?Them really good yes.

  23. Seeing Grovsnor anywhere other than the Tigers will be surreal….but then again if Grayson could coach Gustine after so many years at Arima Compre….I guess this too can pass.

  24. This is shocking news and the powers that be at St Anthony’s should be ashamed of treating Grovy this way.

  25. Richard did you know about this?

  26. QRC is lucky. That man is so much more than a coach and for what he has done for the students who have passed through him – how he has changed their lives – he should never have had to endure the disrespect meted out by Inniss.

    The principal talks a good game about the boys needing father figures and wanting to work to provide mentorship opportunities for the youth but his day to day actions showed an unreasonable disrespect for one of the men who was naturally a mentor right there in the school. Does he think that went unnoticed by students, parents and teachers alike?

    I’m heartbroken the legacy is broken with St Anthony’s but I am happy for Grovy. Exciting things ahead.

  27. Jahrique Stewart looks like QRC finally gonna win Intercol now

  28. I’m asking eh so don’t shoot the messenger…. is Grovy ah good coach or an excellent recruiter?

  29. Grovey is a good coach. St. Anthony’s crazy to let him go

  30. One less team for Pres to worry about!

  31. It’s a wrap for St Anthony’s.

  32. I cyah believe this!!! This true Imran Roberto Gopaul? D Original Birdman?

  33. Boy that is a shocker @ Kelon Williams..

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