Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Tallman on November 05, 2016, 11:17:44 AM
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TTFA to drop Soca Warriors name
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday)
THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has agreed to drop the name “Soca Warriors” from its website, and subsequently discontinue the use of the name.
This decision was made unanimously in a recent Board of Directors meeting and comes on the heels of a pre-action protocol letter issued by local sports broadcaster Selwyn Melville to the local body over its use.
Melville has claimed he coined the term “Soca Warriors” 18 years ago and is seeking US$30 million for its use by the local football organisation.
A month ago, the TTFA denied officially switching the team’s nickname from “Soca Warriors” to “Red Army”, which was used in reference to the national team, in a few media releases.
According to the minutes to the meeting held by the TTFA recently, a copy of which was obtained by Newsday, members of the local governing body for football made it clear, “the TTFA’s preference is not to jointly own the name (Mr Melville already knows that).” They outlined that “Soca Warriors” is a name and the name and brand are two things. Looking forward to the post-Soca Warriors era, the TTFA agreed to re-brand the national team and “the TTFA has received one estimate for re-branding, it will cost approximately $1.7 million”.
The TTFA, after the discussions, decided to remove forthwith “Soca Warriors” from its website. However, it noted, “if the press wants to use it, (the) TTFA cannot control that (and) no statement is to be made by (the) TTFA”.
Efforts to contact TTFA president David John-Williams for a comment yesterday proved futile.
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So Selwyn, after all the huff and puff you leave with nothing.
I dont know who was advising him. He and his family could have been set for life if they agreed a revenue share option rather than this big upfront payment which in all honesty the FA could not have paid.
If i was a FA board member i probably would have agreed to the discontinued use as well.
As a fan i would wished they could have worked out something to keep the brand.
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Change it to soccer warriors that's what ppl call us anyways lol
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TNT DYNAMITE!
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I really loved the T20 Red Steel.
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I like Red Steel, Red Warriors, jack Spanyah.
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So Mr. Melville will ask the forum to stop using the name or pay up to use it?.
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So Mr. Melville will ask the forum to stop using the name or pay up to use it?.
Wow... that would be interesting.
Real sad to see that it came to this.. soca warriors was real fitting.
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As a young nation, we have young institutions. Our national football teams - despite the historical turbulence of piss poor administration - provide a focal point and resonance for Trinbagonians everywhere. The effect of this mischief is to undo a rallying institutional concept that brought with it so many elements of a nation-in-building and of a built nation.
When one listens to Maximus Dan, the power is more than in the music. It is something that seeps from the music into broader national identification. Not just for our "self", but national ID of us by others. In some ways, we take a step backwards by demolishing the house we built together.
On the other hand, if rebranding must occur, we should take advantage of it as a new UNIFYING opportunity.
Seems a good moment to have artistic consultation from a broad cultural base in the society, to generate a message about football and its power to keep everyone in the same "house", despite divisions away from the stands and the field. We can't afford to destroy "institutions".
This whole episode is about institutional memory, ownership and history. Let it not be about cultural amnesia and perceived easy solutions.
Choice for all time, not just for this moment.
You can't build traditions if institutions are periodically eroded or destroyed.
Personally, I thought the name basic and a bit limiting in that it reflects a part of the sum rather than a sum of the parts. But, as part of the national pantheon, I embraced it.
Where do we go from here?
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Soca Kings !
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Strike Squad....to Soca Warriors .....what's next and what comes after the next change
How many times will you rebrand.....
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Flex like he like ,Red Army .
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Pelau united!
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I could only shake my head at these f**king people yes. In most developed nations Selwyn Melville would get laughed out of court. In Trinidad & Tobago, well...
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I could only shake my head at these f**king people yes. In most developed nations Selwyn Melville would get laughed out of court. In Trinidad & Tobago, well...
You know what irks me the most, Selwyn and his team not operating with any semblance of sense and sensibility.
I not denying Selwyn the right to his intellectual property right. If his ownership is established then so be it, but if you want to negotiate with the FA on revenue for the use of that property then firstly you need to understand what the existing ability is for your adjunct party to pay. The FA for years have been in the red and only now starting to operate on a profit basis. DJW has many faults but at least over the years he has show he can run business in and out of football.
Let's be real, the FA does not have 30 million to pay anybody, how on earth could he arrive at such a figure. OK even if a big chunk of that figure was for foregone revenue calculated since 98 or whenever, the present administration still not in a position to pay. I don't know if the FA had a counter offer or the full negotiation cycle but 30 million upfront is significant for a fledgling organization now trying to function properly.
Maybe someone familiar with intellectual property law can chime in if he can still claim for damages for the retroactive use up till present. I don't even know how valid that will be, and may only be liable from the defined point of ownership which was only more recent and may further only be valid from the point a claim was made, and if the negotiations were in good faith then even then he may not be able to claim anything.
I would have negotiated some sort of payment scheme that would have included an annual usage fee, a retroactive surcharge to cover previous use that would eventually expire at some future date and maybe a profit sharing option. To sweeten the deal, you tie the payments to the audited accounting schedule that is tied to FIFA funding so you only get paid at a minimum when the FA gets their subvention from FIFA, it will encourage the FA to be above board which keeps the payments alive.
Selwyn i giving you some options if not already considered cause as what was posted before, as a fan we cannot be harvesting institutions like this but you cannot put this edition of the FA in this position and not expect this outcome. I'm sure this is not the outcome you really want. Without knowing the FA's counter position, if they are willing to pay 1.7 million to re-brand, ask the FA for the 1.7 million they were going to re-brand and start from there with some other negotiated use. Keep Soca Warriors alive.
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I not denying Selwyn the right to his intellectual property right.
Before we get to the rest of your comment, the inquiry should begin with whether he has any intellectual property rights in the first place. Even if he can prove that it was he who first coined the term, and that's a big if, then the issue becomes one of whether he sought to protect any rights that may have been established by that. Did he register or trademark the name as his intellectual property? Of course he didn't a) because even he himself hasn't made that claim; b) because a search of the relevant registries returned no such name as "Soca Warriors" as a protected interest. Not only that, but the name has been in the public domain, and universally applied as to the TnT national teams, for at least 10 years... going back to 2006 and prior.
So to recap: He hasn't conclusively proved that he was the first to coin the name, took no steps to protect his purported interest, hasn't sought to address the issue of whether any asserted rights have been diluted by time and popular usage... but here we are debating how much he should be paid. You don't have to have any kind of legal training to understand that this b.s. claim has no legs. But God bless the DJW TTFA...
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One has to wonder who the hell giving them legal advice and the precedent that this will set.
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I not denying Selwyn the right to his intellectual property right.
Before we get to the rest of your comment, the inquiry should begin with whether he has any intellectual property rights in the first place. Even if he can prove that it was he who first coined the term, and that's a big if, then the issue becomes one of whether he sought to protect any rights that may have been established by that. Did he register or trademark the name as his intellectual property? Of course he didn't a) because even he himself hasn't made that claim; b) because a search of the relevant registries returned no such name as "Soca Warriors" as a protected interest. Not only that, but the name has been in the public domain, and universally applied as to the TnT national teams, for at least 10 years... going back to 2006 and prior.
So to recap: He hasn't conclusively proved that he was the first to coin the name, took no steps to protect his purported interest, hasn't sought to address the issue of whether any asserted rights have been diluted by time and popular usage... but here we are debating how much he should be paid. You don't have to have any kind of legal training to understand that this b.s. claim has no legs. But God bless the DJW TTFA...
Fair enough, my argument was based on the premise that ownership was established. My own assumption was that if the FA took a firm brand decision on the basis of just a pre-action protocol letter then there must have been some merit to the claim. (Shrugs)
The FA could probably contest ownership but that is litigation and cost with no cap, and even with that there is no guarantee that FA will get the outcome they want.
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Doh put it past DJW to rebrand as W Connection T&T
Or W T&T Connection or sumting so
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It's a shame ,just imagine if one man made the Reggea Boyz change there name.
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funny thing is the name eh changing. Fans will still use it. What Selwyn go do? Take everyone to court? Is just the TTFA that have cut themselves off from using it. One can only assume to not accrue legal costs associated with fighting Mr. Melville. Stupid.
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Fair enough, my argument was based on the premise that ownership was established. My own assumption was that if the FA took a firm brand decision on the basis of just a pre-action protocol letter then there must have been some merit to the claim. (Shrugs)
The FA could probably contest ownership but that is litigation and cost with no cap, and even with that there is no guarantee that FA will get the outcome they want.
With any sort of litigation there is no guarantee that a party will get the outcome they seek, that hasn't stopped the DJW TTFA from courting litigation though... just ask Kendall Walkes, Sheldon Phillips and a number of other unpaid past-employees/vendors. But even if litigation aversion was the proffered reason why they decided to discontinue use of the name, certainly being confronted with a conservative estimate of "$1.7 million dollars" would be incentive enough to give pause to any rebranding as an option.
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So Forumites. What's in a name. Should it be Red Army, Red Steel(We could buy the name from the cricketers, or beg them to use it), Red Bachak, Jack Spanyah.
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TNT. What better name allyuh want?
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TNT. What better name allyuh want?
Yeah. TNT Dynamite.
I like "Red Steel" too.
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Red Army = Russian Hockey
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TNT. What better name allyuh want?
Yeah. TNT Dynamite.
I like "Red Steel" too.
[/quoteRed Army = Russian Hockey
Can't be that .
That be a rare usage of a redundant oxymoron .
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Ten years from now we will change to something else. We do not love our culture. Soca Warriors is a brand name that has cultural relevance to many T&T football fans. What is red army ?
Doh worry ah next bunch of old men will change the new name in the future.
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Ten years from now we will change to something else. We do not love our culture. Soca Warriors is a brand name that has cultural relevance to many T&T football fans. What is red army ?
Doh worry ah next bunch of old men will change the new name in the future.
Breds is not we on the forum ask for change. Ah man claiming he is the rightful owner of the name will sue TTFA if he is not compensated. TTFA don't have the money, so they desist from using the name. I will continue to call them the Soca Warriors. I don't know if the forum name will have to change or not. The legal people on the forum can make some kind of sense of it. As far as I know the forum is quite contented with the name. But if the man serve paper what will Flex, Tallman, Asylum and them go do?
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That surprises me about Melville...guess the eat ah food mentality has gotten to him too.
Assuming that he coined the term and I use that loosely cause I remember liming with my boys back in the day making up soca and using the term warrior....dare him to disprove that...but I digress, how can he put a monetary equivalent to the use of the term? And if so why wasn't Maximus sued for royalties.....isn't that where the fight should have first started.
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That surprises me about Melville...guess the eat ah food mentality has gotten to him too.
Assuming that he coined the term and I use that loosely cause I remember liming with my boys back in the day making up soca and using the term warrior....dare him to disprove that...but I digress, how can he put a monetary equivalent to the use of the term? And if so why wasn't Maximus sued for royalties.....isn't that where the fight should have first started.
His claim was 18 years ago which is around 1998. Any real commercial value only came in the 2006 WC campaign and aftermath. He was a news broadcaster, I assume he has some audio or video evidence of coining the phrase. As Bakes said he never made any real attempt to copyright or trademark as far as we know so if pursued it will end up in court.
I just disgusted at the value attributed to the claim 30 million USD??? over 200 million TTD??? That is madness! I can't give the FA wrong to leave that right there.
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That is where greed sometimes get you! Nothing! Melville could have just asked the TTFA for a 5 or 10% of all royalties from merchandise and or profits, then hope he get something. Now nobody will use it and he will be left with absolutely nothing but a historical footnote! His lawyer or adviser or agent or whoever is a total idiot or just too greedy!
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Maybe somebody could enlighten meh, but I have not seen anything which states that Melville legally owns the Soca Warriors name. There should be something on file somewhere. Or is it dat he just contesting de usage?
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Maximus Dan owe him money too then??.....*sigh*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNYGS0za-Gk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNYGS0za-Gk)
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out with the old and in with the new, an here comes the
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO C A R I B B E A N S ....
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or should that be , an here comes the
S O C A R I B B E A N S....
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All of this does not matter to the average Trini in T&T. Because every man jack will still refer to the team as the Soca Warriors! 🇹🇹
'Aye boy the Soca Warriors playing tonight' man will still be saying
'I am a Soca Warrior' chant will be chanting in the stadium
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FIFA not intervening in Soca Warriors trademark issue.
T&T Newsday Reports.
FIFA, the global governing body for football, has refused to get involved in the imbroglio between the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and local sports broadcaster Selwyn Melville, over the rights of the term Soca Warriors for the national football team.
Melville has claimed that he coined the nickname in 1998 and has been trying ever since to be recognised as the owner of the trademark and to be compensated in the sum of US$30 million.
The TTFA, currently headed by David John-Williams, decided last September to drop the use of the title for all national teams (male and female).
In response to a letter issued by Melville on December 28 2016, FIFA Head of Intellectual Property (Legal and Integrity Division) Daniel Zohny, on February 15, mentioned, “as the contested term Soca Warriors is not a trademark associated with FIFA and/or FIFA events or competitions, it is not for FIFA to intervene with third party trademark matters to which it has no connection.” Zohny added, “we therefore consider the matter as an issue to be resolved solely between you and the TTFA. “We trust you understand that we consider this matter closed and will not engage in further communication in this regard, and that we expressly reserve all of FIFA’s rights in this matter,” Zohny ended.
Melville, in his letter to FIFA, wrote, “In the year 2000, the (then TTFF) chose to use the name as its official brand. At that time, I initiated talks with the then TTFF seeking to establish my rights as creator of the name but was given the run around.” Melville continued, “for the last 16 years I have been trying in vain with the various local football administrations to come to some agreement on the ownership and subsequent use of the name.
“I am therefore writing for clarification as to what FIFA’s rules are concerning such relationships and why it is necessary for FIFA to participate in such a matter when its mandate is aligned to ‘FAIR PLAY’,” he ended.
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Melville's communication to FIFA reads with an amateurish, naive, shooting-in-the dark quality. It appears that he consulted with himself prior to submitting that to FIFA. Mercy!
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Melville takes TTFA to court over Soca Warriors name.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).
The T&T Football Association is set to face another legal battle in the court.
Following on the heels of losses in the court from the T&T Futsal team and ex-referee Ramesh Ramdhan, Guardian Media Sports has learnt that ex-sports commentator Selwyn Melville, through his attorneys Joseph Sookdeo and Egon Embrack, has filed documents in the High Court in Port- of-Spain to begin a battle for ownership of the Soca Warriors name.
The battle for the rightful owner of the name began many years ago during Jack Warner's era at the helm of the TTFA, but it was only under the Raymond Tim Kee-led administration that proceedings were filed for trademark rights in the United States and Europe. This was later taken up by the David John-Williams-led TTFA.
Melville, who was a sports commentator on the 105.1FM radio station decades ago, said he was the one who coined the phrase 'Soca Warriors', a name that has now become the official identity of the senior national men's team and the country's junior teams.
Melville had been locked in talks with a committee formed by John-Williams to find a resolution to the matter more than two years ago, but he decided to initiate legal action when talks broke down over a financial disagreement. Since then, the TTFA has failed to respond to two pre-action protocol letters filed by Melville's lawyers.
Yesterday, Melville said, "Let the truth be told. It's important for everyone to know the truth behind the 'Soca Warriors' name, which has been a treasure to the nation. It is time that this matter is settled now, as it has been going on too long."
Contacted yesterday, John-Williams said he could not offer a comment until he receives documents to see exactly what his association is being challenged for.
It is understood the matter is currently logged at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) here in T&T but this office is unable to give trademark rights to any party until the local courts decide on ownership.
Guardian Media Sports understands that a popular radio station is also challenging for the name rights.
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It does not matter what name the TTFA drop or accept. THE FANS WILL ALWAYS SEE THE TEAM AS THE SOCA WARRIORS!
Nothing can stop a young boy in school from growing up to be another Soca Warriors, nothing can stop the people going to the stadium chanting the soca warrior anthem.
In the end it does not matter what the federation or a court or an opportunist individual seeking money because when it comes to the love of the team from the fans and how people want to support team then they cannot change the names fans apply to players or the team!
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It does not matter what name the TTFA drop or accept. THE FANS WILL ALWAYS SEE THE TEAM AS THE SOCA WARRIORS!
Nothing can stop a young boy in school from growing up to be another Soca Warriors, nothing can stop the people going to the stadium chanting the soca warrior anthem.
In the end it does not matter what the federation or a court or an opportunist individual seeking money because when it comes to the love of the team from the fans and how people want to support team then they cannot change the names fans apply to players or the team!
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I think Melville more than agrees with you. He just trying to get paid.
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Those guys don’t deserve to be called warriors anyway.
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It doh have a Bacchanal World cup, feel we could go all the way... Tallman ? :frustrated:
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Melville, TTFA settle on Soca Warriors trademark
By Jelani Beckles (Newsday).
THE 15-year-old court battle between Selwyn Melville and the TT Football Association (TTFA) is over.
Melville was in a battle with the TTFA since 2005 over the ownership of the TT men’s senior football team nickname Soca Warriors. On Wednesday, it was revealed at a TTFA press conference, at President’s Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain that Melville and the new TTFA administration, led by president William Wallace, were able to settle the dispute in two months. Both parties are set to benefit from the Soca Warriors name going forward.
Melville coined the nickname Soca Warriors, in 1998, during a senior men’s match between TT and El Salvador in USA. The name took on a life of its own with people all over the world calling the team Soca Warriors as compared to TT. Leading up to the 2006 World Cup, in Germany, soca artiste Maximus Dan (now MX Prime) sang Fighter, a song dedicated to the Soca Warriors. The 2006 World Cup was the first and only time TT qualified for the tournament and the song became the team’s anthem.
Melville has been battling with past administrations concerning the Soca Warriors name, most recently the David John-Williams led TTFA, who lost in the elections last November.
Wallace, who replaced John-Williams, said, “There was a matter in the court for probably over 15 years – the Selwyn Melville matter (concerning) the issue of Soca Warriors trademark...when we look at everything, the FA just had absolutely no evidence to claim the trademark, there was nothing.”
Wallace said money earned from the Soca Warriors name will be shared. “At this point in time we are drawing up an arrangement to go forward with Selwyn Melville, who has claimed the trademark, for profit-sharing from the trademark between Selwyn and of course the FA.”
Melville, speaking with the Newsday, was grateful that the process has come to an end, “I have to always say thanks to the legal team that worked with me which is Mr Celestine Felix, Egon Embrack and Joseph Sookoo. Those are the lawyers who came to my assistance from the early stages and saw me through to the finish line.”
Melville, who also thanked attorney Gail Persad, said the new TTFA administration is on the right path. “Football is in good hands because the way Mr Wallace and his team have been operating, it is no secret that they want the best for the sport and the future is shaping up very well for football in the country.
We look forward to whatever relationship we are going to have in the future, the discussions have been very good.
“We go forward in unison and based on discussions with the football association everything has been very cordial and respectful, understanding the importance of the name and what it means to TT and they could not see themselves having to go on with all this set of back and forth.”
Melville said the name Soca Warriors is key to the TT football identity saying, “Soca Warriors is bigger than money. This is about the heart and soul of the people in TT.
It will grow in its own way from there and develop its own future. Many people feel it is about the money and how much money you drag on the carpet and reach by the bank with, it is not like that, it is much more than that.”
Discussing profit sharing of the Soca Warriors name, Melville said, “There will be profit sharing, it means that where income is concerned that is something that the lawyers and the football association has to sit down and work out.”
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Melville coined the nickname Soca Warriors, in 1998, during a senior men’s match between TT and El Salvador in USA. The name took on a life of its own with people all over the world calling the team Soca Warriors as compared to TT.
I still contend that this is NOT true. The Soca Warrior was the name of a 1989 album by Swallow (https://www.discogs.com/Swallow-The-Soca-Warrior/release/1709350).
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Melville coined the nickname Soca Warriors, in 1998, during a senior men’s match between TT and El Salvador in USA. The name took on a life of its own with people all over the world calling the team Soca Warriors as compared to TT.
I still contend that this is NOT true. The Soca Warrior was the name of a 1989 album by Swallow (https://www.discogs.com/Swallow-The-Soca-Warrior/release/1709350).
Look how you reach to mash up de dance and disturb the peace. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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Wallace have to be a mad man to settle this case....
Melville wasn't getting shit.
F00ck he.
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Melville coined the nickname Soca Warriors, in 1998, during a senior men’s match between TT and El Salvador in USA. The name took on a life of its own with people all over the world calling the team Soca Warriors as compared to TT.
I still contend that this is NOT true. The Soca Warrior was the name of a 1989 album by Swallow (https://www.discogs.com/Swallow-The-Soca-Warrior/release/1709350).
Look how you reach to mash up de dance and disturb the peace. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
*Paging Tallman*...new attorney and general to represent the TTFA.
I was also thing how is he so certain that name wasn't used before? Maybe Swallow can sue Selwyn now :devil:
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Melville coined the nickname Soca Warriors, in 1998, during a senior men’s match between TT and El Salvador in USA. The name took on a life of its own with people all over the world calling the team Soca Warriors as compared to TT.
I still contend that this is NOT true. The Soca Warrior was the name of a 1989 album by Swallow (https://www.discogs.com/Swallow-The-Soca-Warrior/release/1709350).
Look how you reach to mash up de dance and disturb the peace. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
*Paging Tallman*...new attorney and general to represent the TTFA.
I was also thing how is he so certain that name wasn't used before? Maybe Swallow can sue Selwyn now :devil:
(https://img.discogs.com/0m_f0W4SKugStFPGaTTBmd51tXs=/fit-in/600x592/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1709350-1530637663-9001.jpeg.jpg)
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Words are just words unless they apply to something. If he used the words to refer to or name the team, then he has a case. If I use those same words to refer to a type of paint, he has no rights. But it is no value to him unless the team uses it, so a profit share arrangement benefits both parties.
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DISCOGS has Soca as a genre of reggae. these f**king people ignorant.