T&T footballers give war declaration to T&TFF.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Warrior suit!
The “Soca Warriors” yesterday declared that it was “on the verge of legal action” against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) over a bonus dispute in what could be a landmark case in the country’s sport history and is sure to catch the attention of global football body, FIFA.
London sport lawyers, Athletes 1 Legal, issued a press release on behalf of 17 members of the national football team who represented Trinidad and Tobago at their historic debut showing at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The aggrieved players are Marvin Andrews, Kenwyne Jones, Chris Birchall, Collin Samuel, Atiba Charles, Brent Sancho, Cyd Gray, Ian Cox, Aurtis Whitley, Cornell Glen, Kelvin Jack, Shaka Hislop, Evans Wise, Avery John, Stern John, Anthony Wolfe and present squad captain Densill Theobald.
“The players are ready and willing to meet with the T&TFF to discuss matters but that option no longer appears available,” stated a release from Athletes 1 Legal. “The players have asked a series of detailed questions regarding revenues from the World Cup and associated expenses but none of these have been replied to. Therefore there appears little option but to sue the Federation in the Trinidad Courts for an order that the Federation produce a full account of the World Cup revenue, and thereafter pay to the players the percentage that was previously agreed.”
T&TFF press officer Shaun Fuentes told the Trinidad Express that his employers did not wish to respond “at this time” and the matter would be forwarded to their lawyers. Neither party has directly addressed the press on the matter apart from e-mailed releases or one press conference, staged by the players last September, which did not permit questions.
Notably absent from the Athletes 1 Legal list are World Cup captain Dwight Yorke and retired playmaker Russell Latapy as well as the quartet of Carlos Edwards, Dennis Lawrence, Jason Scotland and Clayton Ince.
The disagreement centers on the disbursement of sponsorship and commercial revenues, which arose from the country’s qualification for the World Cup, to the national players.
The players made a pact with FIFA vice-president Jack Warner in November 2005 for 30 percent of sponsorship and commercial revenue. They claimed that this figure rose to 50 percent during the World Cup.
Warner, at the time, negotiated in his capacity as T&TFF special advisor. He was later named as chairman of Local Organising Committee (LOC) Germany 2006, which dealt with all aspects of the team’s World Cup preparation including all commercial deals.
A similar deal was brokered between the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) and its players for the 2006 tournament. The “Socceroos” received $14.5 million ($3 million Australian dollars) to share among themselves from the $44.4 million ($9.2 million Australian dollars) paid to the FFA by FIFA for its team’s qualification. In addition, Australia’s World Cup players also received a third of the FFA’s spin-off income, which included shirt sales and merchandise.
The T&TFF, however, claimed to have earned just $18 million—inclusive of merchandising and sponsorship deals—last September. The local body further deducted expenses before presenting a share of $141,102 for the team or $5,644.08 per player.
The Warriors initially threatened strike action but decided to continue to represent their country while they retained Athletes 1 Legal to fight on their behalf.
Thus far, the T&TFF and Athletes 1 Legal have been unable to find a compromise.
Athletes One Legal’s chief solicitor, Mike Townley, insisted that the T&TFF’s financial statement was “substantially inaccurate and unreliable” and called on the Federation to “properly account to the players for the sponsorship and other commercial revenues generated from qualification”.
“The income figures do not match the amounts which the Federation previously claimed to have earned from sponsors and whole categories of income, such as licensing and merchandising, are excluded,” stated the release. “The Players’ view is that the accounts they have seen massively understate the income and overstate the expenses.”
Townley noted discrepancies in the T&TFF’s books and pointed to the Adidas deal, which was fingered in a Trinidad Express report last September.
“The Federation in their own press statements prior to the World Cup Finals stated that Adidas had agreed to sponsor the Warriors for the sum of US$11.5 million,” Townley stated. “Yet in the accounts that have now been produced income from Adidas is shown at just under US$300,000.
“The players first asked for this discrepancy to be explained in a letter of 24th October, and yet to date no explanation for this or any of the other identified discrepancies has been received.”
Townley also slammed the T&TFF’s alleged failure to release $225,000 (US$36,000) to the players for distribution to an unnamed charity. He claimed the two parties agreed to withhold this money for charity from the sum owed to the players as their share of the FIFA grant earned by qualification.
“The money was always intended to go to charity,” stated Townley. “Given the current relations between the players and the Federation it was felt best if that money was transferred to the Squad account while a decision was taken on who should receive it.
“A letter requesting that this sum be paid to the Warrior’s account was sent to the Federation lawyers on the 6th December but no payment has yet been made by the Federation. The players are very concerned that even this sum of US$36,000 is being retained when quite obviously no dispute exists in relation to it and it is unarguably due to the players.”
Athletes 1 Legal also accused the T&TFF of “discrimination” and acting “against the interests of T&T football” by ignoring players from national selection due to their involvement in the bonus dispute.
Last September, T&TFF general secretary Richard Groden referred to the Warriors as “delinquent” and “less than honourable” while, in November, he singled out the England-based pair of Brent Sancho and Kelvin Jack, who both represent England League One club Gillingham, as the leaders of the revolt. Neither player was invited to represent his country since the World Cup.
Groden also threatened to ignore the Warriors and, instead, use players from the local Pro League and national youth teams to “form the nucleus of our team for 2010”.
Theobald, the present captain, was the only World Cup player used at the 2007 Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament and it is now uncertain whether he will be allowed to keep his place for upcoming friendly matches against Panama and Costa Rica. Trinidad and Tobago competed without most of its regular players at the regional competition and ended in second spot after a 2-1 loss to Haiti in the final.
