Events 2008
DIGICEL Football Clinic

TRINIDAD DIGICEL KICK START FOOTBALL CLINICS ON TRACK
Second to last stop for the Digicel Clinics takes John Barnes to Trinidad

President Jack Warner (CFU) with John Barnes at the Press Briefing for the Trinidad Digicel Clinics

Sunday, 10 February – Port of Spain, Trinidad: At a press Briefing held on the first day of the Trinidad Digicel Clinics, Head Coach John Barnes, whose father is from Trinidad, expressed his anticipation and excitement in being in Trinidad to train with the National U-20: “I have been waiting to get to Trinidad. Throughout the last 6 countries, I have seen high quality, some I expected, and others that surprised me. But I have been looking forward to coming to Trinidad especially. Trinidad has now proven to be a Caribbean football powerhouse, with playing in the last World Cup, and now with four players in England. There has been a development in Trinidad football and I am happy to, along with Digicel, be a part of furthering that development.”

President of the Caribbean Football Union, Jack Warner, expressed his delight in having Digicel bring John Barnes to Trinidad: “I am extremely pleased by the work Digicel has to done in an effort to develop Caribbean Football. Bringing a Caribbean Football legend like John to Trinidad will give the youth of the Caribbean hope. It will strengthen Caribbean Football and aid us in shining on the international stage.”

23 young footballers along with five coaches attended day one of the Digicel Clinics at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Port of Spain yesterday. Among the coaches was Head Coach of the National U20 team, Anton Corneal, son of the Trinidad football legend Alvin Corneal. Anton gave his impression of the first day of the Digicel Clinics in Trinidad: “It is a good learning experience for these young players. Its good for them to hear advice and disciplines from a former international player and coach who comes from the same background as them. Meeting a legend and relating to him on this level has shown them that they too can make it. A Trinidad U20 player has as good a chance as anybody to be a part of the select six to go to Sunderland.”

The three day Trinidad Digicel Kick Start Football Clinics ends on Monday February 11 with a match between the National U-20 and Joe Public Football Club at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Port of Spain. The Digicel Clinics then moves on to Jamaica for the final leg ending Saturday February 16.

At the end of February John Barnes will select the six most talented footballers who will be offered the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to the UK to take part in one week’s training at English Premier League side Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light.

John Barnes puts the Trinidad National U20 through the paces on Day 1 of the Digicel Clinics

John Barnes with the Trinidad National U20 players on Day 1 of the Digicel Clinics

Trinidad National U20 train with John Barnes on the 1st day of the Digicel clinics

About Digicel

Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the fastest-growing wireless telecommunications operator in the Caribbean. Digicel is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and state-of-the-art handsets. It is the largest GSM operator in the region.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and has operations in twenty three markets, including Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, Curaçao, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and El Salvador. Digicel also has a license in Guatemala and coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths.

The company is the lead sponsor of Caribbean sports teams including the West Indies Cricket Team, Special Olympics teams across the Caribbean and is title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Football Union Cup, which involves over 30 Caribbean countries and is an important qualifier towards the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

For more information, visit http://digicelfootball.com

Contact: Shelly Ann Brown, Digicel - 1876 3815042

About Sunderland’s Academy of Light

Sunderland’s Academy of Light training ground is a multi-million-pound, multi-purpose building that has catered for Sunderland players since it opened in March 2003, and remains one of Europe’s leading training complexes.

The state-of-the-art facility caters for a player’s every need, boasting nine full-size football pitches and a wealth of indoor facilities including a swimming pool and a fully-equipped gymnasium.

The Academy part of the building, which is specifically for the club’s younger players, also includes a number of classrooms with modern computers to help educate young players while they’re with the club.