Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Flex on May 09, 2013, 04:06:52 PM
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Sheldon Phillips is TTFF’s New General Secretary.
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFF Media).
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation has a new General Secretary.
Sheldon Phillips on Thursday began his tenure, taking over from former General Secretary Richard Groden who vacated office last week after serving since 1998.
TTFF President Raymond Tim Kee expressed his satisfaction with the selection of Phillips which was also passed by the T&T Football Federation Executive Committee at a meeting on Wednesday evening.
There is a strong belief in the Federation that Phillips “has a strong football understanding and is one who can oversee the broad business of the Football Federation”.
Phillips has distinctive managerial expertise in the administrative field. His appointment is regarded as a major step towards restoring faith in the federation. He also had a successful spell in sports management in the United States and other parts of the globe.
His role with the TTFF will include managing key external relationships, particularly with other local and international bodies as well as various stakeholders and partners.
On his appointment, Tim Kee stated: “With my vision for a new beginning for Trinidad and Tobago football and the heights to which I want to see our football reach, I had and continue to look at engaging in the kind of human resource that I believe will assist in taking us there. As a result I believe my selection of Sheldon Phillips is most fitting to the cause and one which we are extremely satisfied and excited over.
“We have been greatly impressed by the work that Sheldon has done in the past in football. We are confident that in appointing him as General Secretary of the TTFF will provide strong leadership and stability.
“I looked at the marketplace and the landscape,” added Tim Kee who had last December said he would consider advertising the position. “But along the way if you have met an individual who has met the profile that suits your vision and organization, then there is no need to advertise anymore.
“I thought also with his legal background and the leverage he enjoys in getting things done on a global stage would be a major asset. You must begin with then end in mind and my end is getting Trinidad and Tobago back to being among the top nations in CONCACAF and to highly respectable position in world football. With those goals and objectives in mind, I believe Sheldon is the ideal person to work along with me and the rest of the Federation in going about achieving all of this,” Tim Kee added.
US Soccer President and recently elected FIFA Vice President Sunil Gulati holds Phillips in high regards having worked with him dating back to 1992.
"I have known Sheldon for over 20 years when we first worked together on US Cup '92. He is resourceful and results driven. As the General Secretary, the TTFF will certainly benefit from his experience in the game,” Gulati said.
Phillips also holds a law degree from Samford University in Birmingham, AL and leveraged his legal training to acquire administrative experience working within charitable organizations, professional sports player associations, and minor league franchises.
Most recently, he collaborated through his agency, Element Agency + Events, with James Grant Sports and the Baltimore Ravens to manage the promotions and sales for the successful Baltimore, Maryland leg of the Liverpool and Tottenham Football Clubs American Tour.
Phillips eager to get the ball rolling
Together with Mr. Tim Kee and the TTFF, I will do everything in my power and ability to help lead this organization with grace and dignity; never forgetting our role and obligation to serve as stewards of a game we cherish; for a nation we love,” the 46-year-old Phillips told TTFF Media.
Our organization will be zealous in our activism and advocacy of all things football-related in Trinidad and Tobago because we are keenly aware of the power of the game and how it shapes lives both on and off the field of play. I am humbled at the opportunity,” added Phillips who was also instrumental in the settlement discussions with the 2006 World Cup players as well as the acquiring of a new kit deal (that will be announced shortly) and the setting up of international matches against Peru, Belize, Romania and Estonia.
A Profile of Sheldon Phillips
With over 25 years in the sports and event management industry, Sheldon Phillips brings a depth of knowledge, experience, and relationships through his work with FIFA, CONCACAF, and U.S. Soccer among others.
In addition to his administrative work in football, Phillips gained federal and local government experience working as a Legislative Assistant and advisor for California Congressman, Howard L. Berman on matters pertaining to: health care, social security, and budget legislation. While working for the District of Columbia Government Public Housing Phillips led a multi million dollar sports program for public housing youth that would become the inspiration for the highly acclaimed America Scores program.
Phillips also holds a law degree from Samford University in Birmingham, AL and leveraged his legal training to acquire administrative experience working within charitable organizations, professional sports player associations, and minor league franchises.
Most recently, he collaborated through his agency, Element Agency + Events, with James Grant Sports and the Baltimore Ravens to manage the promotions and sales for the successful Baltimore, Maryland leg of the Liverpool and Tottenham Football Clubs American Tour.
"I can think of no stronger advocate for Trinidad and Tobago football than Sheldon. Now that he is poised to play a substantive role within the national governing body, T&T is better positioned to become a destination for some of the top clubs in the world." Charlie Stillitano, CEO , RSE Ventures
Brief Overview
External Affairs Director,
Washington DC Venue
1994 FIFA World Cup
Competition Director,
Birmingham, AL Venue
1996 Atlanta Olympic Summer Games
Event Manager and Producer
Los Angeles and Anaheim Venue
1995 CONCACAF Gold Cup
General Manager
Chesapeake Athletic PDL
United Soccer Leagues
Event Manager
TTFF 2005 Winter Combine
Program Manager
1998 CONCACAF Goalkeeping Coaching Workshop
Legal Associate
NFL Players Association
MLS Players Association
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I've known Sheldon personally for quite a few years and he is a great guy and well educated.
Good work by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to acquire his services.
I wish him all the best.
On the opposite side of things though.
I hope he keeps the ball rolling and not lose sight as things in T&T can get sour very fast and his reputation could be tarnish.
Sheldon is a very nice guy and is very tolerant. So do your job the best you can but know when things is not working in your favor and is affecting you from performing to your best ability. Hope this never happens though as it seems like Tim Kee is doing a much better job than his predecessors despite not honoring my interview and not trying to work with the SWO, but, good luck to all.
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There is light at the end of the tunnel. First clear sign.
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Hoping for the best for T&T football.
Time to rekindle the drive to build a thriving "Players' Association."
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So we getting the Nike kit then
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So we getting the Nike kit then
why you ask that? Is there something that I'm missing?
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Don't know him personally, but this seems a step in the right direction.
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Don't know him personally, but this seems a step in the right direction.
:thinking: ................ He live all the same places you live. I bet is you! ;D
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Hmmm the moderate one?
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:thinking: ................ He live all the same places you live. I bet is you! ;D
Why would I want to give up a big wuk like Moderator to go become de TTFF General Secretary? :)
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I supporting any Phillips...Lincoln...Sheldon....that entire family ;D
Kingman
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For sure he has the DNA and should make a difference !
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Congrats to Sheldon!
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Congrats Seldon .......
From the fans in Olney, Gaithersburg, & Columbia Maryland
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Sounds like he has the credentials, and equally important, relevant business insight, network and marketing capabilities to be able to take this federation and move it from begging for pittances from the goverment to being a more self-sufficient, viable entity.
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Good luck, let's hope he don't fall into de TTFF slum and focus on his job de best he can.
Flex endorse him so he can't be bad.
Ah wonder if he have any plans to work with de SWO.
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Lincoln Phillips had a smooth ride when he was TD for the TTFF. He worked 6 months out of the seven years he was there. All the education and experience he had and did not make an impact, he blame he was not given the tools to do his job but yet he stayed here for 7 years and collected his retirement check.
Now his son Sheldon is here, a man who wasn't born in T&T, have the education and experience to get a decent job in America in addition to his PDL and USL affiliate and choose to work with the insubordinate TTFF.
Another free loader, the mango really do not fall far from the tree. Expect to see a solid 6 months from him and then he will turn into a ghost.
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Hush nah
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Lincoln Phillips had a smooth ride when he was TD for the TTFF. He worked 6 months out of the seven years he was there. All the education and experience he had and did not make an impact, he blame he was not given the tools to do his job but yet he stayed here for 7 years and collected his retirement check.
Now his son Sheldon is here, a man who wasn't born in T&T, have the education and experience to get a decent job in America in addition to his PDL and USL affiliate and choose to work with the insubordinate TTFF.
Another free loader, the mango really do not fall far from the tree. Expect to see a solid 6 months from him and then he will turn into a ghost.
Who is this Jack Horner figure? Ah curious to now. Why yuh ain't come out to a meet-and-greet?
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I am afraid that I must agree with Horner on this one.
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Lincoln Phillips had a smooth ride when he was TD for the TTFF. He worked 6 months out of the seven years he was there. All the education and experience he had and did not make an impact, he blame he was not given the tools to do his job but yet he stayed here for 7 years and collected his retirement check.
Now his son Sheldon is here, a man who wasn't born in T&T, have the education and experience to get a decent job in America in addition to his PDL and USL affiliate and choose to work with the insubordinate TTFF.
Another free loader, the mango really do not fall far from the tree. Expect to see a solid 6 months from him and then he will turn into a ghost.
Who is this Jack Horner figure? Ah curious to now. Why yuh ain't come out to a meet-and-greet?
aks coache and pastor Stuart all a dem does work as washer woman in d same village
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What has Lincoln Phillips done for Trinidad football during his tenure?
What legacy did Phillips leave?
Did Trinidad football improve?
Did Trinidad football remain the same as before he took charge?
Did Trinidad football get worse?
Getting to the World Cup? Trinidad and Tobago didn't need Phillips for that.
What structure did he build?
He licenced some coaches ..Trinidad could have done that without Phillips.
What else did he do?
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???
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I think Horner and Coache is the same person. Or a member here already. Cah be somebody new. If not I will be shocked.
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Coache listen kiddo ! are u looking for validation .....? if yuh want to know who lincoln phillips all yuh need to do is check his credentials through the U.S soccer federation . in addition to that his contribution is immeasurable both locally and in the U.S ...!! when one has to deal with a thiefing maniac like jack warner its a handicap in itself .... coache are u related to jack warner or jack horner ?? coache yuh either an a##h##e or somebody who acts like one..
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Lincoln Phillips had a smooth ride when he was TD for the TTFF. He worked 6 months out of the seven years he was there. All the education and experience he had and did not make an impact, he blame he was not given the tools to do his job but yet he stayed here for 7 years and collected his retirement check.
Now his son Sheldon is here, a man who wasn't born in T&T, have the education and experience to get a decent job in America in addition to his PDL and USL affiliate and choose to work with the insubordinate TTFF.
Another free loader, the mango really do not fall far from the tree. Expect to see a solid 6 months from him and then he will turn into a ghost.
Who is this Jack Horner figure? Ah curious to now. Why yuh ain't come out to a meet-and-greet?
aks coache and pastor Stuart all a dem does work as washer woman in d same village
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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Why do we have to have these positions whereby one incompetitent person has so much power with no one to answer to?
Trinidad football should be restructured. If you have one person at the top, then there should be various committees which also have involvement in the decision making process.
Appropiation of funds and other matters dealing with money would not be solely in the hands of the person at the top but in the hands of nobody, because there would be transparency and shared powers.
The committees would also be responsible for policy coordination, advise the person at the top and facilitate cooperation of the departments in matters of National Football.
These committees could be comprised of non paid members.
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Lasana reporting and Nakhid saying that Sheldon declared persona non grata in several countries and clubs and is imbed to (Iain) Bains, the (Alvin) Hendersons, the (Ken) Butchers, Anton Corneal and his dad who was worthless while there.
I hope this is not true.
Ken Butcher is a total idiot and talks like he have no sense and the game has moved on and left many of them standing in sand.
Sheldon, you need for from your own identity and stop playing nice guy.
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Lasana reporting and Nakhid saying that Sheldon declared persona non grata in several countries and clubs and is imbed to (Iain) Bains, the (Alvin) Hendersons, the (Ken) Butchers, Anton Corneal and his dad who was worthless while there.
I hope this is not true.
Ken Butcher is a total idiot and talks like he have no sense and the game has moved on and left many of them standing in sand.
Sheldon, you need for from your own identity and stop playing nice guy.
Source?
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Phillips did a lot for Tnt football while in change
we made world cup 2006
U17 team made a couple world cups
his biggest achievements was getting american girl players to play for TnT and make the women youth program respectable
but i thought he would have started a youth program along the lines of US youth soccer but I guess that was too much to ask.
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but i thought he would have started a youth program along the lines of US youth soccer but I guess that was too much to ask.
I don't think that would have been a problem for Lincoln. Is how much cooperation he would have gotten from the previous admin.
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Lasana reporting and Nakhid saying that Sheldon declared persona non grata in several countries and clubs and is imbed to (Iain) Bains, the (Alvin) Hendersons, the (Ken) Butchers, Anton Corneal and his dad who was worthless while there.
I hope this is not true.
Ken Butcher is a total idiot and talks like he have no sense and the game has moved on and left many of them standing in sand.
Sheldon, you need for from your own identity and stop playing nice guy.
Source?
http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=59908.msg857756#msg857756
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Lasana reporting and Nakhid saying that Sheldon is imbed to (Iain) Bains, the (Alvin) Hendersons, the (Ken) Butchers, Anton Corneal
This quote below is from the wired article:
Finally, Sheldon, let me advise you to avoid populist decisions that lack vision. Consult. You and I both know that you have access to a veritable footballing think-tank. You know of whom I speak, the (Iain) Bains, the (Alvin) Hendersons, the (Ken) Butchers et al.
Having access to these individuals doesn't necessarily mean being in bed with them. I think the point Nakhid was making is that he is questioning whether Sheldon Phillips consulted with these guys prior to making the decision to replace Charles and Shabazz.
By the way, this quote:
Lasana reporting and Nakhid saying that Sheldon declared persona non grata in several countries and clubs
appears to be incorrect.
I believe Nakhid was referring to Beenie as the individual declared persona non grata. Not Sheldon.
I hold no brief for Nakhid. The fact that he had to go on a mini tirade in his article about Gally not selecting him for the National team and the team not qualifying speaks to some lingering bitterness there. To me, he could have made his point about the dismissal of Charles & Shabazz without this entirely unnecessary and irrelevant reference.
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^^^Which is why I asked for a source, because nothing in that article supports the spin put on it by Sando.
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Really thought Sheldon Phillips would have been a revolution for us.
But the TTFA still operates identical to how it did in the past and it has nothing to do with money.
Talk is really cheap.
6 months under the current TTFA and I was feeling really optimistic, now I feel even worst about T&T football than ever under Jack Warner regime, that's how bad position we are in.
:( :(
After the Gold Cup, I dont think I will be watching another T&T game for a while, I am giving it a break.
I now understand how guys like Patriot, Touches, Tongue, Trinimassive, Trini, Small Magician, KND, Palos, Samo and Big Magician feel, no wonder they hardly post anymore.
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^^^Which is why I asked for a source, because nothing in that article supports the spin put on it by Sando.
http://www.socawarriors.net/federation-news/12585-dear-ttfa-david-nakhid-s-scathing-open-letter-on-coaching-changes.html
Bakes, I am only the messenger.
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^^^Which is why I asked for a source, because nothing in that article supports the spin put on it by Sando.
http://www.socawarriors.net/federation-news/12585-dear-ttfa-david-nakhid-s-scathing-open-letter-on-coaching-changes.html
Bakes, I am only the messenger.
I've said it many times and will say it again.. Clean house.. That's the only way
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^^^Which is why I asked for a source, because nothing in that article supports the spin put on it by Sando.
http://www.socawarriors.net/federation-news/12585-dear-ttfa-david-nakhid-s-scathing-open-letter-on-coaching-changes.html
Bakes, I am only the messenger.
I believe Nakhid was referring to don Leo..
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TTOC slams Phillips’ ‘discourtesy’ over Pan Am U-23 football spat
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com)
Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis has accused Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) general secretary Sheldon Phillips of discourtesy and disrespect over the football body’s handling of a match fee dispute with its National Under-23 Team.
The young “Soca Warriors” threatened to boycott its final Toronto 2015 Pan American Games fixture against Mexico today over unpaid match fees and stipends and the TTFA’s failure to guarantee payment.
The Warriors eventually softened their position and took a surprise two goal lead over Mexico before surrendering to a 4-2 loss. However, Phillips never officially informed the TTOC of the potential crisis.
“One would have foreseen that the general secretary would have seen it as a matter of courtesy, if not respect,” Lewis told Wired868, “to have alerted the TTOC on such a matter, since it is a TTOC event, to help alleviate the situation…
“Instead, there is credible information which suggests the general secretary of the TTFA would have had notice and made interventions without calling and notifying the TTOC.
“When there is the potential for issues, it is the normal course of action—and I can speak without fear of contradiction—where phone calls would be made. In all organisations and businesses, there are protocols to follow and conversations that are had to resolve situations before they explode.”
Phillips confirmed that he did not officially inform the TTOC of the threatened strike, even though he wrote to the the Ministry of Sport for a comfort letter to show the players.
Incidentally, Phillips claimed that the Ministry of Sport never responded to the TTFA.
However, the TTFA general secretary said he did not contact the TTOC because the football body was “still in discussion with the players who had not made a final decision.”
“It was an internal issue that we wanted to resolve and at the end of the day we were able to resolve it,” Phillips told Wired868. “We assured (the players) that we were making every effort to secure their funding that we had been told was available to us.
“Based on that information, from what I was told, the players decided to play.”
But Lewis insisted that the Under-23 football team was under the auspices of the TTOC in Toronto and, if they boycotted, it is the local olympic committee that would have been held responsible.
“He continues to defend the indefensible,” said Lewis. “You have a situation where a TTOC team is threatening to withdraw and he says it is an internal matter. That is not what the TTOC is accustomed to and it is disrespectful and discourteous.”
Lewis said the TTOC is likely to seek a meeting with the TTFA after the Pan Am Games and will share their disappointment with the football body.
“This has been a very distracting Toronto 2015 games,” said Lewis. “When the entire delegation should be forcing on what is important, which is performing at our best to win medals and we have the track and field delegate go into action and having a good day at the office.
“For us to be dealing with these issues caused by the football group is unprecedented. It is deeply disappointing… Even down to the very end, we continue to face deficiencies.”
Lewis said the TTOC is focused on being “athlete driven” and, as a result, has bent over backwards to ensure that the footballers did not suffer, even as the TTFA routinely missed deadlines.
He revealed that the “Women Soca Warriors” were allowed to remain in Toronto, despite their elimination, so they can prepare for next month’s 2016 Olympic qualifying campaign and receive free medical attention.
Captain Maylee Attin-Johnson and star attacker Kennya “Yaya” Cordner both have worrying injuries and their participation in the Caribbean leg of the Olympic campaign is doubtful.
“The (Women Warriors) have finished their Pan American campaign (but) they wanted to embrace the opportunity to train (in this environment) and that was facilitated,” said Lewis. “So you have a situation where players are having their injuries appropriately treated and they the chance to use excellent facilities with their meals and accommodations and so on handled at no cost to the TTFA…
“The TTOC has always attempted to assist and support the TTFA in whatever way it can… It is disappointing to see them act in this way given the relationship that the TTOC has always had with the TTFA.”
The TTOC president was a member of the Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC), whose work led to a new TTFA constitution that was accepted by FIFA and local football stakeholders. It paved the way for a November election for the football body.
And he said his relationship with football will not be coloured by events surrounding the 2015 Pan American Games.
“I am comforted by the fact that the TTOC continues to have a strong, productive and cordial relationship with football and the president of Trinidad and Tobago football (Raymond Tim Kee),” said Lewis. “I am confident that the approach of the TTFA general secretary is not one that is shared with other stakeholders in football.”
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Never a dull moment.
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Never a dull moment.
if there was i believe everyone would be concerned... :D
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Seem like everything in T&T is a special case and bacchanal; btw, the special Olympics is schedule to be open in Los Angeles shortly this coming Saturday. :devil:
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The absence of measured, diplomatic language is indicative of how much BL thinks protocol and judgement was flouted. I see his point.
I also get why SP would attempt to resolve the matter quietly in-house. There's been enough bad TTFA publicity to kill all the kittens in the world.
However, as the record with previous events concerning match fees indicates, there's no keeping such matters quiet or suppressed. The information gets out.
It was inevitable that BL would be looped in. Better for him to have heard it from the TTFA first, rather than incidentally. Especially because Lewis is neither a casual nor incidental observer, but a principal with respect to Pan Am participation, he should have been alerted in deference to the TTOC's superceding role vis-a-vis Pan Ams.
A good and related question is: who is Chef de Mission for T&T at Pan Ams? One would imagine that person should have been looped in unquestionably.
(By the way, who is going to be our chef de mission in Rio? There's an upcoming meeting of chefs de mission in Rio in a couple weeks in build up to the Olympics).
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The absence of measured, diplomatic language is indicative of how much BL thinks protocol and judgement was flouted. I see his point.
I also get why SP would attempt to resolve the matter quietly in-house. There's been enough bad TTFA publicity to kill all the kittens in the world.
However, as the record with previous events concerning match fees indicates, there's no keeping such matters quiet or suppressed. The information gets out.
It was inevitable that BL would be looped in. Better for him to have heard it from the TTFA first, rather than incidentally. Especially because Lewis is neither a casual nor incidental observer, but a principal with respect to Pan Am participation, he should have been alerted in deference to the TTOC's superceding role vis-a-vis Pan Ams.
A good and related question is: who is Chef de Mission for T&T at Pan Ams? One would imagine that person should have been looped in unquestionably.
(By the way, who is going to be our chef de mission in Rio? There's an upcoming meeting of chefs de mission in Rio in a couple weeks in build up to the Olympics).
There's an upcoming meeting of chefs de mission in Rio I always find these are a bad idea. You know the saying: Too many chefs spoil the broth :rotfl: :rotfl:
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Sheldon Phillips will make a saint in heaven cuss just saying.
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Not taking sides, however !!!!
I dont understand the problem?
Phillips dealt with the matter and resolved the issues that were bothering the players!!! Why would Lewis need to know that? I am sure if things had gotten worst or they couldn't agree the TTFA would have let them know.
If this was a TTOC matter then they should have taken care of the T&T team in the first place, it shouldn't have to even go back to the TTFA.
Sounds like Lewis is looking for a scapegoat for the horrible medal count haul for the TTOC.
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Not taking sides, however !!!!
I dont understand the problem?
Phillips dealt with the matter and resolved the issues that were bothering the players!!! Why would Lewis need to know that? I am sure if things had gotten worst or they couldn't agree the TTFA would have let them know.
If this was a TTOC matter then they should have taken care of the T&T team in the first place, it shouldn't have to even go back to the TTFA.
Sounds like Lewis is looking for a scapegoat for the horrible medal count haul for the TTOC.
What's horrible about our medal count bro?
Has there been a sport or event where we were realistically expected to medal and didn't?
I expect Keshorn Walcott to medal
I hope KA Baptiste can medal
I hope Machel Cedeno can medal
Not sure if Jehue Gordon at Pan Am but if he is, I would expect him to medal
All of those events yet to complete.
I expected Njisane Phillip to medal and he got silver
I expected George Bovell III to medal and he got bronze
Where else?
Besides, if any sporting discipline had a potential mutiny on their hands...whether they resolved it internally or not...the TTOC, as the organization overall in charge of the T&T delegation to the games, should at the very least have been informed.
Imagine the footballers refusing to play against Mexico? Who you think Pan Am Organizers would have gone to? TTFA?
No sah....they woulda go straight to Lewis demanding answers. And if he had no idea what was going on, imagine how that would have looked.
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Cleopatra Borel in GOLD medal position in womens shot put with 1 round remaining. A throw of 18.67 leads the way.
Keston Bledman won his mens 100m semi in 10.10 and advances to the final
KA Baptiste and Semoy Hackett both advance to the Womens 100m final later tonight. Baptiste won her semi in 11.05 and Hackett was a fastest loser in 11.16
Sparke McKnight finished 5th in the Womens 400m hurdles final in 57.30
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GOLD for Cleopatra Borel! Congrats!
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;)
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These kind of news really making things worst for the TTFA.
The little respect they got from the gold cup is wash away by all this negative news.
I don't understand why all this drama and the problem was solved?
I can only hope they do things better yes, and don't assume, they need a public relation officer.
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By the way, KAB and Bledman did not medal. >:(. As far as this football campaign, utterly disappointing. I certainly don't blame the players.
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T&TFA General Secretary must shoulder blame.
By Nigel Simon (Guardian).
T&TOC boss laments lack of respect shown:
While staying clear of picking sides in the ongoing dispute between the Minister of Sport Brent Sancho and Raymond Tim Kee led T&T Football Association (T&TFA), its general secretary Sheldon Phillips has come in for some harsh criticism from T&T Olympic Committee boss, Brian Lewis.
In fact, Lewis, not one to mix his words, has labelled Phillips, the son of former national goalkeeper Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips” as being disrespectful in his handling of recent issues with regards to the national Under-23 footballers, both men and women, who are currently at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
The Women Soca Warriors, captained by Maylee Attin-Johnson exited the tournament after ending with two points from their round-robin group, a 1-1 draw with Argentina and 2-2 deadlock with Colombia, before losing 3-1 to Mexico in a must win match.
On the other hand, the Under-23 men’s team led by Alvin Jones were ousted from their tournament after losing big to Uruguay (4-0) and Paraguay (5-1) ahead of what was expected to be their final round-robin match at the Hamilton Soccer Stadium last night.
But that match was in jeopardy of not coming off as the Under-23s had threatened to boycott the match over what they say was unpaid match fees of US$500 promised to them by the T&TFA via its general secretary Phillip.
The Women Soca Warriors had also threatened to boycott the tournament but was advised to go to Canada by Minister Sancho, while his Ministry and the T&TFA worked on resolving the matter.
But after almost two weeks in North America and no confirmation of payments coming from the T&TFA, it was said the national Under-23 players let their feelings be known to team officials.
In addition to match fees and stipend for the two teams and officials in Canada, monies owed to the national Olympic (under-23) team and technical staff are also outstanding, with no confirmation of when and how it will be paid.
Contacted for comment, Phillip first defended the right of the players to make a request for match fees saying that prior to past teams, majority of the footballers were now professionals at clubs and needed to provide for their families.
“The entire dynamics have changed from us having a mainly amateur national team to a professional unit.
“So I don’t think it was an unfair sum, but what we have to do now is look at the system and see what can be done to ensure we get the necessary funding in a timely manner to satisfy the players and management needs to avoid any problems”, ended Phillips.
Reached here in Trinidad, Lewis said that having spoken to the T&TOC management team in Canada, in chef de mission Dianne Henderson and secretary general Annette Knott, he was confident that everything would be sorted out.
“We have a very strong and experienced T&T Olympic Committee management team in Toronto, and they have worked together with all the team managers for months in preparation for the Toronto 2015 Games, that’s how the T&TOC has always operated. As an athlete centred and focused organisation we focus a lot on creating the environment that will support the athletes, we have a history of doing that.
“Travel, accommodation and meals are all provided for in the ambit of the Pan American Games as well as medical. As a matter of fact, the senior women’s football team, which competed at the Pan American Games, currently has a few injury issues which are being addressed by the T&TOC medical team in Toronto.
“The women’s football team made a request of the T&OC for the team to stay and do some preparation ahead of their Concacaf Women’s Olympic qualifiers and we acceded to that request.
So the T&TOC has always sought to work closely with all the stakeholders to ensure that at the end of the day, the athletes best interest is served, but at the same time we operate within our means. And as I have said on previous occasions, this is the first Games we are focusing on performance based medal bonuses going forward. All of our corporate partners’ discussions now include athlete welfare aspects of it, in the context of ten or more Olympic Gold medals by the year 2024. So we have taken over the last two years a particular strategic focus and initiative and that’s why we we’re able to introduce the medal bonuses.
“But we have always found it when we have done the arithmetic and the numbers that it is not sustainable in terms of match fees and per diems and stipends and therefore it is not a policy perspective of the T&TOC at this point in time. So that while we have not received any official word to this date, the T&TTOC has not had the courtesy or the respect from the general secretary of the T&TFA Sheldon Phillips.”
He added: “Statements have been made pertinent to the Pan Am Games which is under the auspices of the T&TOC without any discussion with the T&TOC. We (T&TOC) respect the autonomy of its member organisation, but what we expect in turn is a certain modicum of respect and courtesy with games under us.
“We are hearing all sorts of things, but not a word from them (T&TFA).”
He reiterated: “I have not received an official word, not even as a point of courtesy from the general secretary of the T&TFA who continues, from what I have been hearing, to make statements relevant to the Pan Am Games that is outside of his remit.”
Asked if he has spoken with T&TFA president Raymond Tim Kee about the ongoing issue, Lewis replied, “I have ongoing conversations with the president of the T&TFA, as a matter of fact, just two weeks ago, I was in the presence of both the general secretary and the president because I served on the independent reform Commission of the T&TFA and this is why the lack of courtesy and respect in this particular matter is very disappointing.
“Because when the general secretary of the T&TFA needs to contact me for other things, he is quite ready and able to do so.
“And therefore I can form no other conclusion that a lot of the problems being created surrounding this Pan Am Games which is unprecedented have to land squarely in the lap of the T&TFA general secretary, in the absence of any official communication.”
“So what is happening is that the T&TOC is hearing things, then having to address things in the absence of official notification.
“This is happening even though there is a level of courtesy in communication that one expects and as I said this is unprecedented because we don’t have this problem I can say with any other national sporting organisation, especially the ones that are accustomed travelling with the T&TOC.”
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Not taking sides, however !!!!
I dont understand the problem?
Phillips dealt with the matter and resolved the issues that were bothering the players!!! Why would Lewis need to know that? I am sure if things had gotten worst or they couldn't agree the TTFA would have let them know.
If this was a TTOC matter then they should have taken care of the T&T team in the first place, it shouldn't have to even go back to the TTFA.
Sounds like Lewis is looking for a scapegoat for the horrible medal count haul for the TTOC.
To be fair, TTOC did take care of the teams. The only matter not under their purview was match fees which aren't paid to any other T&T athlete at PanAm (appearance fees). This was effectively a free trip for TTFA and an great chance to get three decent games for each team for next to nothing. I don't necessarily believe that Sheldon decided to pay match fees to players himself, but he was left holding the baby. TTOC are very well organised. They carried 140 athletes to Canada. No disruption with travel, timing, accommodation. Very professional in what they do. I don't see how Lewis can be blamed for speaking out, It's his reputation on the line out there.
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Someone should ask BL whether the TTOC communicated to the TTFA that the Women Warriors would be extending their stay in TO despite elimination.
See where that leads. ;)
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRxrJQiUsAAXQtH.jpg)
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ok....then, more worries sigh :(, would like to know where this is coming from since throughout all of the fight down and trouble with the ministry, Philips was there with Timkee.......the incompetence was also equally shared between both men...so again..where dat come from ???
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Tim Kee sacks Sheldon; TTFA general secretary pays price for Guardian gaffe
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868)
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee has sacked his general secretary, Sheldon Phillips, just six weeks before the TTFA presidential elections.
Tim Kee confirmed Phillips’ termination today, via press release, for: “failure to adhere to directives regarding the operational activities of the FA.”
The TTFA president, who is also the Port of Spain mayor and PNM treasurer, revealed that he asked his general secretary to resign on Monday evening and chose to sack him after he refused to do so.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association wishes to advise that Mr Sheldon Phillips no longer holds the position of General Secretary of the organisation,” stated the TTFA release. “This was a decision taken by the President of the TTFA, Mr Raymond Tim Kee, following the issuing of a letter to Phillips requesting his resignation on Monday evening.
“Mr Phillips subsequently refused the request following which his services were terminated by the President with immediate effect.”
Insiders told Wired868 that Phillips paid the ultimate price for an interview with the Trinidad Guardian, which was published on Sunday October 18 and claimed that Tim Kee’s presidential campaign had the “full support” of the TTFA executive committee.
The Guardian story prompted a furious response from all three TTFA vice-presidents who said they supported anyone but Tim Kee.
Phillips claimed he was misquoted and reporter Walter Alibey and assistant sport editor Rachel King appeared to concede as much. The Guardian offered a retraction on its print edition yesterday. But it did not save Phillips, who was asked to quit and then sacked.
Tim Kee suggested that the search has already begun for a new general secretary, although any new appointment can be short-lived, as the TTFA will decide on a new president on 29 November 2015.
Thus far, Tim Kee, W Connection president and CEO David John-Williams and former World Cup referee and businessman Ramesh Ramdhan are believed to be the three nominees. The deadline for nomination is midnight on Tuesday October 20.
“The TTFA has commenced a search for a new General Secretary and remains committed to exploring and evaluating possibilities and opportunities,” stated the TTFA release, “that will put the TTFA on a trajectory for growth and continued development
“The TTFA thanks Mr Phillips for his duties dating back to 2013 and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”
Tim Kee unveiled Phillips as his general secretary and the de fact CEO of the football body on 9 May 2013. The then 47-year-old US-based administrator succeeded Richard Groden, whose name was synonymous with the 2006 World Cup bonus dispute and entangled with the financial gymnastics of the Jack Warner era at the turn of the century.
“I will do everything in my power and ability to help lead this organisation with grace and dignity,” said Phillips, at his appointment, “never forgetting our role and obligation to serve as stewards of a game we cherish; for a nation we love.”
Phillips was felt to be instrumental in the hiring of current men’s and women’s senior team coaches, Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum, who quickly ingratiated themselves to their respective squads and the local football public.
However, in both cases, Phillips courted the respective coaches without the knowledge of the TTFA executive committee and the vice-president, Rudy Thomas, in charge of appointments. While the displaced coaches, Jamaal Shabazz and Marlon Charles, also complained about being disrespected after learning of their replacements through the media.
Hart’s success at the July 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup tempered criticisms but Phillips did not fare as well when, in October 2013, the public found out that only a quarter of their funds raised for ailing Hungary-based football Akeem Adams—through a Native Spirit tee-shirt venture—would go to the player.
A TTFA release, authorised by Phillips, had instructed the public that: “The T Shirts will be sold at a cost of TT$100 with all proceeds going towards the “Heart of a Warrior” fund.
Phillips initially refused to apologise for misleading the public, after Wired868 revealed that only TT$25 from each tee-shirt—or TT$50,000 from the TT$200,000 raised—went to Adams, who was fighting for his life after a massive heart attack.
“We were in the middle of ramping up for the (New Zealand) game and we felt we would address the issue after the match and analyse it in more detail then,” Phillips told Wired868. “Hindsight is 20/20… We are not in the tee-shirt business. This was a Native Spirit initiative…
“People may see that as making excuses but that is the reality.”
But the administrative bungles and disinclination to acknowledge them continued apace.
Read more: http://wired868.com/2015/10/20/tim-kee-sacks-sheldon-ttfa-general-secretary-pays-price-for-guardian-gaffe/
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No 'permanent' General Secretary should be installed until after the elections.
Could this stimulate a new candidate (namely Sheldon Phillips)?
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Was not expecting this. Maybe this is why Colin Murray withdrew from the president election.
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Yea this kinda untimely...elections right around the corner....Phillips gonna throw in his nomination for candidacy!? Look trouble
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Was not expecting this. Maybe this is why Colin Murray withdrew from the president election.
Errol hinted that Sheldon could be on his way out in a post this morning and the Colin Murray maybe in line for the position to work under Tim Kee. But I too wasn't expecting this....and so soon.
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1 Down 1 more to go Tim Kee you next.
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just hope we're not now exposed to 'truths' from Mr Phillips in an effort to get back at Kimmy. We've had enough of that kinda vibe and I honestly believe the "team" is on the upward and don't need the negativity.
Thanks, now kindly move on or as some suggest, put you name on the ballot.
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It makes no sense to fire a man for a mistake that was not his and that the guilty party has confessed to.
I hope there's more to it.
If SP "erred" so much is that really the track record that preempts running for the Presidency?
VB
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It makes no sense to fire a man for a mistake that was not his and that the guilty party has confessed to.
I hope there's more to it.
If SP "erred" so much is that really the track record that preempts running for the Presidency?
VB
A yardman badman once said: some man haffi dead so some man can live.
VB, as Mutabaruka would say: doh try mek sense outta nonsense.
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Everything i say has come to pass.
Like his dad, he worked hard for 6 month and then disappeared, this is one of the reason why US soccer got rid of him, he feels an email to John can cut the grass in the stadium instead of going there and making sure its done.
I guess the brick doesn't fall far from the mason.
These guys are out to build names and look for credit, they do not get involved with daily stuff and that was a big issue with Lincoln as well, who came to T&T thinking everyone should kiss his foot because he is a Howard graduate.
Finally, the world is seeing it for themselves.
Good going Tim Kee, and the use of the guardian article as a scapegoat was a good excuse to fire him.
Now the TTFA can use the $45,000 a month to pay their players.
I hope Fuentes is next.
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Sheldon
Sheldon meanwile added: "Much gratitude to the well wishers and supporters like yourself Flex, who offered advice, encouragement, and constructive criticism."
"I'm thankful to to have worked with the coaches, players, and staff of the TTFA who make unheralded sacrifices with little resources yet still compete with the powers of the region."
"In spite of the way it ended, the journey was a privilege and I would like to thank Raymond Tim Kee for the opportunity he provided for me to serve Trinidad and Tobago football ended Phillips."
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Everything i say has come to pass.
Like his dad, he worked hard for 6 month and then disappeared, this is one of the reason why US soccer got rid of him, he feels an email to John can cut the grass in the stadium instead of going there and making sure its done.
I guess the brick doesn't fall far from the mason.
These guys are out to build names and look for credit, they do not get involved with daily stuff and that was a big issue with Lincoln as well, who came to T&T thinking everyone should kiss his foot because he is a Howard graduate.
Finally, the world is seeing it for themselves.
Good going Tim Kee, and the use of the guardian article as a scapegoat was a good excuse to fire him.
Now the TTFA can use the $45,000 a month to pay their players.
I hope Fuentes is next.
Horner, wha Fuentes do yuh?
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Fuentes goes with the tide.
Watch him.
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I eh have much to say because it go be good and bad.
Sheldon, good luck to you bro, T&T never accepted you and under a better boss you mighta been better?? but you accepted the terms now you have to pay.
On de flip side, I find you wasn't hands on enough and honest and you came in and just accepted what ever you got instead of trying to make your own name.
I really had hope for you because Flex big you up and Lincoln is a smart solider and because he didn't get a chance to do what he wanted, I thought you woulda finish that.
In T&T we dont care about educating prisoners.
You dont come here to build name, you come here to work and improve and get guys who can help, not try to do it all alone because in de end you will take de bad rep for someone else, you cant bite more than you can chew.
Flex, Bakes and Tallman could have helped you especially with the relationship you had with them to get you out there.
As for Tim Kee, your only pardna yuh fired and Sancho and W Connection not voting for yuh, so de timing not good but ah still prefer you over David John Williams.
PS: Ah like Shelden, but book sense could only take you so far, de free ride over. Players working for free and you getting paid doh sit good
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What's the key issue with T&T football? $$$$$$$. Might have been time to draft an uptown candidate. Seems to have worked well for other nations.
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Like I said previously, I thought more people would put their hats in the ring for this important post. But everybody body but a few, staying as far away. Disappointing to say the least.
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Ironic that Sheldon took bullet after bullet for that pseudo-dictator. Tim Kee only made things harder for himself with that bullsh*t press release that said nothing at all. At the end, Sheldon worked tirelessly for the association. Anything that went right, it reflected on Tim Tim. Unfortunately, he remains PoS mayor after the TTFA AGM. sickening.
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Tim Kee fires Phillips.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
...it’s all politics says general secretary
Sheldon Phillips, former general secretary of the T&T Football Association (TTFA), said yesterday that politics led to him being fired by the association.
A release issued by the TTFA yesterday stated the TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee fired Phillips because he failed to adhere to directives regarding the operational activities of the Association.
It also said the decision was taken by Tim Kee following the issuing of a letter to Phillips requesting his resignation on Monday evening.
Phillips refused the request following which his services were terminated by Tim Kee.
His sacking came a mere day after a newspaper report stated that Tim Kee had received support from the executives of the embattled football association.
Phillips’ dismissal has unearthed what appears to be a division within the walls of the TTFA.
Tim Kee has confirmed that he will be seeking a re-election when the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of officers are held on November 29.
TTFA officials will be able to tell who filed their nomination documents to contest the elections today as the deadline was midnight last night.
It is understood that W Connection main man John Williams and former international referee Ramesh Ramdhan are among those seeking the top post.
Yesterday, Phillips, the son of former national goalkeeper and the federation’s technical director Lincoln Phillips, did not want to comment on whether there was a rift within the football association but said it was totally unfortunate that he was fired.
He said he was grateful for the opportunity to serve T&T and could only hope that he has played a role in the obvious progress in local football from 2012 to now.
Phillips, who admitted to being the one instrumental in the hiring of Soca Warriors coach Stephen Hart and women’s coach Randy Waldrum also explained that his sacking may have come because it was an election year.
Asked if his dismissal could lead to a set back in the progress of TT football only weeks before the start of World Cup qualification, Phillips said “ I don’t think my situation will affect what’s going on at the TTFA. I think everyone has a job to do and that is important.”
His exit also means that the football association will now be in a search of a replacement.
Yesterday’s release also confirmed that the TTFA has commenced a search for a new general secretary and remains committed to exploring and evaluating possibilities and opportunities that will put the TTFA on a trajectory for growth and continued development.
A team of members is expected to be selected soon to look for sponsorship for local football, and there may likely to be resignations to follow Phillips’ firing.
Lennox Watson, one of the association’s vice presidents, expressed surprise at Phillips’ dismissal, saying that he did not think that Tim Kee had the authority or power to fire the general secretary.
Other vice presidents of the TTFA are Rudolph Thomas, and Krishna Kuarsingh.
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Good luck Mr Sheldon.
You tried your best, not sure of you accomplishments while here, but I am sure you did your best.
I hope the TTFA finds a replacement eager and hungry to make a dent.
I think Flex Mohammed and Nigel Myers are good candidates.
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loose philLIPS sink ships...
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Sheldon was the only bright spot at the TTFA, Tim Kee making people fool him.
Sheldon could have done better but was fight down by many.
I wish him all the best.
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In my opinion, this action by Tim Kee seemed to be something he wanted to do a while back and used the Guardian article as an excuse to fire Sheldon?
I also believe that Sheldon did nothing wrong to warrant being fired and if he was given more freedom he might have done exceptionally well.
I am not here to endorse anyone but of all the current TTFA staff (admin) Sheldon should be the last man Tim Kee should fire, in-fact, David Muhammad leads the list who should have been booted out a long time ago.
Sheldon was very instrumental in these few things I remembered.
1. Soca Warrior settlement
Definitely an accomplishment despite the irrational action of a few Warriors when the second half of payments sputtered. Tim Kee gave ALL the funds he received from CONCACAF to the players when he could have filed bankruptcy and used the $1.5 million as seed money for a new FA.
2. New Constitution
Led the effort for a new constitution which people had been clamoring for decades. New constitution will enable clubs to have a say in governance and include a place for a players association.
3. Debt Reduction
In just over two years, he took $6 million USD in debt and reduced it to $2 million.
4. FIFA/CONCACAF Support
Increased development programs to serve the football family and qualified the FA for major projects and funding for merchandising and training centre, however, I am not sure what has become of the training centre.
5. Government Support
Cast aside political affiliation and he reached out to Anil Roberts to establish funding for senior team and worked with Gary Griffith to create the Cabinet note. Former sports minister has since tried to undo the effort. He also negotiated the deal with then minister Gary Griffith to get $10 million dollars to the senior team players and staff to bring their arrears up to date and get funding for the gold cup.
6. Coaching Changes
Introduced the country to Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum two coaches who led the national teams to there best run in years.
7. Increased Sponsorships- biggest surprise to many
Ten sponsors have been added to the TTFA since RTK became president.
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Good. So can we all agree that Uncle Tim must go having bared his fangs more clearly now.
Let's act to influence the vote.
Flex if you had run, would have voted for you. Same for Tallman. Maybe next time.
All applicants should sign a pledge not to tief, embezzle, launder, siphon off money or be involved in any brown envelope syndrome
or be involved in any kickbacks or any inappropriate or illegal personal enrichment.
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Was listening to the radio this morning. This decision (and the broader election) could stimulate unflattering comparisons between RTK's stewardship as Mayor of POS and his tenure as TTFA president.
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Good. So can we all agree that Uncle Tim must go having bared his fangs more clearly now.
Let's act to influence the vote.
Flex if you had run, would have voted for you. Same for Tallman. Maybe next time.
All applicants should sign a pledge not to tief, embezzle, launder, siphon off money or be involved in any brown envelope syndrome
or be involved in any kickbacks or any inappropriate or illegal personal enrichment.
Thanx buddy, I would shock up that whole FA like a tsunami
;)
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TTFA pres: Execs reluctant to accept change.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Watson: Tim Kee bad for football but...
Lennox Watson, first vice president of the T&T Football Association (TTFA), has said that local football will go back as far as 25 years, if current president Raymond Tim Kee is re-elected at the annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers on November 29.
But contacted yesterday, Tim Kee said some members of the executive are not ready to accept the changes necessary for the growth and development of the sport.
In an interview following the sacking of general secretary Sheldon Phillips yesterday, Watson promised to check the constitution of the football association to determine if Tim Kee had the power to fire the general secretary like that. Watson highlighted a number of reasons why he felt Tim Kee was bad for local football, such as his decision to isolate the members of his executives soon after assuming office, Watson said.
“I can tell you as first vice president of the football association who handed over the office to Tim Kee in 2012 and the first thing he did was to write to the world governing body for football FIFA to paint his members in a negative light,” Watson said.
Another thing, Watson explained, was that the president has not been giving his executives financial statements, neither does he hold executive meetings.
When quizzed on whether he was one of the executive members who was considering tendering his resignation, Watson said, “No, I will not resign, but I will definitely not be going back up for re-election because I do not want to be a part of any executive under Tim Kee.
“Tim Kee calls special meetings and most of the times these meetings are not finished. I think he has made a mess of football.”
Tim Kee is expected to be challenged by W Connection boss David John-Williams and now former T&T referee, who officiated at the 1998 World Cup in France, Ramesh Ramdhan, for the post of president, come November 29.
In spite of the criticisms levelled against the local football boss, it is understood that he has been credited for a marked improvement in the game when a comparison is made between the game in 2012 and before, to how it is now. And strangely the one heaping the praises on Tim Kee and the TTFA for this progress was the man who was sacked on Tuesday. Phillips had said that anyone watching local football from 2012 would admit that football now is in a better place.
Tim Kee told the Guardian yesterday he has had to stand firm on decisions designed for the betterment of the country in the face of challenges by executive members who are bent on doing things the way it was done for years before. And among these include key changes in the constitution of the TTFA, which FIFA described as “the worst constitution ever and one which was designed to keep certain people in power”.
Tim Kee, who wants to continue the job that he started three years ago, said even though the members were advised to change the constitution, they still didn’t want to do it and it was only because they were pressured by a top ranking member of the FIFA, who dealt specifically with constitutions, that they then approved it.
Tim Kee is calling on the public to judge him and the TTFA by the product, which in this case is the progress of football in T&T. His aim has been to return corporate T&T to the sport which has been tarnished by negative reports of alleged financial mismanagement.
“Good marketing will tell you that corporate T&T has lost all confidence and trust in the TTFA and therefore for us to win back this trust we need to do things differently and this is where the breakdown is among just a few key members in the association,” Tim Kee said.
The embattled football president is adamant to ensure corporate T&T and the public that there is accountability and transparency in local football for the first time.
Tim Kee went on to explain that his decision to fire general secretary Sheldon Phillips was not personal but because he went against the association policy.
“I can tell you that Phillips was an excellent worker who was always dependable. You can count on him at anytime, but he just made too many missteps,” Tim Kee said.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Lenox.jpg?itok=Xwenaj5B)
Lennox Watson...First vice president of TTFA.
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“I can tell you that Phillips was an excellent worker who was always dependable. You can count on him at anytime, but he just made too many missteps,” Tim Kee said.
???
Does not compute.
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Ramesh Ramdhan gets my vote.
Tim Kee and John Williams are to self centered and stubborn to lead the FA.
I pray to God that David John Williams do not win.
At first I was very happy to hear about him wanting to run but now I have a change of heart which I cannot reveal why.
All I can say is, he does not like Hart and pretends he do, he have his motive, a deep one.
As for Sheldon, he is reliable but very soft, for years he have defended Tim Kee now he turned around and stab him right in the back.
Sheldon, was warned a while ago about the T&T press including the official press officer.
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Ramesh Ramdhan gets my vote.
Tim Kee and John Williams are to self centered and stubborn to lead the FA.
I pray to God that David John Williams do not win.
At first I was very happy to hear about him wanting to run but now I have a change of heart which I cannot reveal why.
All I can say is, he does not like Hart and pretends he do, he have his motive, a deep one.
As for Sheldon, he is reliable but very soft, for years he have defended Tim Kee now he turned around and stab him right in the back.
Sheldon, was warned a while ago about the T&T press including the official press officer.
Tim Kee wanted to fire Sheldon since the hiring of Darren Mullien and the Argentina fiasco but did not get the chance to, the Guardian article by Alibey was the perfect opportunity to get him and Tim Kee took the chance.
Tim Kee told me once that Sheldon is a decent guy but makes poor decissions which made the TTFA look bad on many occasions. The Training Centre was another big embrassment that just never happened after all the hype.
Tim Kee said Sheldon was making folks feel he was doing everything at the TTFA.
David Muhammad was also make it worst for Sheldon and Watson could say all he wants but he too did not like Sheldon.
There were to many false promises and it had to be stopped.
In other words I guess, he said he was a talker??
This is what I have heard.
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Is this a form of "bullying" at a different level?????
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Ramesh Ramdhan gets my vote.
My thoughts exactly. But what's his platform though? Maybe we can get an interview with him to hear what he's all about just like what Flex did with DJW. At least with his referee background (at the highest level) he should be a fair and ethical man who will do what's in the best interest of T&T football....at least that's what we hope.
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WATCH: Sheldon Phillips is no longer General Secretary of the TTFA. Phillips’ contract was terminated by president Raymond Tim Kee on Monday after Phillips refused to hand in his resignation. Meanwhile Phillips responded by saying that he was grateful for the opportunity to work with the TTFA and growing the game. However he suggested that he might seek redress.
CLICK HERE (https://www.facebook.com/socawarriors.net/posts/10153721939309314) for video.
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Did I hear "redress"? Presshah!
Hol' on tight for the ride Uncle Tim.
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Ramesh Ramdhan gets my vote.
My thoughts exactly. But what's his platform though? Maybe we can get an interview with him to hear what he's all about just like what Flex did with DJW. At least with his referee background (at the highest level) he should be a fair and ethical man who will do what's in the best interest of T&T football....at least that's what we hope.
Fenwick is acting as campaign manager for Ramesh Ramdhan.
Permanent Secretary in Sport is Joan Mendez. Macintyre were moved to Permanent Secretary in education.
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Need to hear more on who is on the ticket for the different candidates and who are the ground troops for them.
Informed comparisons have to be made to choose the better or lesser-of-all evils candidate.
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Just saw Selby Brown of the veterans footballers decided to vie for the presidency. Good luck.
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Just saw Selby Brown of the veterans footballers decided to vie for the presidency. Good luck.
Best news in sports in a long time. If he we were to win, that would represent a sea change in a postive direction and a potential future renaissance phase in T&T football. Good luck Selby. Brilliant move done quietly.
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To much ole foockers vining, we need some young blood.
These ole men have no brains and want to run we football like in 1970.
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Selby Brown is a solid person.
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Selby Brown is a solid person.
Word. Spread the word.
This election is helping us see, as we say, "who is really who".
With the advent of Selby, it will see several real patriots galvanized into BIGGER action with massive reawakening of fans & possibly trust.
Football soldiers of the highest pedigree like Steve David, DeLeon, Stephen Hart, Deeks, Leonson Lewis, Maylee Attin-Johnson, Alvin (not Cornmeal but Henderson), the Warren Archibalds in hiding and the demoralized and wounded who need rehab for mentorship roles like Gally and Clayton Morris. Young entrepreneurs like Narada Wilson will be ready to launch further. We'll see the Shaka Hislops and opportunity for the Kelvin Jacks and the stars from the female warriors. The Flex's and Tallmans would see their stock rise and promotion of the website. The diehards from south, central, west, east, Tobago would come out of the woodworks, not as corbeaux and cockroaches but as volunteers and eager contributors and sponsors who might have almost given up.
Exciting times and yes risky times but daiz life. Gotta be brave and get out of the cocoon of safe-feeling stagnation that is really dangerous.
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Sheldon should be happy.
Tim Kee not winning, so either way he woulda lose he job to.
At least Tim Kee did him a favor.
Wonder what Lincoln saying these days, ah know he was Tim Kee bell boy.
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Sheldon should be happy.
Tim Kee not winning, so either way he woulda lose he job to.
At least Tim Kee did him a favor.
Wonder what Lincoln saying these days, ah know he was Tim Kee bell boy.
something in what u say...was a severance package involved ?
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In my opinion, this action by Tim Kee seemed to be something he wanted to do a while back and used the Guardian article as an excuse to fire Sheldon?
I also believe that Sheldon did nothing wrong to warrant being fired and if he was given more freedom he might have done exceptionally well.
I am not here to endorse anyone but of all the current TTFA staff (admin) Sheldon should be the last man Tim Kee should fire, in-fact, David Muhammad leads the list who should have been booted out a long time ago.
Sheldon was very instrumental in these few things I remembered.
1. Soca Warrior settlement
Definitely an accomplishment despite the irrational action of a few Warriors when the second half of payments sputtered. Tim Kee gave ALL the funds he received from CONCACAF to the players when he could have filed bankruptcy and used the $1.5 million as seed money for a new FA.
2. New Constitution
Led the effort for a new constitution which people had been clamoring for decades. New constitution will enable clubs to have a say in governance and include a place for a players association.
3. Debt Reduction
In just over two years, he took $6 million USD in debt and reduced it to $2 million.
4. FIFA/CONCACAF Support
Increased development programs to serve the football family and qualified the FA for major projects and funding for merchandising and training centre, however, I am not sure what has become of the training centre.
5. Government Support
Cast aside political affiliation and he reached out to Anil Roberts to establish funding for senior team and worked with Gary Griffith to create the Cabinet note. Former sports minister has since tried to undo the effort. He also negotiated the deal with then minister Gary Griffith to get $10 million dollars to the senior team players and staff to bring their arrears up to date and get funding for the gold cup.
6. Coaching Changes
Introduced the country to Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum two coaches who led the national teams to there best run in years.
7. Increased Sponsorships- biggest surprise to many
Ten sponsors have been added to the TTFA since RTK became president.
Flex, let me guess, Sheldon sent you this list?
Asked yourself if someone was so good why they got fired?
Lincoln Phillips tried the same too, but Jack had to put a stop to him. He was more concern about promoting his book than his job.
The pay outweights the job father and son did for T&T.
Maybe Sheldon could follow Gorden and join Guyana FA.
Imagine he takes credit for an introduction of coaches and if my memory serves me correct, it was this site that was leving for Hart to get the T&T job.
Half of their ideas they got right here but they will never give you guys credit.
His father was the same, wanted credit for Beenhakker to.
By recomending someone, anyone can recomned someone, you dont need 45,000 a month for recomendations, you need people who want to get their hands wet not their cell phones alone.
Sheldon is a politician and never did anything for Women football and a youth pogramme.
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In my opinion, this action by Tim Kee seemed to be something he wanted to do a while back and used the Guardian article as an excuse to fire Sheldon?
I also believe that Sheldon did nothing wrong to warrant being fired and if he was given more freedom he might have done exceptionally well.
I am not here to endorse anyone but of all the current TTFA staff (admin) Sheldon should be the last man Tim Kee should fire, in-fact, David Muhammad leads the list who should have been booted out a long time ago.
Sheldon was very instrumental in these few things I remembered.
1. Soca Warrior settlement
Definitely an accomplishment despite the irrational action of a few Warriors when the second half of payments sputtered. Tim Kee gave ALL the funds he received from CONCACAF to the players when he could have filed bankruptcy and used the $1.5 million as seed money for a new FA.
2. New Constitution
Led the effort for a new constitution which people had been clamoring for decades. New constitution will enable clubs to have a say in governance and include a place for a players association.
3. Debt Reduction
In just over two years, he took $6 million USD in debt and reduced it to $2 million.
4. FIFA/CONCACAF Support
Increased development programs to serve the football family and qualified the FA for major projects and funding for merchandising and training centre, however, I am not sure what has become of the training centre.
5. Government Support
Cast aside political affiliation and he reached out to Anil Roberts to establish funding for senior team and worked with Gary Griffith to create the Cabinet note. Former sports minister has since tried to undo the effort. He also negotiated the deal with then minister Gary Griffith to get $10 million dollars to the senior team players and staff to bring their arrears up to date and get funding for the gold cup.
6. Coaching Changes
Introduced the country to Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum two coaches who led the national teams to there best run in years.
7. Increased Sponsorships- biggest surprise to many
Ten sponsors have been added to the TTFA since RTK became president.
Flex, let me guess, Sheldon sent you this list?
Asked yourself if someone was so good why they got fired?
Lincoln Phillips tried the same too, but Jack had to put a stop to him. He was more concern about promoting his book than his job.
The pay outweights the job father and son did for T&T.
Maybe Sheldon could follow Gorden and join Guyana FA.
Imagine he takes credit for an introduction of coaches and if my memory serves me correct, it was this site that was leving for Hart to get the T&T job.
Half of their ideas they got right here but they will never give you guys credit.
His father was the same, wanted credit for Beenhakker to.
By recomending someone, anyone can recomned someone, you dont need 45,000 a month for recomendations, you need people who want to get their hands wet not their cell phones alone.
Sheldon is a politician and never did anything for Women football and a youth pogramme.
Horner right, Sheldon talking rubbish, a decade or more I mention Hart on here before anyone and promoted that for years, Sheldon more than likely read my posts... Who he pretending to fool with that credit
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Horner right, Sheldon talking rubbish, a decade or more I mention Hart on here before anyone and promoted that for years, Sheldon more than likely read my posts... Who he pretending to fool with that credit
Probably not. Hart was a known quantity and was apparently one of several coaches recommended by Beenhakker.
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Horner right, Sheldon talking rubbish, a decade or more I mention Hart on here before anyone and promoted that for years, Sheldon more than likely read my posts... Who he pretending to fool with that credit
Probably not. Hart was a known quantity and was apparently one of several coaches recommended by Beenhakker.
Then dat dam scamp Don Leo was reading his posts :rotfl:
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Horner right, Sheldon talking rubbish, a decade or more I mention Hart on here before anyone and promoted that for years, Sheldon more than likely read my posts... Who he pretending to fool with that credit
Probably not. Hart was a known quantity and was apparently one of several coaches recommended by Beenhakker.
Then dat dam scamp Don Leo was reading his posts :rotfl:
:rotfl: :beermug: :beermug:
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Tim Kee clears the air on Phillips firing.
T&T Newsday Reports.
RAYMOND TIM Kee, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), stated on Tuesday that he had no choice but to fire Sheldon Phillips as the TTFA general secretary on October 19, after Phillips refused to hand in his resignation upon Tim Kee’s request.
Tim Kee made this disclosure during a media conference at the TTFA boardroom, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
“Sheldon Phillips was an excellent man in operations,” Tim Kee said. “I cannot fault his propensity for hard work and accessing information and networking.
“When certain things happened, I phoned (Phillips) and I had to invite him to resign. (He) had some time to think about it.
“When he did not respond,” Tim Kee continued. “I called him and he said he decided not to resign because that will mean an admission of guilt.
“So I had no choice (but to remove him).” However, Tim Kee countered, “if I have needs for an operations man in my organisation, strictly operations, Sheldon will be a good candidate.” As far as marketing of the TTFA and the national teams (male and female) are concerned, Tim Kee stated, “we had to do some re-branding, which we did. We now have a marketing company working fully with the TTFA.
We have started some income-generated initiatives.” He added, “we have gone as far as making purchasing of these items possible off our website, which will be launched on Friday.”
About his challengers (David John-Williams, Selby Browne, Ramesh Ramdhan and Clynt Taylor), Tim Kee questioned, “in your collective ages, any of you ever heard (TT) football had an elections and you had five candidates vying for the presidency?” He vowed that the TTFA president will not have more than two consecutive four-year terms, and that both the TTFA accounts and minutes of meetings will be available to the public via the group’s website.
Tim Kee noted that a new kit supplier, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is expected to replace Spanish sports clothing manufacturer Joma.
And, he also revealed that plans are afoot to make Trinidad the home of football in the Caribbean, as well as establish a base for national teams in Union Park, Marabella.
“It’s a matter of getting approval from the head of Lands and Surveys for a plot of land, that comprises of acres of land,” said Tim Kee.
We’ll be putting two international- sized pitches and other pitches for children, and it will be a mixture of natural grass and artificial turf.
“That facility will house players and can be even used as a summer camp for teams who want to come in for the tropical weather,” he continued. “That is advanced where it has been approved by the (Sports) Ministry.
It’s just a matter of the final approval.”
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“When certain things happened, I phoned (Phillips) and I had to invite him to resign. (He) had some time to think about it.
“When he did not respond,” Tim Kee continued. “I called him and he said he decided not to resign because that will mean an admission of guilt.
Wonder what he did so bad?
Ent a general secretary position is based as strictly operational? So Tim Kee bull shitting the man.
He bigging him up in the strictly operations department and with another action firing him.
Sheldon should contact Flex and give him the real story to clear his name, Flex is the only man who could do a proper job.
By the way, this was hilarious "I INVITE HIM TO RESIGN... invite".... !!!!
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
I guess everyone just walks over the Phillips family.
Happy Halloween.
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Topics to talk about
Darren Millien, $500 for the entire lady team in Houston while Phillips taking home roughly TT$24,000 a month salary with TT$21,000 housing plus a company vehicle, no one else was getting paid, Brian Lewis TTOC slam during the PanAm games, raising the price for the T&T vs Argentina game using Element Agency + Events agency owned by Phillips, , Akeem Adams t-shirt deal where the TTFA stole most of the money, the Under-15 boys team who was set up, the email glitch, Nissi Tours, Training Centre and Atiba Charles.
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Topics to talk about
Darren Millien, $500 for the entire lady team in Houston while Phillips taking home roughly TT$24,000 a month salary with TT$21,000 housing plus a company vehicle, no one else was getting paid, Brian Lewis TTOC slam during the PanAm games, raising the price for the T&T vs Argentina game using Element Agency + Events agency owned by Phillips, , Akeem Adams t-shirt deal where the TTFA stole most of the money, the Under-15 boys team who was set up, the email glitch, Nissi Tours, Training Centre and Atiba Charles.
Darren Millien capital k crook so once he hired that fella I know he eh worth a pint of piss.
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“When certain things happened, I phoned (Phillips) and I had to invite him to resign. (He) had some time to think about it.
“When he did not respond,” Tim Kee continued. “I called him and he said he decided not to resign because that will mean an admission of guilt.
This is what we need to find out! What exactly does he mean by "certain things".
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“When certain things happened, I phoned (Phillips) and I had to invite him to resign. (He) had some time to think about it.
“When he did not respond,” Tim Kee continued. “I called him and he said he decided not to resign because that will mean an admission of guilt.
This is what we need to find out! What exactly does he mean by "certain things".
"certain things" will be on the website like accounts and the minutes and "certain things" won't...
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TTFA board to decide on Phillips’ future.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Sacked General Secretary of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) Sheldon Phillips could be back in his job either before or after the coming TTFA annual general meeting (AGM) and Election of Officers on November 29.
But this will be determined by the board of directors of the TTFA at a date to be announced soon. This new development came after Phillips in a letter to the board recently explained that after considering the factors surrounding his dismissal, a review of the constitution as well as having consultations with legal representatives from both the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), that he decided to object to the actions of the president and request that the board of directors address his matter.
Phillips’ letter quoted: “After careful review of the TTFA constitution and consultation with legal representatives from both FIFA and CONCACAF as well as reading the sentiments raised by TTFA board of directors vice presidents, I formally object to the actions of Mr Tim Kee and respectfully request the TTFA Board of Directors officially address the constitutional breach of authority committed by Mr Tim Kee at the earliest practicable opportunity.”
The reason given for Phillips’ dismissal in a letter sent from the TTFA on October 20 was that he failed to follow directives. That letter also stated that the TTFA boss later asked Phillips to resign but he did not, following which Tim Kee took the decision to fire him.
However Phillips in his letter, claimed that Tim Kee took the decison to fire him after a newspaper report misquoted him by saying that he (Tim Kee) was not only going back up for elections but had gotten the support of his executives, which turned out to be far from the truth. Phillips also made it clear in his letter that the embattled president still dismissed him from his job although the report was corrected through a retraction in the newspapers.
It is understood that a meeting of the board of directors was held on Friday and Tim Kee admitted that he had made a blunder in the way Phillips was treated. According to the new constitution of the TTFA: “The President can propose the dismissal or recruitment of the general secretary.”
However reliable sources told Guardian that Tim Kee raised a number of issues, apart from what was explained in his dismissal letter on October 20, why he thinks Phillips should be relieved of his job. He has since been ordered by the board which includes TTFA vice presidents—Lennox Watson, Krishnar Kuarsingh and Rudolph Thomas; Central Football Association (CFA) president Bryan Layne, Eastern FA president Wayne Cunningham, Northern FA president Roland Forde, Tobago FA president Raymond Alleyne, president of the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFA) Trevor Dyer, Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president Anthony Creed and Boni Bishop of the Referees Association to put together all his reasons why he feels Phillips should be dismissed for the board’s consideration soon.
This meeting it is understood will take place this week and some of the options the board will have at its disposal will be to either re-instate Phillips; terminate his services; send the matter to the Ministry of Labour for a decision or pay Phillips him off for his services. Only recently vice president Kuarsingh wrote to Tim Kee telling him that his decision to terminate the services of Phillips was unconstitutional and needed the approval from the board before the general secretary could have been sacked.
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Never a dull moment.
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Bigger heads prevail, hope Sheldon get back he wok and ah hope this time he do things better and work more with SWO.
Glad for him man.
He have good head, he just need to be a little more stern and put he foot down.
Time to change up how de TTFA does work.
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Khan to replace Phillips as new T&TFA general secretary.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Long standing general secretary of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Azard Khan has been tipped to be the new general secretary of the T&T Football Association (T&TFA).
The T&T Guardian has learned that newly-elected president David John-Williams has handpicked Khan on the advice of his first vice president Ewing Davis, both of whom worked together for several years in the school’s league. Davis served as the school’s league president but pulled out three years ago.
On Sunday, at the T&TFA’s annual general meeting and election of officers, Davis was elected as T&TFA vice president ahead of businessman John Sabga and Carib’s Colin Murray.
When asked about his general secretary yesterday, John-Williams refused to comment. However, he said that a meeting with the ex-general secretary Sheldon Phillips was scheduled to take place soon. Phillips, son of the football association’s former technical director Lincoln Phillips, has been out of a job since being sacked by former president Raymond Tim Kee for his failure to follow directives relating to the operations of the T&TFA on October 20.
He has since questioned the decision to fire him and asked the board of directors of the association to deal with the matter.
A number of meetings were held concerning this issue and Tim Kee was asked to rescind the termination letter handed to Phillips and replace it with a letter of suspension, as there were legal ramifications. The then TTFA boss was later advised to seek legal advice from the association’s attorney Derek Ali. However, Tim Kee refused to overturn his decision although a deadline of November 9 was given.
As a result, executive members of the TTFA wrote FIFA explaining that they were unable to move forward as an association because of the issue as well as other matters.
On Sunday, Tim Kee revealed contents of a legal document signed by Ali, which stated that the board did not have the power of using its discretion and had to act upon the advice of the president.
Tim Kee had said on Sunday that his action to sack Phillips was based on the TTFA constitution which states the president “has the power to propose the appointment or dismissal of the general secretary.”
But with Tim Kee out, John Williams, who met with the staff at the TTFA for the first time yesterday, said he was in the process of working out a number of pending matters. He met with Phillips to determine the way forward. Some of the options opened to him, it is understood, was full payment to Phillips or re-instatement.
John-Williams, who has now officially handed over the reigns of his club W Connection to his daughter, said the association was in the process of cutting a cheque to pay off women’s football coach Even Pellerud on the advice of the FIFA. The world governing body for football has threatened to ban T&T from getting monies for development if they did not pay Pellerud.
John-Williams also responded to calls by the FIFA for audited accounts and minutes of the congress meeting to be handed in, if the country was to obtain funding. He said they were in the process of dealing with that matter.
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I think John Sabga and Colin Murray would be good choices.
Not to confident in Sheldon Phillips and incumbent SSFL Azard Khan, if you look at the SSFL how it deteriorate over the years on and off the field and the rules how it affect teams especially the weaker ones, the format is also very confusing and unorganised.
Williams should bring in a new team which should include a new press team as well. Flex is a good candidate for that and Lasana too.
He should not hire any former TTFA/TTFF employees, especially the ones who worked under Jack Warner.
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Amm.. Walter, the man name is Azaad Mohammed-Khan, not Azard Khan. On another note, this to me is a big step down, not only in the abilities and competence of a general secretary. Azaad well and truly covered up and/or ignored the bobol of the SSFL, especially in the Central Zone. And one word for Ewing Davis - arrogant! He doesn't answer to anyone. Let's see how this unfolds.
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.....
Williams should bring in a new team which should include a new press team as well. Flex is a good candidate for that and Lasana too.
He should not hire any former TTFA/TTFF employees, especially the ones who worked under Jack Warner.
Agreed but Lasana eh go want de job.
Training his pen on de new administration and those of the past
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I think John Sabga and Colin Murray would be good choices.
Not to confident in Sheldon Phillips and incumbent SSFL Azard Khan, if you look at the SSFL how it deteriorate over the years on and off the field and the rules how it affect teams especially the weaker ones, the format is also very confusing and unorganised.
Williams should bring in a new team which should include a new press team as well. Flex is a good candidate for that and Lasana too.
He should not hire any former TTFA/TTFF employees, especially the ones who worked under Jack Warner.
Khan and Davis will be very difficult to work with. I know both of them, maybe Williams has a good relationship with both, but he is in a different role now and should be careful not to get to much ignorant people.
Already a bad sign.
A lot of strong heads who listen to no one is really the markings of more seperation between staff and players.
I hope Williams really think this true.
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I think John Sabga and Colin Murray would be good choices.
Not to confident in Sheldon Phillips and incumbent SSFL Azard Khan, if you look at the SSFL how it deteriorate over the years on and off the field and the rules how it affect teams especially the weaker ones, the format is also very confusing and unorganised.
Williams should bring in a new team which should include a new press team as well. Flex is a good candidate for that and Lasana too.
He should not hire any former TTFA/TTFF employees, especially the ones who worked under Jack Warner.
Khan and Davis will be very difficult to work with. I know both of them, maybe Williams has a good relationship with both, but he is in a different role now and should be careful not to get to much ignorant people.
Already a bad sign.
A lot of strong heads who listen to no one is really the markings of more seperation between staff and players.
I hope Williams really think this true.
I met Ewing Davis once and was not impressed...... I hope the people that voted for this administration know what they were doing.
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I think John Sabga and Colin Murray would be good choices.
Not to confident in Sheldon Phillips and incumbent SSFL Azard Khan, if you look at the SSFL how it deteriorate over the years on and off the field and the rules how it affect teams especially the weaker ones, the format is also very confusing and unorganised.
Williams should bring in a new team which should include a new press team as well. Flex is a good candidate for that and Lasana too.
He should not hire any former TTFA/TTFF employees, especially the ones who worked under Jack Warner.
Khan and Davis will be very difficult to work with. I know both of them, maybe Williams has a good relationship with both, but he is in a different role now and should be careful not to get to much ignorant people.
Already a bad sign.
A lot of strong heads who listen to no one is really the markings of more seperation between staff and players.
I hope Williams really think this true.
Allyuh keep watching, it start already.
Hiring they friend from 20 years now.
Stuart Charles coming soon.
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Re: Press Officer - I think we should give SF some credit. He's really up his game lately and have worked with the founders of this forum (as far as I can tell - but I stand to be corrected). Lasana is more investigative and at times his articles seems to be personally motivated. We do need him on the outside keeping the Fed on check.
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Alibey's article regarding Khan has been refuted.
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Stuart Charles coming soon.
How would hiring Stuart Charles help W Connection?
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Amm.. Walter, the man name is Azaad Mohammed-Khan, not Azard Khan. On another note, this to me is a big step down, not only in the abilities and competence of a general secretary. Azaad well and truly covered up and/or ignored the bobol of the SSFL, especially in the Central Zone. And one word for Ewing Davis - arrogant! He doesn't answer to anyone. Let's see how this unfolds.
He have a maiden name?
;D
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OMG. I heard of the Azaad's proposed appointment since during the campaign (as reward for being campaign manager for DJW) and was hoping that it doesn't come to pass. He does not have the competencies for such a critical position. (And I'm saying it nicely). Please 'Presi' reconsider that.
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Yuh know, when yuh come tuh think of it,
What really have VPs been contributing at TTFF, now called TTFA?
Got the impression that all the action was with the President and General secretary, as in case of Uncle Tim and Shello.
In past years Scampito and others.
These latest VPs, the average disengaged fan has never even heard of them. What the hell did they do except be silent facilitators of the crime syndicate? Maybe they will be delegated more constructive roles in a truly busy hard working administration and speak more to the press. That last administration seemed very iffy to say the least. Cyah geh any worse. Look, Hurry up and pay Pellirud before T&T get banned and Sam tooz heself.
Still a salary for the General Secretary only? Or did the constitution change that?
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trinidadians and some tobagonians are so fickle..... everybody is a freaking critic
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Just hope we don't go from playing friendlies against Mexico in Salt Lake city, to warm-ups against Pres or Naps in Mahaica Oval...
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Yuh know, when yuh come tuh think of it,
What really have VPs been contributing at TTFF, now called TTFA?
Got the impression that all the action was with the President and General secretary, as in case of Uncle Tim and Shello.
In past years Scampito and others.
These latest VPs, the average disengaged fan has never even heard of them. What the hell did they do except be silent facilitators of the crime syndicate? Maybe they will be delegated more constructive roles in a truly busy hard working administration and speak more to the press. That last administration seemed very iffy to say the least. Cyah geh any worse. Look, Hurry up and pay Pellirud before T&T get banned and Sam tooz heself.
Still a salary for the General Secretary only? Or did the constitution change that?
Good question... What really are the VP's role in TTFA? Why not re-structure it similar to FIFA , that all Presidents of each Football Association, Eastern, South, Central, North, Tobago automatically become appointed as TTFA VP's which would give them more imput in the overall decision and policy making on a National scale
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General secretary chaos slows new TTFA; Phillips claims long-term contract.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).
New Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams should announce an interim general secretary before the end of this week, as the local football body has found itself handicapped by a debatable, existing arrangement between ex-president Raymond Tim Kee and his estranged former general secretary, Sheldon Phillips.
Phillips, according to TTFA sources, has informed John-Williams that he still has a valid contract which has another two years to run.
The suggestion from the controversial general secretary is that, although he serves at the whim of the football president, Tim Kee somehow gave him a contract for longer than his own term in office.
And, despite being dismissed almost two months ago, Phillips still allegedly wants his contract to be honoured or to be paid off by the TTFA.
Phillips, the son of former TTFA technical director and star goalkeeper Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips, received a salary of roughly TT$24,000 a month plus a monthly housing allowance of TT$21,000 and a company vehicle.
John-Williams declined comment on the matter but admitted that an unresolved issue with Phillips had delayed his appointment of a general secretary.
“We are thinking about appointing somebody temporary (for the post of general secretary) between now and Friday,” John-Williams told Wired868, “because the matter has not been resolved with the former General Secretary.
“There is some confusion but it is very delicate. Right now, it remains a private matter between the general secretary and the TTFA.”
Phillips confirmed that he had what he considered a valid and existing contract as TTFA general secretary. He refused to comment further.
“I am just dealing with the new administration to work things out,” said Phillips. “We are in the process of resolving the transition. Until that matter clears up, hopefully sometime this week, I won’t be making any comment.”
The TTFA has operated without a general secretary, who is effectively the CEO of the organisation, since Tuesday 20 October 2015 when Tim Kee sacked Phillips for his: “failure to adhere to directives regarding the operational activities of the FA.”
The legality of Tim Kee’s decision was immediately questioned by the TTFA executive committee.
“He has the authority to propose the appointment and dismissal of the general secretary,” an executive committee member told Wired868, on the condition of anonymity, “but he cannot fire anybody. That is the prerogative of the executive committee.”
Tim Kee refused to back down on the grounds that the old TTFA constitution did not specifically address how a general secretary could be dismissed but only how one could be hired.
Article 13.3 of the old constitution stated: “The General Secretary shall be appointed by the Executive Committee on the recommendation of the President.”
But, three months before Phillips’ dismissal, the updated and existing TTFA constitution stated, in article 36 (f), that: “The Board of Directors (previously known as the TTFA Executive Committee) shall appoint or dismiss the General Secretary on the proposal of the President.”
And, since Tim Kee never consulted the TTFA’s directors before sacking Phillips, the directors and Phillips himself argued that it was an illegitimate decision.
However, conversely, a former TTFA executive committee member suggested that, by virtue of the same clauses in the new and old constitutions, Phillips’ contract might have been illegal.
The TTFA executive agreed to Phillips’ appointment in May 2013 but never saw his contract. Tim Kee’s term of president should have ended in November 2014 but, bizarrely, Phillips apparently had a contract that ran until April 2015.
And, even stranger, Phillips claimed that, at an unspecified time this year, Tim Kee gave him a two year extension, although his own presidential term in office had just months to run.
Phillips’ claim has not been supported so far by the TTFA’s office staff, who had never heard about his supposed new contract and did not have a copy of it.
“The executive committee never saw or approved that contract,” ex-TTFA vice-president Rudolph Thomas told Wired868. “We approved (Phillips) as the general secretary when the president proposed him in 2013 but we never saw the terms of the contract. And (Tim Kee) never proposed an extension to us…
“His contract cannot go longer than the president’s. His job is at the prerogative of the president, so a president cannot sign a contract (for his general secretary) for longer than he is president. That is simple logic…
“You hold office on the behest of the president. So when the president goes out of office, you obviously go out of office as well. (But) since the beginning of Raymond’s term, he doing dotishness…”
Thomas, who stepped down as Southern Football Association (SFA) president last month and was replaced by Richard Quan Chan, took a parting shot at Tim Kee for boasting about pushing for a new TTFA constitution.
“The erstwhile (former TTFA) president is always going on about how he proposed a new constitution,” said Thomas. “He didn’t propose anything. That was a mandate by FIFA and we were practically threatened by FIFA that, if we didn’t see about it, they would send a normalisation committee.
“Even the new rule that gives clubs a vote was a FIFA mandate from as far back as 2013 when it was decided at a FIFA congress in Mauritius.”
Tim Kee, who is also Port of Spain mayor and PNM treasurer, did not stick around long enough to see the new constitution in action at the TTFA’s election on 29 November 2015.
After the first round of voting at the Hasely Crawford Stadium’s VIP room, John-Williams led presidential delegates with 18 votes followed by Tim Kee (13.), Taylor (8.) and Browne and Ramdhan, who received three votes each.
And Tim Kee left the room before the second round of voting and never returned; not even to support his own prospective vice-presidents, Colin Murray, Keston Nancoo and Kamau Bandele, who faced the electorate afterwards.
John-Williams was subsequently elected president while all three of his vice-presidential candidates, Ewing Davis, Joanne Salazar and Allan Warner, were also elected.
In a subsequent Trinidad Guardian interview, Tim Kee described John-Williams’ elevation as a “misnomer.”
John-Williams confirmed to Wired868 that the outgoing president never contacted him to offer congratulations on his new post.
Although the new TTFA president has not yet named his potential general secretary, current Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) general secretary and San Juan Jabloteh CEO Azaad Khan is believed to be favoured for the post.
Khan is part of the SSFL executive committee, headed by president Anthony Creed, that recently landed a multi-million dollar five year contract with Digicel SportsMax, which starts in 2016 with a TT$1.4 million payment and gradually increases annually to reach close to TT$2 million by the final year.
The deal includes weekly broadcasts of SSFL matches throughout the Caribbean region and in the United States and Canada as well as coaching programmes, all star games and increased social media presence.
The new SSFL contract also allows the football body to continue to engage title sponsors like First Citizens Bank.
Khan told Wired868 that the SSFL board will sit down early next year to decide how to use the sponsorship money to attain particular goals for the schools’ game.
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??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
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Finger pointing start but some people pointing at the wrong person. Lasana have some sort of personal agenda against Phillips and it is clouding his objectivity.
The contract Phillips has was always a four year contract. Why would the man move from US for a two year contract? So there was no “extension”.
Also, I know the TTFA hasn’t paid any monthly rent for $22,000. His rent was lower, more like 15,000. The TTFA owes him $243,000.
What Sheldon did was get the rent free offices at the stadium because at the time the TTFA was paying over $40,000 rent in their Ana Street office.
He found games for the teams. It was up to Tim Kee to make sure the players stipends and fees were paid by the ministry or a sponsor.
The real culprit here is Tim Kee. The only time players got money was when Phillips worked with Gary Griffith to get cabinet notes for the $10 million for the Men arrears and Gold Cup and $50,000 bonus for the women.
Tim Kee did nothing to get money for the players and I also hear that when asked to call on his contacts to help the players, it was like pulling teeth.
Fair is fair. Lots to be angry about but the person who was actually getting things done shouldn’t be the one to blame for the latest issues. Lasana has to be better and more professional.
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sounds like we already have a General Secretary (COO, not CEO). Put him to work...rather than pay him the same salary to go away. Cause it sounds like he was not fired at all.
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Finger pointing start but some people pointing at the wrong person. Lasana have some sort of personal agenda against Phillips and it is clouding his objectivity.
The contract Phillips has was always a four year contract. Why would the man move from US for a two year contract? So there was no “extension”.
Also, I know the TTFA hasn’t paid any monthly rent for $22,000. His rent was lower, more like 15,000. The TTFA owes him $243,000.
What Sheldon did was get the rent free offices at the stadium because at the time the TTFA was paying over $40,000 rent in their Ana Street office.
He found games for the teams. It was up to Tim Kee to make sure the players stipends and fees were paid by the ministry or a sponsor.
The real culprit here is Tim Kee. The only time players got money was when Phillips worked with Gary Griffith to get cabinet notes for the $10 million for the Men arrears and Gold Cup and $50,000 bonus for the women.
Tim Kee did nothing to get money for the players and I also hear that when asked to call on his contacts to help the players, it was like pulling teeth.
Fair is fair. Lots to be angry about but the person who was actually getting things done shouldn’t be the one to blame for the latest issues. Lasana has to be better and more professional.
I telling allyuh about Lasana long time... it's shocking to read some of the things he writes about Phillips. And then he'll turn around and say "well if it not true, sue mih nah?" Disgraceful. He tried all kinda way to make it seem like Phillips was in cahoots with Millien in thiefing the Argentina money, deliberately giving Atiba Charles a pass, time after time. At any rate, he keeps putting out stuff like Phillips "alleges" he had a contract extension, and how this was done in secret without the ExCo knowing anything. There never was an extension, it indeed was a four-year contract. The one person who was actually holding down the fort now being made out to the bad guy. When people 'bad mind' yuh ish a hell of a thing yes.
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Why does JohnWilliams not come out and clarify Sheldon status. Legal or otherwise.
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It's not Williams' call. The old ExCo already spoke and said the termination was illegal, as has FIFA. I think Williams doesn't want Phillips back in the position or else he would have reinstated him already. I think they're stalling to find a some way to put their own GS in place... but if they do so they'll have to pay Phillips for the years remaining on his contract.
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It's not Williams' call. The old ExCo already spoke and said the termination was illegal, as has FIFA. I think Williams doesn't want Phillips back in the position or else he would have reinstated him already. I think they're stalling to find a some way to put their own GS in place... but if they do so they'll have to pay Phillips for the years remaining on his contract.
Bakes, if that is the case, then TTFA in more debt. They are obligated to pay off Sheldon. Thanks to RTK.
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It's not Williams' call. The old ExCo already spoke and said the termination was illegal, as has FIFA. I think Williams doesn't want Phillips back in the position or else he would have reinstated him already. I think they're stalling to find a some way to put their own GS in place... but if they do so they'll have to pay Phillips for the years remaining on his contract.
You can't blame DJW for wanting to bring in his own team.
However, I think Sheldon would do much better than Azaad Khan even though Khan would cost cheaper to hire because he already lives in T&T, with Sheldon you have to pay a hefty rent, his pay, a vehicle and other expenses that he is not worth.
I am not fund of Sheldon especially his last year, his trust in Tim Kee back fired.
But I heard worst about Azaad Khan??
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I say give Sheldon de wok, once he accept a same pay as a local.
Sheldon go do better under a better management. Tim Kee f00ck up de man and DJW might just end up to be a little better, ah hoping.
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I say give Sheldon de wok, once he accept a same pay as a local.
Sheldon go do better under a better management. Tim Kee f00ck up de man and DJW might just end up to be a little better, ah hoping.
Why does he want to continue in the post?
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I say give Sheldon de wok, once he accept a same pay as a local.
Sheldon go do better under a better management. Tim Kee f00ck up de man and DJW might just end up to be a little better, ah hoping.
Why does he want to continue in the post?
I doubt he does. Probably just wants to get paid.
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Resolved to everyone's satisfaction?
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Don't know ?
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This matter was feverishly batted about in the public domain - with some good reason - as various components stood in the public interest. As such, a definitive pronouncenent on where things stand seems timely and in order. That is, of course, unless we prefer the pappyshow and bacchanal of the moment to the "inconvenience" of transparency. Or maybe no one is interested in locating the rug under which this was swept.
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Sheldon Phillips sues TTFA.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Former general secretary of the T&T Football Association (TTFA), Sheldon Phillips, is taking legal action against his ex employers for wrongful dismissal.
Phillips, described by the former TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee as competent and efficient before he was fired, told the Guardian that he has submitted proposals to the David John-Williams administration outlining ways to resolve the issue, which he feels were not considered. “I was fired, not because of my performance or because I failed to follow procedures but because I wrote to the FIFA about the manner in which the election process was being managed.
There were erroneous information being sent out to the electorate and the administrators failed to adhere to my advice, which was to follow Articles 10.1 of the constitution, so I wrote to the FIFA,” Phillips said.
He made it clear he received no warnings to suggest that he was not following directives.
Phillips’ case was picked up by other executive members of the TTFA, who agreed he was wrongfully dismissed. Phillips pointed to an agreement of the TTFA executive after a meeting on November 13, 2015 which advised the president to seek FIFA’s assistance on his matter via a written request.
He said Tim Kee failed to do this and though it was suggested to John-Williams, he has no info that a letter was sent from him.
The inception of the new TTFA administration in September, saw Azaad Khan, a long-serving general secretary of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) being given an interim position. Attempts to confirm Khan via a board meeting of the TTFA a month ago failed after two members, Anthony Moore, the Tobago Football Association (TFA) president and Allan Warner, the second vice president of the TTFA, voted against it.
This development led to concerns by members of the board and other executives as rumours circulated of a plot to remove Khan. The Guardian learnt the position of general secretary is to be advertised, but one board member said the constitution did not make provision for the post to be advertised.
John Williams explained discussions must take place before the appointment of a general secretary, adding Khan will first be properly assessed on his work.
Asked whether there was an expectation that Khan would accept the position based on an expectation to be confirmed, John-Williams said ‘there was no general secretary and Khan was appointed in an interim position. I cannot say if he will be kept or not but there will soon be a another meeting of the board where that decision will be made.’
Questioned on an update on Phillips’ situation, the local football boss confirmed the ex general secretary will be taking legal action against his association.
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Phillips, Latapy in toss up for top TTFA post.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Sheldon Phillips, former general secretary of the T&T Football Association (T&TFA) and Justin Latapy, director of sports at the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), are front runners for the position of general secretary of the TTFA.
The duo is among a shortlist of eight candidates selected from a field of 57 for the post. The Guardian learnt that two international candidates, including one from Europe will be in the toss-up for the top job, expected to offer a salary of between $25, 000 to $30, 000 monthly, along with a vehicle and other perks. The other six candidates are from T&T, it was said.
The candidates will face a rigorous interviewing process from a three-member panel that will comprise an independent consultant, a member who does work for the world governing body for football- FIFA and is known locally, and a member of the Board of Directors of the TTFA, said Joanne Salazar, third vice president of the TTFA.
Salazar refused to divulge the names of the candidates or the committee to conduct the interviews, but said the football association will ensure that the person selected will be able to withstand the scrutiny which the Association expects after the choice is made.
Phillips, who held the position under the previous Raymond Tim Kee-led administration before being sacked for his failure to follow directives, could hold the upperhand due to his knowledge and experience in the past, but Latapy, who is the brother of T&T’s midfield maestro Russell Latapy, has worked in sports for his entire life and is considered an excellent administrator in the field.
Azard Khan, who has been interim general secretary since the inception of the David John-Williams-led administration assumed office in November last year, has withdrawn his application for a more lucrative offer in one of the five positions up for grabs over the next month or so.
Surprisingly, Anthony Moore, president of the Tobago Football Association (TFA) who made it public that he intended to contest the position did not apply.
Contacted Moore said he did not apply as he has too much on his plate presently. “Because of my commitment to Tobago, I decided against going up for the position, as I am part of a foundation to have embarked on a project to offer remedial classes to children in the sister-isle, which for me is also part of giving back to the island.
“Apart from that, I am also actively involved in farming, while at the same time, have to do my job as president of the TFA, so I think I have my plate full,” Moore explained.
He noted that since the Association was making the transition to the new FIFA constitution, it was imperative he remained in the sister isle.
In addition to the general secretary, four other positions are being contested.
These include manager of finance and administration, public relations and communications manager, marketing and commercial manager and manager of national teams.
Salazar said a total of 370 applications were received for the five positions.
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Phillips, Latapy in toss up for top TTFA post.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Sheldon Phillips, former general secretary of the T&T Football Association (T&TFA) and Justin Latapy, director of sports at the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), are front runners for the position of general secretary of the TTFA.
The duo is among a shortlist of eight candidates selected from a field of 57 for the post. The Guardian learnt that two international candidates, including one from Europe will be in the toss-up for the top job, expected to offer a salary of between $25, 000 to $30, 000 monthly, along with a vehicle and other perks. The other six candidates are from T&T, it was said.
The candidates will face a rigorous interviewing process from a three-member panel that will comprise an independent consultant, a member who does work for the world governing body for football- FIFA and is known locally, and a member of the Board of Directors of the TTFA, said Joanne Salazar, third vice president of the TTFA.
Salazar refused to divulge the names of the candidates or the committee to conduct the interviews, but said the football association will ensure that the person selected will be able to withstand the scrutiny which the Association expects after the choice is made.
Phillips, who held the position under the previous Raymond Tim Kee-led administration before being sacked for his failure to follow directives, could hold the upperhand due to his knowledge and experience in the past, but Latapy, who is the brother of T&T’s midfield maestro Russell Latapy, has worked in sports for his entire life and is considered an excellent administrator in the field.
Azard Khan, who has been interim general secretary since the inception of the David John-Williams-led administration assumed office in November last year, has withdrawn his application for a more lucrative offer in one of the five positions up for grabs over the next month or so.
Surprisingly, Anthony Moore, president of the Tobago Football Association (TFA) who made it public that he intended to contest the position did not apply.
Contacted Moore said he did not apply as he has too much on his plate presently. “Because of my commitment to Tobago, I decided against going up for the position, as I am part of a foundation to have embarked on a project to offer remedial classes to children in the sister-isle, which for me is also part of giving back to the island.
“Apart from that, I am also actively involved in farming, while at the same time, have to do my job as president of the TFA, so I think I have my plate full,” Moore explained.
He noted that since the Association was making the transition to the new FIFA constitution, it was imperative he remained in the sister isle.
In addition to the general secretary, four other positions are being contested.
These include manager of finance and administration, public relations and communications manager, marketing and commercial manager and manager of national teams.
Salazar said a total of 370 applications were received for the five positions.
Ah backing Sheldon for this job.
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Anyone know where's Sheldon Phillips now?
I thought he would have been a good GS to bring back instead of Justin Latapy. He did pretty well with us.
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See Sheldon Phillips Former General Secretary of Football interviewed on Field of Dreams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qrQH5V_ks
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High Court orders TTFA to pay $.2 million to ex-GS; Hart, Corneal, Walkes could be next.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com).
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has until 30 April 2017 to make its first payment to former general secretary Sheldon Phillips or face the possibility of seizure of property, after a legal defeat in the High Court on 3 March 2017.
The total figure owed to Phillips is TT$227,194.87 plus interest at five percent per annum for debt, interest and costs. The money represents one month’s salary for Phillips at TT$26,400 plus three months’ rent and a host of payments made by the ex-general secretary on behalf of the football body, which included arrears on the salary of former coach Stephen Hart and one month’s payment of the TTFA staff’s salaries.
The debt was incurred during the tenure of former local football president Raymond Tim Kee but current TTFA president David John-Williams and his board must take responsibility for the issue ending up in court.
Despite several requests for payment and a demand letter sent on 15 July 2016, according to Phillips’ statement of case, the TTFA refused to settle “nor has it proffered any reasonable grounds for failing to do so.”
Yet, remarkably, once the matter reached the High Court, the football body didn’t even bother to defend itself. The court subsequently delivered “Judgment in default of defence against the defendant.”
It is, arguably, part of a cavalier attitude to legal matters by the John Williams-led administration, which can arguably lead to a handful of lawsuits over the next month.
Wired868 was reliably informed that the TTFA’s attorneys are handling financial grievances by Hart as well as former technical directors Kendall Walkes and Anton Corneal. And the combined cost of their unpaid wages is believed to be in excess of TT$10 million.
And, although some of the matters precede John-Williams’ term in office, the bombastic attitude of the current president was identified as a factor for the frustration of all the potential claimants.
At the head of the queue, though, is United States television giant Telemundo, who are suing for protection of their contract to exclusively broadcast Trinidad and Tobago’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers to a Spanish-speaking US audience.
The TTFA has refused to accept the validity of the contract, which they are party to after signing their rights over to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in 2012. John-Williams, on behalf of the TTFA, argued that the contract should be voided due to a bribe paid by Traffic USA president Aaron Davidson to former CFU normalisation committee chairman Jeffrey Webb.
The High Court granted an injunction to Telemundo, which ensured that the local football body would not interfere with their broadcast rights for recent qualifiers against Panama and Mexico on 24 and 28 March respectively.
Timothy Hamel-Smith SC, who represented Telemundo in the High Court, slammed John-Williams’ behaviour in the impasse.
“That is not the conduct of an honest commercial man,” said Hamel-Smith. “The conduct of an honest commercial man is that he respects the rights of somebody who is bonafide and he gets what he can get from the people who took advantage of him if he truly believes that.”
In Phillip’s case, it is revealing that, after forcing the general secretary into court to settle a TTFA debt to him, John-Williams and his body did not even attempt to defend their actions.
There is more than a whiff of the stalling tactics that Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) interim president Keith Look Loy and Central Football Association (CFA) general secretary Clynt Taylor both complained about in their own dealings with the local football body.
Hart, according to close sources, allege that the TTFA owed him five months’ salary as well as money for the rest of his contract, which expires in 2018. It works out to close to TT$4 million.
Crucially though, John-Williams repeatedly claimed that Hart was fully paid up while head coach. Both men cannot be telling the truth.
Corneal is owed roughly TT$3.5 million for his contract as technical director as well as reimbursements for money spent on accommodation and stipends for several national youth teams. He left his post, after being unpaid for more than a year, in April 2014.
Corneal’s exit occurred more than a year before John-Williams took office. But, again, John-Williams’ bullish attitude is believed to have exacerbated matters according to another source close to the coach who steered Trinidad and Tobago to the 2007 Under-17 World Cup tournament.
The current president made payments of TT$50,000 and TT$25,000 respectively to Corneal, soon after he took office in November 2015. But relationships soured when John-Williams allegedly decided he did not like the tone of the former technical director—although Corneal was the victim of the football body’s financial irresponsibility.
“[John-Williams allegedly told Corneal] you should be happy that you’re getting anything at all,” a source close to the issue told Wired868, on condition of anonymity. “[Corneal replied] with all due respect, two and a half percent of the money you owe me isn’t plenty money.”
Walkes, who replaced Corneal as technical director, got even less. John-Williams, he claimed, refused to even acknowledge him as technical director—although, ironically, the TTFA sent Walkes to Brazil to lead the Women’s National Senior Team within weeks of the president’s election.
The TTFA never paid Walkes since John-Williams took office. As in the case of Telemundo, the new administration simply ignored its contract with the employee.
“If nothing is said to you on anything you try to get from the TTFA, it is just as good as a loud F-U,” said Walkes. “Silence speaks volumes. John-Williams never said anything to me [and] he never wrote anything to me. It is as if I never existed.
“The only person who I ever had communication with is [former TTFA interim general secretary] Azaad [Khan]. That is how they were treating me and still treating me.”
The TTFA fired Walkes—although they still claim he wasn’t properly hired in the first place—in April 2016. The former Trinidad and Tobago international and US NCAA coach explained that it was the middle of the US university term and the timing meant there would be no job openings in his old field for months.
In the meantime, Walkes’ renewal for his United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ licence coaching badge came up. He said he was required to provide proof of his international experience as a player for Trinidad and Tobago as well as his role within the football body as technical director.
Walkes claimed that he wrote the TTFA to provide him with the necessary information in December 2016 for the requisite information. But a formal response did not come until last week after—with the help of former international teammate Everald “Gally” Cummings—he was able to contact Sport Minister Darryl Smith, who made a personal intervention.
Even then, a frustrated Walkes, who is assisting with coaching at the Philadelphia Union youth teams and their subsidiaries, thinks the information provided to him might be insufficient.
“Without my file being complete, when you go into the digital coaching centre I would be graded as a ‘B’ license coach,” said Walkes, “because I have not provided enough authentication to get my ‘A’ license renewed. And if that goes until a certain time, I will have to pay over US$4,000 to get my license from scratch.
“So, as far as I know, I am in the system as a ‘B’… I explained that to Azaad Khan and it still took between December of last year to last Thursday to superimpose some information for me on a letterhead because they didn’t want to do it.
“I explained to the TTFA and the TTOC (Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee) why I wanted this letter. Brian Lewis never responded to me. I sent it to Anthony Creed at SPORTT and he never responded to me.”
Walkes said he certified over 130 coaches in Trinidad during his time as technical director. It is a process that he said has not continued under his successor, Muhammad Isa.
Now, he is left incensed at the treatment meted out by his countrymen, which threatens to even affect his livelihood.
“I wasn’t a guy who just happened to play for Trinidad after a good domestic season,” said Walkes. “I was a constant presence in the Trinidad and Tobago team for years and I have well over 50 caps. If they want to verify that they can talk to Gally or Steve David, Ron La Forest, Selwyn Murren…
“There are 12,000 ‘A’ level coaches in the entire country [in the United States]. It is a privileged license to have and I have had my ‘A’ license since 2000… I cannot do State level coaching courses to earn money because my ‘A’ is not updated…”
On Monday 10 April, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is due to visit Trinidad and John-Williams will take him on to courtesy calls to President Anthony Carmona and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Wired868 understands FIFA has increased FAP payments to national associations from US$250,000 per year to US$750,000 plus another US$140,000 for national team travel. This figure has not been confirmed by FIFA or the TTFA.
If accurate, it is a whopping climb from the annual subvention offered by Infantino’s predecessor, Sepp Blatter. Ironically, this funding—and, in particular, the lack of oversight regarding its use—was fingered as one of the ways that Blatter bought votes from national associations.
The FAP money means the TTFA can run its house without needing a cent from the government or commercial sponsors—the local football body often requested TT$6 million per year from the government although, in a best case scenario, they would hope to have a war chest of around TT$10 million.
But, if the complaints of Phillips, Hart, Corneal, Walkes, Look Loy, Taylor and Telemundo, have any merit, money is the least of the problems facing the John-Williams-led TTFA. It is about the shortfall in respect, integrity and appreciation for the efforts of employees and stakeholders as well as for the democratic process.
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High Court orders TTFA to pay $.2 million to ex-GS; Hart, Corneal, Walkes could be next.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com).
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has until 30 April 2017 to make its first payment to former general secretary Sheldon Phillips or face the possibility of seizure of property, after a legal defeat in the High Court on 3 March 2017.
The total figure owed to Phillips is TT$227,194.87 plus interest at five percent per annum for debt, interest and costs. The money represents one month’s salary for Phillips at TT$26,400 plus three months’ rent and a host of payments made by the ex-general secretary on behalf of the football body, which included arrears on the salary of former coach Stephen Hart and one month’s payment of the TTFA staff’s salaries.
The debt was incurred during the tenure of former local football president Raymond Tim Kee but current TTFA president David John-Williams and his board must take responsibility for the issue ending up in court.
Despite several requests for payment and a demand letter sent on 15 July 2016, according to Phillips’ statement of case, the TTFA refused to settle “nor has it proffered any reasonable grounds for failing to do so.”
Yet, remarkably, once the matter reached the High Court, the football body didn’t even bother to defend itself. The court subsequently delivered “Judgment in default of defence against the defendant.”
It is, arguably, part of a cavalier attitude to legal matters by the John Williams-led administration, which can arguably lead to a handful of lawsuits over the next month.
Wired868 was reliably informed that the TTFA’s attorneys are handling financial grievances by Hart as well as former technical directors Kendall Walkes and Anton Corneal. And the combined cost of their unpaid wages is believed to be in excess of TT$10 million.
And, although some of the matters precede John-Williams’ term in office, the bombastic attitude of the current president was identified as a factor for the frustration of all the potential claimants.
At the head of the queue, though, is United States television giant Telemundo, who are suing for protection of their contract to exclusively broadcast Trinidad and Tobago’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers to a Spanish-speaking US audience.
The TTFA has refused to accept the validity of the contract, which they are party to after signing their rights over to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in 2012. John-Williams, on behalf of the TTFA, argued that the contract should be voided due to a bribe paid by Traffic USA president Aaron Davidson to former CFU normalisation committee chairman Jeffrey Webb.
The High Court granted an injunction to Telemundo, which ensured that the local football body would not interfere with their broadcast rights for recent qualifiers against Panama and Mexico on 24 and 28 March respectively.
Timothy Hamel-Smith SC, who represented Telemundo in the High Court, slammed John-Williams’ behaviour in the impasse.
“That is not the conduct of an honest commercial man,” said Hamel-Smith. “The conduct of an honest commercial man is that he respects the rights of somebody who is bonafide and he gets what he can get from the people who took advantage of him if he truly believes that.”
In Phillip’s case, it is revealing that, after forcing the general secretary into court to settle a TTFA debt to him, John-Williams and his body did not even attempt to defend their actions.
There is more than a whiff of the stalling tactics that Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) interim president Keith Look Loy and Central Football Association (CFA) general secretary Clynt Taylor both complained about in their own dealings with the local football body.
Hart, according to close sources, allege that the TTFA owed him five months’ salary as well as money for the rest of his contract, which expires in 2018. It works out to close to TT$4 million.
Crucially though, John-Williams repeatedly claimed that Hart was fully paid up while head coach. Both men cannot be telling the truth.
Corneal is owed roughly TT$3.5 million for his contract as technical director as well as reimbursements for money spent on accommodation and stipends for several national youth teams. He left his post, after being unpaid for more than a year, in April 2014.
Corneal’s exit occurred more than a year before John-Williams took office. But, again, John-Williams’ bullish attitude is believed to have exacerbated matters according to another source close to the coach who steered Trinidad and Tobago to the 2007 Under-17 World Cup tournament.
The current president made payments of TT$50,000 and TT$25,000 respectively to Corneal, soon after he took office in November 2015. But relationships soured when John-Williams allegedly decided he did not like the tone of the former technical director—although Corneal was the victim of the football body’s financial irresponsibility.
“[John-Williams allegedly told Corneal] you should be happy that you’re getting anything at all,” a source close to the issue told Wired868, on condition of anonymity. “[Corneal replied] with all due respect, two and a half percent of the money you owe me isn’t plenty money.”
Walkes, who replaced Corneal as technical director, got even less. John-Williams, he claimed, refused to even acknowledge him as technical director—although, ironically, the TTFA sent Walkes to Brazil to lead the Women’s National Senior Team within weeks of the president’s election.
The TTFA never paid Walkes since John-Williams took office. As in the case of Telemundo, the new administration simply ignored its contract with the employee.
“If nothing is said to you on anything you try to get from the TTFA, it is just as good as a loud F-U,” said Walkes. “Silence speaks volumes. John-Williams never said anything to me [and] he never wrote anything to me. It is as if I never existed.
“The only person who I ever had communication with is [former TTFA interim general secretary] Azaad [Khan]. That is how they were treating me and still treating me.”
The TTFA fired Walkes—although they still claim he wasn’t properly hired in the first place—in April 2016. The former Trinidad and Tobago international and US NCAA coach explained that it was the middle of the US university term and the timing meant there would be no job openings in his old field for months.
In the meantime, Walkes’ renewal for his United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ licence coaching badge came up. He said he was required to provide proof of his international experience as a player for Trinidad and Tobago as well as his role within the football body as technical director.
Walkes claimed that he wrote the TTFA to provide him with the necessary information in December 2016 for the requisite information. But a formal response did not come until last week after—with the help of former international teammate Everald “Gally” Cummings—he was able to contact Sport Minister Darryl Smith, who made a personal intervention.
Even then, a frustrated Walkes, who is assisting with coaching at the Philadelphia Union youth teams and their subsidiaries, thinks the information provided to him might be insufficient.
“Without my file being complete, when you go into the digital coaching centre I would be graded as a ‘B’ license coach,” said Walkes, “because I have not provided enough authentication to get my ‘A’ license renewed. And if that goes until a certain time, I will have to pay over US$4,000 to get my license from scratch.
“So, as far as I know, I am in the system as a ‘B’… I explained that to Azaad Khan and it still took between December of last year to last Thursday to superimpose some information for me on a letterhead because they didn’t want to do it.
“I explained to the TTFA and the TTOC (Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee) why I wanted this letter. Brian Lewis never responded to me. I sent it to Anthony Creed at SPORTT and he never responded to me.”
Walkes said he certified over 130 coaches in Trinidad during his time as technical director. It is a process that he said has not continued under his successor, Muhammad Isa.
Now, he is left incensed at the treatment meted out by his countrymen, which threatens to even affect his livelihood.
“I wasn’t a guy who just happened to play for Trinidad after a good domestic season,” said Walkes. “I was a constant presence in the Trinidad and Tobago team for years and I have well over 50 caps. If they want to verify that they can talk to Gally or Steve David, Ron La Forest, Selwyn Murren…
“There are 12,000 ‘A’ level coaches in the entire country [in the United States]. It is a privileged license to have and I have had my ‘A’ license since 2000… I cannot do State level coaching courses to earn money because my ‘A’ is not updated…”
On Monday 10 April, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is due to visit Trinidad and John-Williams will take him on to courtesy calls to President Anthony Carmona and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Wired868 understands FIFA has increased FAP payments to national associations from US$250,000 per year to US$750,000 plus another US$140,000 for national team travel. This figure has not been confirmed by FIFA or the TTFA.
If accurate, it is a whopping climb from the annual subvention offered by Infantino’s predecessor, Sepp Blatter. Ironically, this funding—and, in particular, the lack of oversight regarding its use—was fingered as one of the ways that Blatter bought votes from national associations.
The FAP money means the TTFA can run its house without needing a cent from the government or commercial sponsors—the local football body often requested TT$6 million per year from the government although, in a best case scenario, they would hope to have a war chest of around TT$10 million.
But, if the complaints of Phillips, Hart, Corneal, Walkes, Look Loy, Taylor and Telemundo, have any merit, money is the least of the problems facing the John-Williams-led TTFA. It is about the shortfall in respect, integrity and appreciation for the efforts of employees and stakeholders as well as for the democratic process.
Bull them hard Sheldon !!!!!
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Phillips: Arrogant, shifty John-Williams-led TTFA is steering T&T football to ruin.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).
“The [TTFA’s] handling of former coaches Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum were nothing short of embarrassingly unprofessional and mean. [And the] TTFA leadership persists in acting in a manner that may very well push creditors to seek legal redress and have the TTFA placed in court-appointed administration.
“There simply seems to be no evidence of desire on the part of the current TTFA president and its board to pay debt unless creditors go through arduous litigation, win a judgment—at greater expense to the TTFA, I may add—and collect on said judgment.”
Former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) general secretary Sheldon Phillips, who won a $.2 million High Court case against his former employers earlier this year, gives his view on the current direction of the local football body, headed by president David John-Williams:
The David John-Williams-led TTFA has failed in serving both Trinidad and Tobago football and its members in every way.
Before accepting the position of General Secretary of the TTFA, which I held from 2013 to 2015, I sought assurances from the former TTFA president, Raymond Tim Kee, to place three matters as high priority items:
Reformation of the TTFA Constitution
The coaching selection process of the senior men’s and women’s national team programmes.
Substantive effort to reduce TTFA debt.
An accord was reached, assurances were given, and my tenure as General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation began on 9 May, 2013.
Upon my arrival at the TTFA office on Ana St in Woodbrook, Mr Tim Kee was waiting at the top of the stairs holding a large pile of manila folders which contained invoices, contracts, and correspondence connected to what would end up being over $35 million dollars in debt incurred by the organisation.
I knew the organisation was in debt but, until I reviewed the files, I did not know the actual breadth and depth of the problem. In a gallows humour moment after locating and verifying an additional set of claims, I told Tim Kee that for the next two years we will be acting more like a claims department than a football association.
All manner of service providers—large and small, corporate and sole trader enterprises—had legitimate claims for goods and services provided. Of even greater concern were unpaid invoices for coaches, players, and other service providers who had performed in the context of the TTFA’s national team programmes.
It was heartbreaking to see the evidence and even worse to hear the stories of dismissiveness and even hostility meted out by prior TTFA administrators to respectfully made inquiries about payment for services sought by the TTFA and professionally rendered.
Our commitment to reducing the debt was real and sincere. Among the over 100 claims, the largest and most visible was the one by 13 senior national team 2006 World Cup players who had won a High Court judgment against the TTFA for breach of contract; and, though the determination of damages by the Court had not yet been reached, all signs pointed to an award eclipsing $20 million.
These events had taken place before Tim Kee was elected president and I assumed the GS position.
I was convinced a debt-reduction strategy was indeed going to be a priority while attending a meeting held at CONCACAF offices between the then CONCACAF President and General Secretary, Jeffrey Webb and Enrique Sanz respectively, and Mr Tim Kee and myself. The question of how a recently discovered sum of US$1.5 million belonging to the TTFF should be used was posed by Webb to Tim Kee.
Having already discussed the matter prior to the meeting, Tim Kee and I looked at each other and he then turned to Webb and said “We will use it to pay the players.'”
“All of it?” asked Webb.
“Every red penny,” Tim Kee replied, enunciating each syllable to ensure no chance of ambiguity.
Sharing these events is not an attempt to reminisce or offer self-praise but to present the fact that,
while our debt to income ratio was 4:1, the earnest steps we took to address the debt saved the organisation from becoming ripe for creditors petitioning the court to wind up the TTFA.
It is not lost upon myself that the current administration has demonstrated an acute level of proficiency in tarnishing each of the three areas of greatest concern—constitution, senior team relevance, and debt management—I shared with Tim Kee and pledged to give priority care.
In the area of constitutional reform, the current administration was elected in a flawed and constitutionally illegal election. The vast majority of members were not in compliance with the new constitution nor were proper steps taken in the General Meeting to offer and pass a motion to waive the statutes, which outlined the steps for a properly assembled Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election.
As a result, the legitimacy of the current TTFA administration is as shifty and murky as the Pitch Lake.
In regard to the football product, from the very moment Williams assumed power, the gradual deterioration and string of poor results from each national team programme became apparent. Our youth national teams were losing by scores of 15-0 and 8-2 in tournaments and coaches responded by saying such abominations were “good experiences” for the players.
The Senior Men’s team’s leadership was undermined to the point where the players knew their coach was no longer the leader and authority of the team. The administration’s handling of former coaches Stephen Hart and Randy Waldrum was nothing short of embarrassingly unprofessional and mean.
However, it is the current administration’s overall approach to the debt that most clearly demonstrates a wanton disregard of the most basic duties of care and loyalty officers and directors of any company must uphold.
Based on reports from various creditors, Williams’ approach to legitimate financial obligations isn’t based on empathy but rather on frivolous defences, hostility, misrepresentation of facts, and overall disrespect towards other parties involved in disputes that can be easily and amicably settled.
(Full disclosure, I have a current matter pending in the Industrial Court against the TTFA and won a High Court decision earlier this year to recover money lent to the TTFA that Williams refused to pay back).
Instead of humbling themselves and acknowledging claims from people who have shown great patience, the TTFA faces the very real threat of a creditor-led wind-up effort and its officers, directors, and members face the possibility of personal liability.
Here is what may very well happen. The Companies Act of Trinidad and Tobago (81:01) presents various circumstances where a company may be wound up should the Court find reason that the organisation is insolvent and unable to properly meet its obligations:
Winding Up By The Court
Section 355. A company may be wound up by the Court if—
(a) the company has by special resolution resolved that the company be wound up by the Court;
(b) the company does not commence its business within a year from its incorporation, or suspends its business for a whole year;
(c) the company is unable to pay its debts;
Liability of Members
Section 349.
(1) Subject to this section, in the event of a company being wound up every present or past member is liable to contribute to the assets of the company to an amount sufficient for payment of its debts and liabilities, and the costs, charges and expenses of among themselves.
Liability of Directors and Officers
In re CLICO Investment Bank – in Compulsory Liquidation. In re The Companies Act, Chap. 81:01
In the above-cited hearing decision, the Court considered and subsequently denied a defence motion to prohibit the liquidator’s use of company shares from another company owned by the defendant for the purposes of satisfying creditors of CLICO in which the defendant was a director.
The Court surmised the liquidator was well within his rights to apply the value of the shares so long as doing so represented an element of fairness in the carrying out of the liquidator’s duty to the creditors.
Based on the cases I have reviewed and the statute itself, the powers given to the Court to protect the interest of creditors under the Companies Act are vast and the Court as well as its representatives is free to consider a number of variables to determine whether a petition for wind up and the ensuing actions will be granted or denied.
In short, the TTFA and its actions, attitude, and overall disposition toward creditors can be considered. Any steps taken by an organisation targeted for wind up or even its failure to take basic steps to mitigate damage to the organisation can be considered by the court and its appointed representatives.
In my view, Williams and his board have greatly diminished any objective claim of taking serious steps to manage the organisation’s debts.
No organisation can operate properly when it is undercapitalised and saddled with debt. However, based upon their own 2016 audit statement, the TTFA paid over TT$15 million in professional fees. So, while capital does not seem to be as severe an issue as it was during my tenure, it would be reasonable for the Court to review the purpose of the professional fees and ask why couldn’t a portion of the increased revenue be used to address debt.
Additionally, the court can seek minutes of Board meetings and General Council meetings to review how much time and discussion was dedicated to addressing the organisation’s debt.
From a structural standpoint, it can be argued that the inactivity of the Finance Committee—the official entity responsible for recommending fiscal policy for an organisation—is another illustration of the organisation’s negligent and apathetic approach to debt management.
In this era of “wrong and strong,” TTFA leadership persists in acting in a manner that may very well push creditors to seek legal redress and have the TTFA placed in court-appointed administration. There simply seems to be no evidence of desire on the part of the current TTFA president and its board to pay debt unless creditors go through arduous litigation, win a judgment—at greater expense to the TTFA, I may add—and collect on said judgment.
This is not a prudent or honourable manner of stewardship of the game; in fact, it marks a further deterioration in the relevance of the sport and general goodwill towards it.
Should TTFA members further entrust to Mr Williams and the Board of Directors the levers of policy making on their behalf, such an indulgence could be reasonably judged as negligent and hasten an existential threat to the organisation and perhaps place members as well as TTFA officials and directors themselves within the line of legal liability.
The TTFA Constitution provides that the TTFA is a member-centered organisation. It is neither owned by the president nor controlled by the Board. As p.er Article 12 of the TTFA Constitution, Members can insist upon being informed of the affairs of the TTFA. Members also have the ability to remove officers and directors who are not performing in the best interests of the organisation should members choose such a route.
If TTFA members are unable to convince current TTFA leadership to properly and earnestly address the organisation’s debts, it is obliged to remove the current leadership—if not for the best interests of the game in Trinidad and Tobago, then to protect themselves in the event of a company wind up and liquidation.
In closing, it important to note that football does not begin or end with the TTFA leadership. Though the TTFA leadership and their sycophants may attempt to convince the public they are indispensable, the truth is the game will go on without them.
Leagues and clubs will still operate, coaches will still pass along their knowledge and ply their trade, and the general business of football will still continue should the TTFA find itself freed from the grasp of its current leadership—whether through member action or through Court involvement.
However, it is preferable that the creditors work with the TTFA and its members to create a debt restructure plan that would make the TTFA a better and stronger organisation led by an administration that embraces transparency and based on sound business acumen.
And one that understands it must use its power to properly serve the players, coaches, referees, administrators and fans in order for Trinidad and Tobago football to reach its maximum potential at all levels of play and for us to present ourselves well on the global stage.
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Why would anybody do business, sign a contract or make loans to these guys. This is endemic Trini disorganization and corruption.
On a better note, I am praying that there is a new spirit, new leadership and a return to winning on the field in 2018. "Happy New Year to all Forumites."
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Phillips tipped for football commission spot.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
Sheldon Phillips, the sacked former general secretary of T&T Football Association (TTFA), is set to be one of two independent members on a commission to steer football forward.
Seven members will make up the commission, two from the T&T Super League (TTSL) and the T&T Pro League and as many independents. There will also be one member of the TTFA.
Guardian Media Sports learned that Keith Look Loy, the TTSL's representative on the board of directors of the TTFA, will again represent the interest of his league, along with Terry Joseph, the Bethel United owner and manager.
Central FC's Brent Sancho and Jamal Shabazz (Morvant Caledonia United) have been chosen to be the Pro League's representatives while Phillips has been joined by businessman Lyndsay Gillette as the independents. Meanwhile, Anthony Moore, president of the Tobago Football Association (TFA) was picked as the football association's member.
Phillips' name was among at least five that have been proposed by members of the commission and Guardian Media Sports understands he is set to get the nod when the commission meets again next Wednesday at a venue in Port-of-Spain.
The commission meets weekly to position the sport on a stable and profitable footing in the future and according to Sancho, the meetings have been very fruitful so far.
However, he made it clear there is still a lot of work to be done if the July 3 start of the new first tier league is to be kept, as well as the commencement of the second tier competition which is set for June 7.
Sancho said in addition to deciding on the names of the two competitions, the composition of them also need to be sorted out with compliance issues still to be addressed.
Clubs desirous of participating in the league must be TTFA/CONCACAF/FIFA compliant. Last year, 11 teams in the TTSL were rejected for being non-compliant which allowed the TTSL to be contested in only one division with 13 teams from its initial 24 in two divisions.
Sancho believes the commission also has to decide on putting out a proper legal framework for the leagues, ensure the right people are recruited, the rules and regulations by which the leagues will be run are precise and in-depth and the proper decisions are made with respect to ensuring the leagues are competitive internationally.
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Very good pick, Sheldon is a good candidate. I hope he gets the job.
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FIFA debt relief plan, monthly financial reports, Messi… Phillips’ blueprint for T&T football success.
Wired868.com.
“If such a move can be accommodated, there would be no more potent injection to jolt T&T football than to leave CONCACAF in order to join CONMEBOL…
“Regular competition against clubs and national teams from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay seem daunting but two things would occur: one, our football will be forced to improve; and, two, people will come out and watch football again.
“Fancy a Lionel Messi or Neymar appearance at Hasely Crawford Stadium for a World Cup Qualifier?”
Former TTFA general secretary Sheldon Phillips offers his ideas to revamp football in Trinidad and Tobago by addressing debt, sustainability, organisational instability and loss of public confidence:
(Phillip’s blog was sent to Wired868 before football stakeholders announced their attention to dethrone TTFA president David John-Williams at a press conference last week.)
To say football in Trinidad and Tobago has suffered and regressed over the past four years would be an understatement. The failures are numerous and well known. But merely advocating for personnel change without committing to an overhaul of a deeply flawed system is folly.
In the words of Albert Einstein: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
The current TTFA president did not rise to power nor operate in a vacuum. He is a mere symptom of a wider set of system failures that will continue to corrode the organisation long after he is gone.
TTFA policy makers and members must be committed to embracing substantive and process-driven change starting with addressing these five vital challenges currently bedevilling the organisation:
1. Severe Debt Matters
2. Under-Capitalisation
3. Sustainability
4. Organisational Instability and Apathy
5. Loss of Public Confidence
(Severe debt matters)
No organisation can survive, much less thrive, when it is saddled with a toxic brew of debt. Adopting a sensible debt management program is essential to the survival of the TTFA or whatever governing body is charged with developing football in T&T.
For good reason, corporate sponsors will not provide financial support to service debt and government bailouts in the current economic climate is politically unreasonable. The only rational and accountable solution is to petition FIFA to provide a multi year advance of funds appropriated every year to FIFA member associations and set aside at least 40% of those funds to service creditor and vendor debt until it is extinguished.
The previous TTFA administration assumed a $35 million debt when it came to office in 2012. The subsequent and current administration assumed a $15 million debt when it came to office in 2015. Yet, as of today, the debt has increased to $30 million.
The direct correlation between earnestly servicing debt and providing a good football product as opposed to ignoring and incurring more debt and delivering a poor football product is unmistakable.
(Under-capitalisation)
Any business that is undercapitalised is doomed to fail. Operating a full fledged national football association requires substantial resources; both financial and value in-kind. Some of the major operational costs include staffing, player fees, transportation, and lodging. In order to adequately meet its operational demands, a football association should not work below an annual operating budget of $80 million TTD.
Recurring revenue streams drawn from sponsorships, government grants, gate receipts, FIFA/CONCACAF grants, and media/IP rights are fixtures in any budget review.
In addition to activating traditional revenue streams, the TTFA should welcome the input and participation of an active diaspora that is supportive, nostalgic, and has access to foreign exchange.
In light of growing public calls for change and desire to have some level of input in the direction of the association, the time has come for the TTFA to offer individual memberships to fans located both at home and abroad.
It is not unreasonable for an internationally based member with an affinity for T&T to pay a $65 USD annual membership fee. Nor would it be unrealistic to set a goal of 10,000 members worldwide; which would enable TTFA to acquire a level of funding similar to what FIFA currently provides to its member associations.
(Sustainability)
A sustainable organisation is a relevant organisation. Nowhere does the TTFA show its irrelevance more than in its inability to properly develop youth footballers and coaches that are on par with their international counterparts.
First, the TTFA must show maturity and candour in recognising its inability to objectively and efficiently support a proper development structure and outsource that responsibility to a national governing body that will provide year round football development opportunities and competition for youth footballers and coaches.
Under the current ad-hoc model, there are limited development opportunities for youth footballers (ages 6-12) in T&T. Nowhere is this more evident than in girls football where competition and training is scarce and the players often engage in organised competition later in their lives than boys.
The second initiative follows the adage; “Fortune favours the bold” as it can boost the standing of T&T football both at home and abroad. If such a move can be accommodated, there would be no more potent injection to jolt T&T football than to leave CONCACAF in order to join CONMEBOL.
Aside from geographic and increasingly political considerations that favour such a move, T&T athletes have historically “boxed well above their weight class”.
Regular competition against clubs and national teams from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay seem daunting but two things would occur: one, our football will be forced to improve; and, two, people will come out and watch football again. Fancy a Lionel Messi or Neymar appearance at Hasely Crawford Stadium for a World Cup Qualifier?
A move to CONMEBOL would immediately register Trinidad and Tobago as a potential giant killer in a football rich ecosystem and develop a compelling story that would increase our marketing value beyond our current level as a member of CONCACAF. Relevance matters.
(Organisational instability and apathy)
The TTFA is an institution currently incapable of reform and weakened by self interest. However, it can become a more accountable and transparent organisation boasting active members with the implementation of four simple initiatives;
1. Public broadcast of board of directors meetings,
2. Compulsory activation of committees or face mandatory recall of elected officers,
3. Create a clear separation between policy makers and operational staff, and
4. Introduction of an Ombudsman to monitor and ensure actions of TTFA officers are consistent with the TTFA constitution.
“Sunshine is said to be the best of disinfectants” – US Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis
Reports of non disclosure forms being forced upon board members and secret ballots being held at board meetings provoke reasonable suspicion that skullduggery is afoot. Public broadcast of board meetings will dissuade those who seek to introduce or endorse less than honest schemes to further advance their personal agendas.
The clandestine nature of the current leadership is supplemented by a level of negligence and apathy among some members that nicely sets the table for industrious malcontents.
Quorum rules are manipulated and cowardly acceptance through silence serves the interests of those who wish to maintain the status quo. When officers are elected to represent a constituency yet fail to participate in the process of attending board, committee, and general meetings they should be dismissed at the earliest practicable moment.
It is time for sports administrators to roll up their sleeves and work rather than seek the trappings of free trips, booze, and food.
On the matter of policymakers overstepping their boundaries, the TTFA constitution is fatally flawed in its granting of operational responsibilities to board members.
Sporting policy should be made in consultation with sporting professionals. Marketing policy should be made in consultation with marketing professionals. Legal policy should be made in consultation with legal professionals. When educated policy is adopted, implementation should be carried out by professionals, not elected officials.
Yet, the TTFA constitution provides the board of directors a wide swath of duties and responsibilities in which they should have no role, such as setting rules and regulations for competitions or to lead efforts in the selection of coaches and technical staff. This square peg in a round hole dynamic is further exacerbated when the policy making/implementation process is consolidated within a cabal of sycophants masquerading as officers.
The president of a multi-million dollar public interest like the TTFA is merely a steward and should not be in the business of being the chief, cook, and bottle washer. It is not a sign of professional virtue but rather reflects poor efficiency and arrests the development of the overall organisation.
An organisation that represents the public interest should not be led down an ill advised path by the whims of a leader who has questionable priorities that rival the best interests of the organisation. Based on my experience, the presence of a neutral and respected third party is necessary to ensure basic fairness and due process is practiced within the TTFA.
While the triggers for activation can be debated, the introduction of an Ombudsman to monitor and serve as a resource for dispute resolution matters and overall compliance to best practices would not only be a welcome cheque on the executive but also serve as an important step toward reversing loss of public confidence in the organisation.
(Loss of public confidence)
While working on Capitol Hill, I had a mentor by the name of Donald Temple. Donald is a Howard University alum and pugilistic Philly-style lawyer who had this great saying: “It’s easier to build a house with no nails than it is to rebuild a damaged reputation.”
The TTFA is a damaged brand that may be beyond redemption due in large part to the management of its current president and negligent entrustment by its members.
However difficult the path to redemption may be, the organisation could win back the favour of the public under different leadership that conducts its business in a proper and ethical manner.
The next set of TTFA officers will have to recognise its obligation to frequently share relevant association business with the public. Weekly press briefings and an active social media presence are standard fare; no longer seen as an indulgence. Monthly financial reports must be volunteered and not withheld from members nor the general public.
There is simply no upside in operating with little to no accountability and contempt toward the same general public whose support you ultimately seek and need.
In the end, the path to regaining public confidence will be dependent on the people working with and for the association. Treatment of the employees, players and coaches will greatly influence the quality of the product on the field. But nothing less than the best efforts from administrators will be required in order to have a chance to succeed in achieving the difficult task of rebuilding the woefully damaged reputation of the TTFA.
It can be done.
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Seem like Sheldon thinking about a run for presidency, or campaigning to be on the team of somebody who running. If that is so, I want to request that Tallman / Flex organize an interview like you all used to do.
2 questions to start with is a) The incident with the man with the bag of money in Movie Towne parking lot (if that was before he got fired).. tell us about that [As he mention transparency a few times]. b) Tell me about what he said about paying how much they pay for a stupid website -- nepotism/ corruption; what did he say to his boss at that point in time?
Other than that I think Sheldon would be a decent candidate.
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If so I he hope he came mend his differences with Tim Kee and join forces with the special committee they're forming. We don't need a number of different parties running for this presidency. It will be best to have one strong alliance with the interest of resuscitating T&T football to challenge the current administration. The best minds need to come together and work selflessly and professionally.
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The overrated bliss of being right.
T&T Express Reports.
The following was written as a Letter to the Editor by former general secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, Sheldon Phillips, on the current impasse between the sidelined TTFA executives and world governing body, FIFA.
The greatest place to be is at a World Cup during the first week of competition. It is a time when the excitement of the trip, anticipation of matches, interaction with fans from all over the world, and the festivity of the event is at its highest.
Having experienced this euphoria three times each in different capacities—1994 as an executive for the Washington DC Venue, 2006 as a spectator and 2014 as general secretary for a member association—it was the 2006 tournament that provided the most gratifying sporting moment I’ve ever experienced.
For those who went through the agonising disappointments of the 1974 and 1990 World Cup qualifiers, seeing our country’s players and flag amassed at midfield alongside Sweden’s players must have raised pores. For many, including myself, hearing the national anthem play on that sunny June afternoon in Dortmund lifted our spirits to heights not experienced since. What also made that moment special was it provided an opportunity to spend two weeks driving around Germany, immersed in world class football, and its culture with my father; an unforgettable time I will forever treasure.
Fast forward to 2020 and it’s safe to say the prospects and performance of T&T football have greatly diminished since 2006. Though 2012-2015 witnessed a brief resurgence of our national teams, the organisation and its programmes have since fallen into a desperate state. Like many, I have watched with growing sadness and concern at the expanding impasse between FIFA and ousted TTFA executives.
Having served football in various capacities for over 30 years, I am acutely aware of the serious consequences this completely avoidable conflagration can inflict on the development of the local game. However, the combatants seem to be oblivious or perhaps not empathetic enough to recognise the trauma being heaped upon an already battered and abused corps of players, coaches, and referees.
One has to ask; is FIFA’s sabre rattling accompanied with the threat of suspension or expulsion really the most constructive approach to take against a troubled organisation?
Does the ousted TTFA executive team really believe they have the right to volunteer the dreams of current and future generations of footballers and coaches as collateral damage?
Can it be credibly accepted that a team consisting of a successful captain of industry, a banker, and a lawyer is unable to find a way to communicate with stakeholders whom they have pledged to deliver desperately needed assistance?
The truth is none of the actors in this saga have bathed themselves in glory or can claim the prospects of the game are better today.
Past the point of right or wrong
The prospect of FIFA, the ousted TTFA executives, and the Normalisation Committee reaching an amicable resolution in their increasingly toxic and expanding impasse can still be achieved.
All sides would have to initiate a reasonable offering as a sign of good faith. A prudent place for FIFA to start is to cease its threats of suspension or expulsion of the TTFA, while the ousted TTFA executives can remove their High Court substantive claim and refile said claim with CAS. As for the Normalisation Committee, its Chairman can engage in substantive and meaningful communication with TTFA members and all its staff on a regular basis. Once such steps of reasonable accommodation are taken, a noticeable reduction in tension should follow. The advancements of those aforementioned offerings can provide each side an opportunity to take a step back from the proverbial edge.
FIFA is the world governing body of football; when it sneezes, its members catch a cold. Showing restraint in its language and actions will do little to undermine its authority as FIFA will always have the right to bring its members in line with its statutes and regulations. More importantly, favouring restraint over force will do more to underscore FIFA’s legitimate interest in helping all its members develop football in their respective territories.
The ousted TTFA executives’ removal of the claim from the High Court will preserve its asserted rights as proscribed in the FIFA statutes without placing the organisation; which they still hold a duty to protect, in the path of direct liability.
Lastly, the Normalisation Committee can establish its local relevance through respectfully acknowledging the very people who are key to the organisation’s overall performance; specifically the players, coaches, and referees.
Principle-based leadership from all sides is what is called for rather than the transactional leadership we see all too often—leading to not benefit yourself but to benefit others. When stakeholders approach an impasse in good faith and with the mindset of principle-based leadership, the chance of resolution to the reasonable satisfaction of all parties will significantly increase. The end product will be a much better foundation to launch proper and sustainable reform of not only the TTFA, but also, its member associations.
Hopefully, recognising the folly of this unfolding and impending tragedy will inspire wisdom to prevail to de-escalate the tension and forge a new beginning that values the main pillars of the game; our players, coaches, and referees. But first, we must undo the Gordion Knot constructed by those who seem to have forgotten why we all love football. It will require humility, mindfulness of others, and a willingness to acknowledge that being right is often overrated.