FPATT urge T&TFF to climb down.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).
Kevin Harrison, adviser to the Football Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT) and English Professional Footballers Association (PFA) financial advisor, has urged the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) to put patriotism before pride when dealing with its star players.
Sport Minister Roger Boynes met the "Soca Warriors" and T&TFF representatives in separate meetings Monday aimed at smoothing fraught relations between the parties, which led to 16 World Cup 2006 players being blacklisted from the 2007 Gold Cup squad and another four members declining a summons out of solidarity with their teammates.
Harrison, who visited Trinidad and Tobago last week to help the set up of FPATT, said the Federation should not lose sight of its positive role in local football despite the disagreement with the Warriors over World Cup bonus money.
"The Federation's prime concern has got to be the success of the national team," said Harrison. "If the children see the national team doing well, they are going to want to play football like their heroes. It gives the whole nation a buzz.
"To just not select 16 or 12 players is crazy. It is just self-destructive."
Harrison said FPATT was not created to "cause problems" but felt there was much room for improvement in the way players were treated. He explained that the local union considered the national players to be most vulnerable and planned to soon offer representation to the Warriors.
The days of footballers calling their own press conferences to address perceived slights may soon be over as Harrison envisions FPATT playing a leading role in future negotiations. For now, he wants the country's top players to return to the field as soon as possible.
He urged the T&TFF to do its best to represent the nation properly.
"The Federation must be man enough to stand up and say 'we want the best for our country'," he said. "So all this pride thing and this one-upsmanship, get it out of the way and just make a phone call. Sit around the table and see if you can resolve it."
Trinidad and Tobago play their first 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup match tomorrow when they face El Salvador in California. The national team were losing semi-finalists at the 2000 Gold Cup but failed to get out of their group or win a match in the 2002 and 2005 editions, while they did not qualify for the 2003 tournament.
