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Thu, Mar

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...Pro League offer $50,000

Trinidad and Tobago’s 10 Pro League clubs await a late decision by the local Referees’ Association before they discover whether today’s round of matches will continue as scheduled.

Only one of five Pro League fixtures played on Saturday—a 3-0 United Petrotrin win over Ma Pau at Palo Seco—after the Pro League executive committee failed to meet the August 8 deadline given by the referees for unpaid match fees.

Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene made a financial offer to association president Gary Andrews yesterday but was asked to wait until he could mull over the figure with his comrades last night. He did not give details of the offer or the source of the funding.

“I spoke to the referees but I have nothing final (from them) yet,” Skeene told the Trinidad Express. “I don’t want to go into details (about the offer) yet. I want to hear what they have to say first before I release a statement.”

Andrews was more forthcoming, though, as he told the Express that the men in black were offered $50,000, which he claimed was less than half of the figure owed to the referees. The referees, according to both parties, have not been paid yet for services rendered since the season kicked off on April 5.

“I spoke with Dexter Skeene and he said they have not yet received money from the government,” said Andrews. “But he said they had a meeting with the stakeholders who came up with $50,000. I told him that we will have a meeting tonight to decide.

“He said they are putting together the money (yesterday) so we should hopefully get it tomorrow.”

Skeene confirmed, on Saturday, the Pro League was struggling financially, at the moment, but insisted that funding was being sought from the public and private sector and their stakeholders, which includes clubs and match commissioners, would be paid by September at the latest. He pleaded for patience from the relevant bodies so as to ensure the League remained “viable and sustainable”.

Unpaid match fees are only the start for the local referees who, according to Andrews, are also dissatisfied with their remuneration although there is no indication that they are demanding immediate redress on the matter.

The match referee, two assistants and fourth official receive $800 to split between themselves for each Pro League senior fixture. It is the highest rate in any domestic competition for officials—the Bmobile Super League offers $600 for the four referees to share—but Andrews suggested that it was merely workable and “not a fair rate”.

The four officials would carve up $500 for Pro League reserve matches while they receive the same figure as a package for officiating at a Pro League under-16 and under-18 double header.

On the weekend, the referees gave a taste of their importance by their absence. Skeene and company would try to ensure that their protest is short lived.

Clico San Juan Jabloteh’s fixture away to Tobago United has already been postponed for a later date because of the former club’s inability to book a flight to the “sister isle”.

Other matches scheduled for today are:

St Ann’s Rangers v W. Connection, 5 pm, Hasely Crawford

Caledonia v NE Stars, 5 pm, Larry Gomes

Ma Pau v Defence Force, 5 pm, Manny Ramjohn

United Petrotrin v Joe Public, 5 pm, Palo Seco