Former national footballer and 1989 Strike Squad coach Everald “Gally” Cummings is hoping that Gally’s Football Finishing School (GFFS) will help bring back flair to T&T football and develop players into great finishers.
Cummings along with numerous local coaches will have a series of camps from July – December throughout T&T for boys and girls between the ages of 9 – 16. The first camp will be held at the St Mary’s College Grounds in St Clair from July 11 – 22. Camps will then be held at the Lange Park Recreational Ground in Chaguanas from July 25 – August 5, at the Eddie Hart Recreational Ground in Tacarigua from August 8 – 19 and then in the Southern region from August 22 – September 2 at a venue to be announced. Each camp will be held Monday – Friday from 8 daily.
Some of the coaches who will assist Cummings in his venture include former national footballers Brian Williams, Ron La Forest, Marvin Faustin and Kerry Jameson and Women’s Soca Warriors player Maylee Attin-Johnson.
At the media launch of GFFS yesterday at Trotters Restaurant in Port-of-Spain, Cummings said, “The establishment of this school is grounded in the philosophy of sustaining our indigenous style of football based on our natural Trinbagonian rhythms.”
The former Strike Squad coach added, “One of the main objectives therefore is to reestablish great finishers and develop players who can create and convert goals from all angles of the playing field.
Cummings explained why he wants to work with youngsters in the age group 9-16. “I chose this age group to ensure continuity from primary to secondary level. I am of the view that it is easier to adapt to new skills and attitudes at this age.”
Cummings said he wants to bring flair back to T&T football. “To achieve more success at the national level however, our identity and style of football must be promoted to give these youngsters more freedom to express themselves on the playing field. Our current style of play seem to be unidentifiable and not very entertaining which has resulted in many empty stadia in our local football.”
The former Sportsman of the Year winner in 1974 hopes his football school can further develop women’s football. “In the case of girls, fewer opportunities exist for their overall development as less attention is paid to the development of women’s football generally. I believe this programme will assist further in their development. We hope the establishment of the Gally’s Football Finishing School will produce some exciting players in the future.”
Platinum sponsor of the football camp Kiss Baking Company presented GFFS with a $50,000 cheque.
Interested persons can email GFFS at gallysffs@gmail.com, check facebook at Facebook/gallysffs or visit the website at www.gallysffs.com.