Team Hope win Football For A Cause 2-1

TEAM HOPE, coached by Brian Williams, defeated Team Relief, which included player/coach Angus Eve, 2-1 at the Football For A Cause charity match, which took place, on Friday evening, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

The event featured ex-national footballers, current national women players, as well as members of the hockey, table tennis, cricket and swimming fraternity.

Swimmer Cherelle Thompson and TT women’s footballer Natasha St Louis scoring for Team Hope, while current Central FC coach Stern John replied for Team Relief.

However, the loudest cheers of the night occurred when former Minister of National Security and current Police Commissioner Gary Griffith made a pair of cameo appearances for Team Relief.

National men’s coach Dennis Lawrence, who was one of the chief organisers for the charity match, described the event as “fantastic”.

“I think the most important thing was the cause,” he said. “The reports I’m getting is that we’ve got a room absolutely ram-packed and the donations (were) very good. And everybody came out and enjoyed themselves. From that point of view, I’m delighted.”

Asked if another charity game could be staged in a few weeks’ time, to garner greater public support, Lawrence replied, “Obviously. The idea is the try to have some continuity because we need to always keep coming together, unite, and try to help.”

He continued, “So, we’ll sit down, have a chat because I think (Friday) was a good example for Trinidad and Tobago about when people come together, what (they) can achieve.”

Lawrence was pleased with the positive responses he got from his former TT teammates and members of the sporting fraternity who took part in the charity match.

“It was just one phone call and everybody was on board straight away,” he said.

“That was the easiest part. In terms of the logistics, that would have been the more difficult part, because when you have the Commissioner of Police involved in anything, you need to be very secure.

“All and all, we were pleased, everybody enjoyed themselves. The sponsors, the people that turned up and the media, I want to say thank you very much.”

He ended, “It was on short notice. We weren’t expecting it to be great but we were going to do it anyhow.”