SOS for axed Hart as players lobby FA

PORT OF SPAIN Trinidad, CMC – Less than two months after his sacking as national coach, Trinidad and Tobago men’s senior squad want Stephen Hart reinstated.

In a shocking development, Hart has emerged as the squad’s favourite to take over, following the dramatic resignation of his replacement, Belgian Tom Saintfiet, last Tuesday after just five weeks and four games in charge.

Speaking on behalf of a group of 23 national players, spokesman Jan-Michael Williams said they had been at fault for Hart’s sacking last November and should have taken more responsibility for their own game.

“In the players’ opinion, I think we obviously let him down, I think we should have operated in a more professional manner,” the goalkeeper told the Newsday here.

“We think obviously he is the best man for the job or one of the best candidates for the job and we will like to get him back on board.”

Hart was sacked by the local FA last November after three years in charge, following T&T’s poor start to the CONCACAF final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

They went down 0-2 to Costa Rica at home and then lost to Honduras 1-3 away in San Pedro Sula.

He was replaced by Saintfiet in early December but the 43-year-old won just one of his four games before tendering a shock resignation, citing lack of support from TTFA as one of his main reasons.

Without a head coach two months before the next round of World Cup qualifiers, the group of 23 also sent a letter to the TTFA with their suggestions for a replacement.

According to the Newsday, Hart tops the list which also comprises W Connection’s Stuart Charles-Fevrier, former England defender and experienced Terry Fenwick and former national player and local coach Angus Eve.

“We (the players) KNOW it is not our decision to make, neither is it our place to make such demands, but we – 23 current players – have pooled our knowledge, resources and ideas together to come up with a few names for your immediate consideration,” the letter said.

“We can all agree that we the players have interacted with these names at some level, so we can safely say our knowledge can be used in this regard.

“We pledge our full support regardless of who is selected to the position, even if it is a person or persons outside of this list, as we know that we the players play an integral part in helping the team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.”