Ex-England defender headbutts his own press officer

A controversial ex-England defender reportedly headbutts his own press officer during a press conference with a probe now opened on it.

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Terry Fenwick shouted at media officer Shaun Fuentes “I told you I am not doing any fucking interview once he is here!” before allegedly hitting out.

Fenwick was getting ready to start a briefing with the media at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva and had two journalists nearby when he launched a sudden outburst at the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) employee.

CNC3 posted a video online of what looked to be a heated row between Fenwick and Fuentes with their relationship clearly strained it would seem.

Reports say the altercation got physical between the two of them on Wednesday morning with Fenwick said to have headbutted.

The pair later returned to the journalists and conducted the press conference as normal.

Fenwick, who went on to manage Portsmouth and Northampton Town before taking over at San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC in Trinidad and Tobago, has given his response to what is being said.

Fenwick later told Newsday: ““Don’t even go there. It is all rubbish and you will recognise all the areas it is coming from.”

TTFA STATEMENT:

The TTFFA says the incident which occurred during a senior training session has been addressed. The following is a press release from the TTFA

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association wishes to state that following an incident at the Senior Team Training Session involving Men’s National Head Coach Terry Fenwick and Director of Communications and Team Press Officer Shaun Fuentes on Wednesday morning at the Ato Boldon Stadium, the matter has been addressed at a meeting involving the two individuals, team manager Adrian Romain and the Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad.

The TTFA further advises that the matter was blown out of proportion as Head Coach Fenwick only chose to express his disapproval of a certain member of the media fraternity being present at a scheduled Media Briefing on the eve of the Team’s departure for the Dominican Republic for the upcoming CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Guyana. Apologies were exchanged and Fenwick and Fuentes have since agreed to put the incident behind them and continue the focus on the Team’s upcoming assignments in Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Both Fenwick and Fuentes proceeded to conduct themselves in a professional manner and subsequently hosted the media briefing before the media present at the venue.

The 61 year old played for Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham, Leicester and Swindon Town during his playing career, most of the time in top flight / Premier League.

FENWICK’S PLAYING CAREER:

Senior career
1976–1980 – Crystal Palace – 70 games (0 goals)
1980–1987 – Queens Park Rangers – 256 games (33 goals)
1987–1993 – Tottenham Hotspur – 93 games (8 goals)
1990–1991 → Leicester City (loan) – 8 games (1 goal)
1993–1995 – Swindon Town – 28 games (0 goals)
Total – 455 games (42 goals)

National team
1980–1982 – England U21 – 11 games (0 goals)
1984–1988 – England – 20 games (0 goals)

He is best known for his part in Diego Maradona’s stunning ‘Goal of the Century’ in England’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

Fenwick was among the number of England defenders who were left embarrassed by the Argentina legend’s dribbling skills as he found the back of the net just four minutes after his notorious ‘Hand of God’ goal. 

Speaking after Maradona’s death in 2020, Fenwick said: ‘Initially I was bitter and twisted. It was handball, a free-kick to England. We thought we had the better 11 players on the field, but they had the world’s greatest player. He was the difference.

‘This fella was unbelievable. It didn’t matter how many defenders were around him. Give him the ball and he’d destroy you.

‘This guy ruined my international career over 90 minutes. But it was not for 20-odd years did I sit down and realise I’d played against the best player there’s ever been.’

Fans reacted after seeing that the ex-England defender headbutts his own press officer during a press conference…

https://t.co/EZ33L1ywoI pic.twitter.com/XhiY4cRsd9

— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) March 17, 2021

@chrislepkowski: Sure it wasn’t just a late challenge on Maradona?

@JavierGarciaBPI: Could have done with a bit of that fire at the Estadio Azteca in ’86

@MalDickenson: If only he knew a Trinidadian lawyer ….

@garethedwards74: Shame it’s took him 35 years to make a bloody challenge

@Funwithflares: Despite leaving Terry Fenwick leaving Tottenham Hotspur in 1993, he has unable to stop his shameful behaviour!

@robgeorghiou: Closer than he ever got to Maradona in Mexico…

@Ben_Wiseman: It’s not all fun working in sports comms…

@Kooshycooooooo: Anyone who watched him play football ain’t surprised

@Wooster_Bert_: Amazed he got near him.