Pro League bid to end Jabloteh friction.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Dexter Skeene, the Pro League CEO, confirmed yesterday that the domestic football body have already started moves designed to end the friction between their clubs and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) over national training schedules.
Skeene, a former international player with the "Strike Squad", told the Express that the Pro League have contacted T&TFF general secretary Richard Groden to initiate a meeting with the clubs as regards national training sessions.
The meeting should be a relief to Jabloteh chairman Jerry Hospedales whose club have been at loggerheads with national under-23 coach Michael McComie over the release of players for international duty.
Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick claimed that the club agreed with the T&TFF to release their players once a week outside the FIFA international window and refused to bend to McComie's demands.
McComie retorted by refusing to select any Jabloteh players on his under-23 squad for the opening Caribbean leg of the 2008 Olympic Games qualifying series and also ignored Jabloteh's request for a recommendation for young starlet Lester Peltier during his work permit appeal to the British Home Office. Peltier was denied a work permit to join to join England Premier League club, Portsmouth.
Skeene confirmed that the T&TFF initially promised to request Jabloteh's players just once per week but said that his proposed meeting would attempt to clarify things for all Pro League teams in the future.
"We need to agree and determine things as regards the national set-up in advance," said Skeene, "so the clubs can plan for these international dates... Today it might be Jabloteh with more than four players but tomorrow it can be someone else.
"Everyone must come to an agreement because it will affect one club today and another tomorrow."