The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has failed to workout a soluation that would avoid having its best players selected for the 2016 COPA America qualifier against Haiti scheduled for January 8, 2016 in Panama City, Panama.
In a news release last evening the TTFA states: “On the evening of December 10, 2015, it was brought to our attention that the players on the Trinidad & Tobago Senior Men’s national team had issued a press release.
The Press Release stated that the players decided that if selected for the 2016 COPA America qualifier scheduled for January 8, 2016 in Panama City, they will not take the field.
This was underlined by one of the senior players, during his participation in a radio programme, confirming the origin and content of the said press release. The reason cited for the players adopting this position is the fact that they are owed monies that they were promised months ago for representing our country.”
The release continued: “We appreciate the frustration of the players and we are endeavouring to address the position as soon as is practicable. Our ability to address the plight of all the people we owe is a function of the TTFA being in the financial position so to do.
Since we were elected to office on November 29, 2015, some ten (10) working days ago, we have been working assiduously to establish the financial position of the TTFA. In doing so our progress has been severely hampered by the lack of documentation, poor recordkeeping and the inability to collect monies due for gate receipts.”
The release added: “This also applies to this situation, apparently it has been custom and practice to operate in accordance with oral agreements, in many cases the parties often lacked the authority to commit the organisation. “This places the new administration in the position of having to locate the parties to the said oral agreements, not unsurprisingly, their recall of the circumstances and what was agreed to is both inconsistent and contradictory.
Although this could take some time to unravel, please note that the players are not out of pocket. As is the norm, they continue to receive their club salary and all the costs they incurred when representing the national team, such as flight, accommodation, meals and sundry expenses, have been met by the TTFA.
Having said all the above, the absence of a policy governing the entitlement to match fees is also a serious oversight. For instance, based on our findings to date it appears that match fees are not a function of experience, number of appearances at national level, time on the field, or category of staff. This will be corrected as we go forward, and more specifically the policy will include an undertaking with respect to the timely payment of sums due.
In future, the operational protocol of the new administration will mirror that of the best run companies.
Full TTFA Report
Matter involving senior men's team and COPA America qualifier.
TTFA Media.
On the evening of December 10, 2015, it was brought to our attention that the players on the Trinidad & Tobago Senior Men’s national team had issued a press release.
The Press Release stated that the players decided that if selected for the 2016 COPA America qualifier scheduled for January 8, 2016 in Panama City, they will not take the field. This was underlined by one of the senior players, during his participation in a radio programme, confirming the origin and content of the said press release. The reason cited for the players adopting this position is the fact that they are owed monies that they were promised months ago for representing our country.
We appreciate the frustration of the players and we are endeavouring to address the position as soon as is practicable. Our ability to address the plight of all the people we owe is a function of the TTFA being in the financial position so to do.
Since we were elected to office on November 29, 2015, some ten (10) working days ago, we have been working assiduously to establish the financial position of the TTFA. In doing so our progress has been severely hampered by the lack of documentation, poor record keeping and the inability to collect monies due for gate receipts.
This also applies to this situation, apparently it has been custom and practice to operate in accordance with oral agreements, in many cases the parties often lacked the authority to commit the organisation. This places the new administration in the position of having to locate the parties to the said oral agreements, not unsurprisingly, their recall of the circumstances and what was agreed to is both inconsistent and contradictory.
Although this could take some time to unravel, please note that the players are not out of pocket. As is the norm, they continue to receive their club salary and all the costs they incurred when representing the national team, such as flight, accommodation, meals and sundry expenses, have been met by the TTFA.
Having said all the above, the absence of a policy governing the entitlement to match fees is also a serious oversight. For instance, based on our findings to date it appears that match fees are not a function of experience, number of appearances at national level, time on the field, or category of staff. This will be corrected as we go forward, and more specifically the policy will include an undertaking with respect to the timely payment of sums due.
In future, the operational protocol of the new administration will mirror that of the best run companies. The affairs of the TTFA will be conducted internally, mindful that to do otherwise, risks negatively impacting the reputation and credibility of the organisation. This in turn negatively impacts the TTFA’s ability to attract income, and consequently, the TTFA’s ability to fund and develop football in Trinidad & Tobago.
We look forward to building a constructive and collaborative relationship with all our national players and would request that, from time to time, should they have a grievance, they take all steps to ensure that it is brought to the attention of those in the TTFA that have the authority to addresses the issue.
We applaud the initiative taken by the players to appoint representatives and look forward to working with those representatives, once they have been duly authorised, in writing, to negotiate on behalf of the players.
We are committed to arriving at an amicable solution as soon as possible.