Pay or no play! Soca Warriors threaten strike for Copa America play offBy Lasana Liburd (Wired868)
The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team have delivered a stark, public message to the new administration of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA): Pay or we wont play!
In a press release, delivered by national captain Kenwyne Jones publicist, Tenille Clarke, the Soca Warriors have threatened to withdraw their services for next months Copa América Centenario Play Off against Haiti unless the TTFA satisfies its debt to the players.
Trinidad and Tobago are due to face Haiti on 8 January 2016 at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama with the winner advancing to the 2016 Copa América competition.
However, the Warriors are still owed match fees for last months Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala and the United States and for a friendly against Nicaragua in October.
Jones, who said he was speaking on behalf of his distressed teammates, said it was a collective stance.
We were promised months ago that a payment would be made to the boys after the last game (against the United States on November 17), said Jones, via press release. To date, unfortunately that arrangement has not been honoured, and based on recent discussions with the TTFA, there is no indication as to when these financial matters will be settled.
The stance is a significant broadside to new TTFA president David John-Williams, who was only elected on 29 November 2015.
Williams, who relinquished his role as W Connection president after the elections, was the employer of two national senior team playersDaneil Cyrus and Mekeil Williams, who are both out on loanup until a month ago. And another five Warriors including the national captain are former Connection players.
His history with the national players now appears unlikely to be an asset during his presidency.
Williams countered that Jones has not contacted him since he became TTFA president and the debt to the players is an inherited issue, which, after less than two weeks on the job, he is still coming to grips with.
Former TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee, who is also the Port of Spain mayor and PNM treasurer, and his estranged general secretary Sheldon Phillips oversaw the deal with the Warriors. But, although there were over 20,000 spectators at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the TTFA did not honour its arrangement with the Warriors.
Phillips was fired before the United States match and was replaced by acting general secretary Paula Chester-Cumberbatch.
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