West Indies national football team
International representative football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The West Indies national football team is the team that represents the West Indies. It is not a member of FIFA, CFU or CONCACAF, however they were affiliated with the N.F.-Board, an organisation for teams who are non-affiliated with FIFA, until 2017 when the status of membership was abolished.[2] The team is organised by the West Indies Football Association (WIFA), and its president is James Baird.
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| Association | West Indies Football Association (WIFA) | ||
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| Confederation | N.F.-Board (former) | ||
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| First international | |||
 WIFA Pirates 5–4 Petrotrin Sports Club  (Trinidad and Tobago; 17 January 2015)[1] | |||
| Website | http://www.wifa.ca/ (defunct) | ||
The West Indies team uses Caribbean players from all over the world, of whom have not played with their own national team, and gives them the opportunity to represent the West Indies and let them experience international football.
The team was scheduled to play in the 2014 Viva World Cup,[3] however due to the crisis and breakup of the N.F.-Board, as well as its subsequent failure to organise the tournament, it was never played.
History
There have been many attempts to put a West Indies football team together but in the past they mostly failed although there was the British Caribbean Football Association, which was established in 1957 and played various matches as the select team from the Caribbean mostly against English opposition.
In 2013, the idea of a united team of the West Indies was brought back and put into action, with the founding of the West Indies Football Association by James Baird, in Trinidad and Tobago.[3]
Due to the nature of the organisation, players from across the region have the opportunity to participate on a world footballing stage where perhaps they would not be offered that chance with their home nation.
The WIFA Pirates (the development squad) played their first ever proper match on January 26, 2015, in a friendly match against the Petrotrin Sports Club (of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association), winning 5–4.[4]
Futsal
The West Indies futsal team is based in London, where many of the West Indies futsal players participate in the English football league system.[5] The head coach of the team is Englishman Robert Brassett.[6]
Squads
National Squad
- As of 20 January 2015
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Local Squad (WIFA Pirates)
WIFA partnered with Texas Premier Soccer League club side Galveston Pirate SC on August 20, 2014. The partnership between both clubs saw the introduction of the WIFA Pirates, which would act as the WIFA development squad.[7]
{-} Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of Jan 26, 2015.
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WIFA Leadership
| Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| James Baird | President |  |
| James Baird | Head Coach | |
| Bill Alsobrook | Vice-president |  |
| John Furlong | Secretary | |
| Justin Lall | Finance | |
| Debby Ann Ojar-Baird | Director/ Attorney-at-Law | |
| Marc Roseblade | Media/Website | |
| Nathan Langaigne | Assistant Coach | |
| Clinton Lewis | Coach | |
| John Sime | Goalkeeper Coach | |
| Robert Brassett | Futsal Coach |  |
| Erik Klint | Scout |  Have left the FA |
| TBA | Physio | |
Results and fixtures
Recent results
| 21 January 2015 Friendly match | WIFA Pirates | 5–4 | Petrotrin Sports Club | Santa Flora, Trinidad and Tobago |
| 18:00 | Che Edwards x 3 Tacuma Sadlow OG |
Report | Stadium: Petrotrin Compound |