Caledonia AIA F.C.

Caledonia AIA Football Club is a football team in Trinidad and Tobago's top-level TT Pro League. It is based in Malabar, and its home stadium is Larry Gomes Stadium.

History

Caledonia Athletes In Action (AIA) Football Club nicknamed “Cale” was born on an early Thursday morning on the 17th May 1979 at the Angostura grounds, Laventille by youths from both the Caledonia District and Students of the San Juan Government Secondary School. Founded by Jamaal Shabazz (the current Guyanese National Senior Men’s team coach), who at that time was the player/coach for the team. In that year the team fielded an Under 19 and Under 16 team in the Eddie Hart League, in which the Under 16’s won the knockout and came 3rd in the league while the Under 19’s won their knockout competition. From 1979 to 1984 Cale completely dominated youth football in the East Zone winning a trophy in every competition they entered. In 1983 they had many wonderful talents which featured for their schools who participated in the Colleges League. In 1984 the team entered the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Senior Grade competition and won, thus gaining promotion to the Division One of the TTFA East Zone, which was one tier below the National Soccer League. However the team helped form the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation which was made up of clubs who felt unless the TTFA Executives made its constitution, one club one vote; then they would form their own rival league. the league was banned by the TTFA and was not recognized by FIFA and clubs slowly went back to the TTFA. The Federation folded in 1988 and Caledonia had no choice but to return as well. During that period Cale Lost many of its youths who wanted to play National team football and couldn’t do that while playing for an outlawed team. In 1989, during Caledonia’s first year back in the league, they won the East Zone Second Division and reached the semi-finals of the F.A. Cup. Cale has become one of most recognised professional franchises in local football, employing 25 professional footballers, a 5 man technical staff and a 2 man administrative staff. Into its 33rd years existence the Club has built up a reputation for entertaining and exciting football and has become a household name in local sport.^[1]

Club honours

Cups and Trophies

• FA Trophy
  • Winners (3): 2008, 2011–12, 2012–13
  • Runners-up (1): 2007

• First Citizens Cup
  • Winners (2): 2011, 2012
  • Runners-up (2): 2001, 2007

• Digicel Pro Bowl
  • Winners (1): 2008
  • Runners-up (2): 2009, 2012

• Lucozade Sport Goal Shield
  • Winners (1): 2012

International Honours

• CFU Club Championship
  • Winners (1): 2012
  • Runners-up (1): 1998

Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Glenroy Samuel DF Aubery David DF Aquil Selby DF Radanfah Abu Bakr DF Kemron Purcell DF Colin Nelson DF Walter Moore DF Kareem Joseph DF Nuru Abdullah Muhammad MF Trayon Bobb MF Akim Armstrong MF Ataulla Guerra MF Densill Theobald

No. Position Player MF Nathan Lewis MF Stephan David MF Keyon Edwards MF Abdullah Phillips FW Makesi Lewis FW Trevin Ceasar FW Pernell Schultz FW Odelle Armstrong FW Jamal Gay FW Conrad Smith FW Sheldon Holder FW Kerlon Ferguson

Notable players

Arima Fire Malabar

Technical Staff

Head Coach: Jamaal Shabazz, Assistant Coach: Jerry Moe, Goalkeeper Coach: Steve Frederick, Physio: Dawn-Marie Wickham, Equipment Manager: Ansar Abdul Karim

Administrative Staff

General Manager: Ricarda Nelson, Marketing Officer: Fajr Alimayu

References

External links

• Logo
• Official Site