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Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #60 on: January 27, 2019, 07:14:08 PM »
Board members shocked as DJW allegedly puts daughter on ‘secret’ Home of Football committee.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams appears set to continue acting as emperor of the local football body’s Home of Football, after allegations that he created a committee to meet UEFA officials on the controversial project—inclusive of his daughter, Renee John-Williams—without board approval.

The ‘Home of Football committee’ will supposedly be asked to create recommendations for the running of the TTFA asset and will benefit from a UEFA-run workshop on the facility.

John-Williams did not respond to questions regarding the scope and composition of the committee. However, Wired868 was informed that W Connection chairman David Martin, T&T Beach Soccer president Kyle Lequay, SSFL general secretary and TTFA employee Azaad Khan, W Connection CEO and his daughter, Renee John-Williams and former W Connection goalkeeper Anthony “Cla Tones” Clarke—a vociferous supporter of ‘DJW’—are among its members.

John-Williams is the owner of the W Connection Football Club.

UEFA marketing consultant Kenny MacLeod told the TTFA Media that their four-day workshop in Trinidad will pay special attention to the future of the Home of Football in Couva.

“[Our] focus will be firstly, the commercialisation of this project—the Home of Football—and the understanding of how to put the structure and planning in place,” said MacLeod, “for the opening and the long-term sustainability of this project.

“We want to make sure that it’s benchmarked with what we do as [far as the] professionalisation of the sales process [and] the look and feel of what will be sold as part of this project.”

UEFA’s know-how, apparently, will be passed on to officials handpicked by John-Williams. TTFA board members Collin Partap and Keith Look Loy confirmed that the board was not even informed about a Home of Football committee, let alone invited to be involved in the selection process.

According to Article 36 of the TTFA constitution, the board of directors has the power to “set up ad-hoc committees if necessary at any time” and “shall pass decisions on all cases that do not come within the sphere of responsibility of the general meeting or are not reserved for other bodies by law or under this constitution.”

John-Williams, as TTFA president, is chairman of the board but does not have the constitutional authority to act without the approval of his colleagues.

Partap, an attorney at law and former MP for Cumuto/Manzanilla, said he was totally in the dark; and is not altogether surprised about that either.

“I have never heard of that committee,” Partap told Wired868. “I know there is a meeting tomorrow where board members were asked to attend a meet and greet with UEFA and Concacaf officials but no further details were given.

“Board members are supposed to know everything that is going in local football but instead we know nothing.”

Look Loy, who has taken the TTFA to the High Court for information related to the Home of Football, also said he was not informed about a committee related to the facility. And he was unimpressed with its supposed composition.

“From the construction of that committee, you can see it is a committee that John-Williams will control,” said Look Loy. “Because they seem to be made up of Connection members and employees of the TTFA and people who are beholden to John-Williams or the TTFA; that is not an independent committee at all.

“[…] Is it that this is one step towards turning the Home of Football into the W Connection training base or the W Connection technical centre? It reeks of nepotism.”

The TTFA board has not met since last November and the football body is obliged, according to the constitution, to have at least one board meeting every two months. Among the issues likely to be raised at the next conclave is the status of Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dennis Lawrence and the defunct Men’s National Under-17 Team, which should begin their Peru 2019 World Youth Cup campaign in roughly two months.

Partap, who has represented the Central Football Association (CFA) for less than a year, said nothing he experienced in his life—presumably including a tumultuous spell with the People’s Partnership—could prepare him for a seat on the TTFA board.

“I am so disenchanted as a board member with everything that is going on in football right now,” said Partap, who singled out the constant state of crisis in the preparation of national teams. “Nothing seems to be gong right and you can’t run football like this; there must be fundamental changes within the structure to start with and you need people who love football and are not just opportunists.

“[…] It is the first time in any organisation I’ve been in that there is this much disrespect for a board; and imagine the board is supposed to be running things.”

Partap pointed to discussions around a renewal for Lawrence—whose two and a half year contract ends on 31 July 2019—as an example of the bizarre manner in which John-Williams tries to run the local game.

“At the last AGM, we asked that details of [Lawrence’s] contract be given to the board, so we could at least see what we were voting on,” said Partap, “and the president said we should be able to vote without seeing a contract. How can you vote on something you can’t see?

“[…] For all I know, Dennis Lawrence already has a new contract now that was not approved by the board. I wouldn’t be surprised with the way they operate here.”

The TTFA’s AGM will be reconvened from 3pm on Sunday at the Cycling Velodrome in Couva, with stakeholders due to discuss constitutional amendments, the 2019 budget and ‘other business.’

Look Loy hopes to get the approval of members to raise the status of general secretary Latapy-George and his presumed replacement, Camara David.

John-Williams has allegedly intimated that Latapy-George’s contract will not be renewed beyond this month and he took David—rather than his current general secretary—to a FIFA workshop in Barbados last month. The workshop was meant for regional football presidents, general secretaries and financial managers. David was none of the above.

“If time permits, I am going to raise the issue of the TTFA general secretary and Camara David, who doesn’t exist within the firmament of TTFA and who is not an employee or associated with any body within local football,” said Look Loy, “but is always sitting at TTFA meetings and went to Barbados for the FIFA forward workshop.

“I want to know what is his status and I want the president, who attended that workshop, to confirm his presence there and tells under whose authority and under what role and function did he attend that meeting, which was meant for either the president, general secretary or financial manager—of which [David] is neither.

“I want to know who paid for Camara to go. If the TTFA paid for his transportation and room and board, then that is a fraud committed on the [TTFA’s coffers]; and if FIFA paid, that is a fraud on FIFA.”

In the midst of the internal turmoil, MacLeod and UEFA internal relations project specialist Chris Milnes are ostensibly trying to assist the local football body. MacLeod also vowed to

“The second area which we will be looking at will be the TTFA themselves,” said MacLeod. “They are coming to an area and time when [they must] push on with a lot of projects they have… We are going to start an operational review, which will allow them to put together a five year plan to really see them through [and] develop the sport in this country.

“[…] We will look to see what progress has been made with the League over the past four or five months [since our last meeting] to the point where we can put a new plan in place for them to develop as well.”

Pro League interim chairman Richard Fakoory told Wired868 last week that they are yet to reconfigure their board in the manner suggested by UEFA, which changes the structure from 10 club owners to four owners, two independent members and one TTFA official.

However, Fakoory said teams are generally happy to adjust for the betterment of the local game.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Tiresais

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #61 on: January 28, 2019, 10:36:53 AM »
If only there was some body, preferably made up of people who have a stake in the game, who could prevent this disgusting nepotism. If only there were, say, 6 or 7 individuals who cared about the game more than kick-backs from a petty dictator. If only there was an ounch of shame or patriotism among the whole Williams family. If only it were possible to prioritise debtors and lovers of the game over legal fees and vanity projects.

What a shame.

Online soccerman

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #62 on: January 28, 2019, 11:28:35 AM »
Shame is joke, this is disastrous.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #63 on: January 28, 2019, 06:07:20 PM »
Contro. I hope you and your people with deep pockets ready to rake on DJW when the next election is due.

Offline RichGFootball

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #64 on: January 28, 2019, 06:29:09 PM »
Exactly who owns this 'Home of Football'?
Trinidad and Tobago 1st
.......
.......
Everyone else is 2nd

Offline Deeks

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #65 on: January 28, 2019, 09:38:00 PM »
Exactly who owns this 'Home of Football'?

It should be the TTFA. But it appears that DJW is setting up his people to control it. That is how it appears to me.

Offline palos

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #66 on: January 28, 2019, 11:31:22 PM »
All the people who supported DJW and bawl bout give him a chance etc are complicit.

We ALL knew then who he is and what he represents and allyuh STILL support him. You don’t get to come back now and say “yuh didn’t know” or “he had a good manifesto”

Give him a chance, take he $, whatever it is....take DJW in Allyuh pweffen

Next time allyuh feel like complaining about T&T football, take a good look in the mirror and reflect on the role support for and staying silent about and defending DJW plays in it.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2019, 11:42:17 PM by palos »
Carlos "The Rolls Royce" Edwards

Offline Deeks

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #67 on: January 29, 2019, 09:06:20 AM »
All the people who supported DJW and bawl bout give him a chance etc are complicit.

We ALL knew then who he is and what he represents and allyuh STILL support him. You don’t get to come back now and say “yuh didn’t know” or “he had a good manifesto”

Give him a chance, take he $, whatever it is....take DJW in Allyuh pweffen

Next time allyuh feel like complaining about T&T football, take a good look in the mirror and reflect on the role support for and staying silent about and defending DJW plays in it.

Palos, that is not true. Most of us outside of TT knew only what we read about him. Some may have know more than others. When the election came around, most of us did not know how to evaluate Tim Kim stint as the prez. We needed money. Vast amount of money. And many felt that Tim Kee was not able to get the money. DJW, being a relatively successful business with a strong passion for the game was given the benefit of doubt over Tim Kee. Is only when he became the prez. we then saw his true colors. Like I does shout out to Contro. sometimes. Do you guys have  benefactor(s) with deep pockets to rescue this organization. I have know clue who has money in TT to help run TTFA. All the monied people we know of in TT has no interest in TTFA.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 09:08:38 AM by Deeks »

Offline Tiresais

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #68 on: January 29, 2019, 09:08:07 AM »
All the people who supported DJW and bawl bout give him a chance etc are complicit.

We ALL knew then who he is and what he represents and allyuh STILL support him. You don’t get to come back now and say “yuh didn’t know” or “he had a good manifesto”

Give him a chance, take he $, whatever it is....take DJW in Allyuh pweffen

Next time allyuh feel like complaining about T&T football, take a good look in the mirror and reflect on the role support for and staying silent about and defending DJW plays in it.

Palos, that is not true. Most of us outside of TT knew only what we read about him. Some may have know more than others. When the election came around, most of us did not know how to evaluate Tim Kim stint as the prez. We needed money. Vast amount of money. And many felt that Tim Kee was not able to get the money. DJW, being a relatively successful business with a strong passion for the game was given the benefit of doubt over Tim Kee. Is only when he became the prez. we then saw his true colors. Like I does shout out to Contro. sometimes. Do you guys have  benefactor(s) with deep pockets to rescue this organization. I have know clue who has money in TT to help run TTFA. All the monied people we of in TT has no interest in TTFA.

Fair assessment - my own was that he was the president of T&T's most successfull Professional club - I had high hopes that were almost immediately dashed...

Offline palos

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #69 on: January 29, 2019, 10:16:37 AM »
Palos, that is not true. Most of us outside of TT knew only what we read about him. Some may have know more than others. When the election came around, most of us did not know how to evaluate Tim Kim stint as the prez. We needed money. Vast amount of money. And many felt that Tim Kee was not able to get the money. DJW, being a relatively successful business with a strong passion for the game was given the benefit of doubt over Tim Kee. Is only when he became the prez. we then saw his true colors. Like I does shout out to Contro. sometimes. Do you guys have  benefactor(s) with deep pockets to rescue this organization. I have know clue who has money in TT to help run TTFA. All the monied people we know of in TT has no interest in TTFA.

Really Deeks?

You didn’t know that DJW was the Owner of W Connection?  A team that plays in the highest league in T&T

You didn’t know what a significant conflict of interest it represented that he was running for President of the then TTFF?

You could claim ignorance about a host of other things, but not about that.  And that alone is reason enough to disqualify him.

If he so wanted to be TTFF President, he needed to relinquish how ownership in W Connecrion and sever all ties to that club.  He did neither.

There’s another example of this in the Inited States with Trump.  Congrats.  Allyuh have another Trump running T&T football.

Like I said, you don’t get to come back now and bawl “I didn’t know”

Carlos "The Rolls Royce" Edwards

Offline maxg

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #70 on: January 29, 2019, 11:05:47 AM »
Irregardless of who supported who and why. I doubt DJW, send funds to SWN to influence any elections. We can cry as much as we want, and throw blame as to who spill the milk. It ain’t gonna fix the situation. So let talk about ideas to fix the situation.
My biggest issue with DJW is his constant operating without board approval. There have been many attempts to stop this and still it persists. So why isn’t this not used to remove him from office. Isn’t there a law against such ? Shim, TTFA is not his private company, nor is he the president of world football nor some lil private estate on a remote island he owns. Why he can’t be removed,, unless the info we getting not a true representation of the board, just a few select members. What is it ?

Offline Deeks

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #71 on: January 29, 2019, 11:06:27 AM »
Palos, that is not true. Most of us outside of TT knew only what we read about him. Some may have know more than others. When the election came around, most of us did not know how to evaluate Tim Kim stint as the prez. We needed money. Vast amount of money. And many felt that Tim Kee was not able to get the money. DJW, being a relatively successful business with a strong passion for the game was given the benefit of doubt over Tim Kee. Is only when he became the prez. we then saw his true colors. Like I does shout out to Contro. sometimes. Do you guys have  benefactor(s) with deep pockets to rescue this organization. I have know clue who has money in TT to help run TTFA. All the monied people we know of in TT has no interest in TTFA.

Really Deeks?

You didn’t know that DJW was the Owner of W Connection?  A team that plays in the highest league in T&T

You didn’t know what a significant conflict of interest it represented that he was running for President of the then TTFF?

You could claim ignorance about a host of other things, but not about that.  And that alone is reason enough to disqualify him.

If he so wanted to be TTFF President, he needed to relinquish how ownership in W Connecrion and sever all ties to that club.  He did neither.

There’s another example of this in the Inited States with Trump.  Congrats.  Allyuh have another Trump running T&T football.

Like I said, you don’t get to come back now and bawl “I didn’t know”


No, No, Breds. You misunderstanding me. I said, for most of the foreign based Trinis, we only saw the face value of DJW when he was prez. of Connection. Of course I knew who he was. I have been follwing him ever since Connection started playing seriously. He has been running a successful club by Trini standard. But I don't know him personally. But when he started to dogg Hart and the other coaaches when he was selected, I and most of the forum were immediately pissed off.

Right now in TT football, any owner of a club can throw his hat in the ring to run for the presidency. What if it is conflict of interest? Can the govt step in, can FiFa step in? They chose not to.  There is no rule in the TTFA constitution that says to run for prez. , an owner must divest himself from the club he owns.  If there is such a rule, then that is a clear violation. If the various regional bodies have the votes to make the crucial decision of a prez. and decided to vote him in, what are we supposed to do. Football lovers have shown their disgust and have literally boycotted TTFA and pro-league football. And that was before DJW. Breds, I eh disagreeing with your statement. All I saying DJW got a default vote from us because we thought he could have used his business acumen to secure the funds to get TTFA out of debts. We were wrong. He turned out be another version of JW. But if we have the power to vote, all of us will vote "off with his kiss-meh-arse head".
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 05:24:09 PM by Deeks »

Offline Tiresais

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #72 on: January 29, 2019, 12:34:10 PM »
Irregardless of who supported who and why. I doubt DJW, send funds to SWN to influence any elections. We can cry as much as we want, and throw blame as to who spill the milk. It ain’t gonna fix the situation. So let talk about ideas to fix the situation.
My biggest issue with DJW is his constant operating without board approval. There have been many attempts to stop this and still it persists. So why isn’t this not used to remove him from office. Isn’t there a law against such ? Shim, TTFA is not his private company, nor is he the president of world football nor some lil private estate on a remote island he owns. Why he can’t be removed,, unless the info we getting not a true representation of the board, just a few select members. What is it ?

He can be removed - he is at the pleasure of the TTFA board, but they're too spineless to remove him. There's a parallel with an orange racist buffoon...

Offline Deeks

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #73 on: January 29, 2019, 02:28:41 PM »
He can be removed - he is at the pleasure of the TTFA board, but they're too spineless to remove him.


The TTFA board has always been the issue going way back when. In the era of JW, the TTFA board was going to vote him out. That time it one club one vote. Jack brought a whole lot of minor league teams who voted for him. After he was re-elected he slowly got rid of all of them.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 05:21:47 PM by Deeks »

Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #74 on: February 08, 2019, 05:38:41 AM »
Look Loy claims bid to stop Home of Football probe; Wired868 looks at TTSL move against president.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


On 27 December 2017, Trinidad and Tobago Super League president Keith Look Loy formally asked seven questions of Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams related to the controversial Home of Football project.

Thirteen months on, John-Williams has not yet responded conclusively; but it could be Look Loy who pays the political price for his persistence, as TTSL member clubs push to remove the latter official from the TTFA board.

Look Loy, who is also the club president of FC Santa Rosa, sees a link between his ongoing tussle for transparency within the TTFA and a petition to strip him of his board role, which was unveiled yesterday by San Fernando Giants official Anthony “Cla Tones” Clarke.

Clarke, a former player with John-Williams’ W Connection club, is an open supporter of the TTFA president and was a member of a committee on the Home of Football that met with a delegation from Concacaf and UEFA. The committee was not sanctioned by the TTFA board.

Seven months ago, Look Loy filed a request in the High Court meant to force John-Williams to reveal the money spent on the Home of Football, the contractors involved and everything else related to the project. The football president continues to resist the request, although the constitution states that the board—and not the president—is in charge of all operations of the football body.

“I am fully convinced that the efforts to remove me as a board member are linked to the court case,” Look Loy told Wired868, “because the court case says that, as a board member, I have a right to request information on the Home of Football project.

“I believe this move to remove me as a board member takes away that right and [hopes that] the court will then deny me that access. Feeding into that are people who have a personal pain because they didn’t play last year; and that is being used by the higher echelons in football, who are trying to stop my campaign for transparency and good governance.”

Clarke denied Look Loy’s suggested motive and insisted that several TTSL clubs now saw Look Loy as being an obstructionist on the TTFA board and were unhappy with his representation.

He pointed to FC Santa Rosa’s unsuccessful attempt to remove John-Williams, at the last TTFA AGM, as part of an agenda that did not sit well with other TTSL clubs. Look Loy is president of Santa Rosa.

Clarke said it has become impossible to divorce ‘Look Loy the club owner’ from ‘Look Loy the TTSL president and TTFA board member’.

“He stated his agenda clearly which is to remove the president of the TTFA,” said Clarke. “If it was a Santa Rosa agenda that is okay but in the AGM he said he, Keith Look Loy, would not stop until the president of the TTFA is removed. He didn’t say Santa Rosa and he never corrected himself.

“[…] He is taking a personal position where he is representing a body. He cannot say that on behalf of all the clubs of the TTSL; he must speak to the club members.

“Is this the proper man to represent us seeing that he has this agenda?”

Guaya United president Randy Hagley, who took responsibility for starting the petition for an extraordinary general meeting to remove Look Loy, echoed Clarke’s discomfort at the TTSL boss’ public wrangling with John-Williams.

“You see this constant public criticisms and disgracing the office of the TTFA, well the clubs are a member of the TTFA so that is a problem,” said Hagley. “Keith [Look Loy] has not been a proper representation for us. He is not doing anything for the good of football, he is only fighting John-Williams.

“I told Keith [Look Loy] we will never get a sponsor once he is president because corporate Trinidad and Tobago will never want to be associated with that bacchanal.”

The reasons for removing Look Loy, according to the petition, were:

Constant public disgracing of the TTSL (sic) President through numerous social media comments, posts and interviews bringing the TTSL, TTFA, its members and the football brand into unnecessary disrepute;

Undersigning a motion for the removal of the President of the TTFA representing his personal club interest, which by extension, represents the office of the President of the TTSL, which was not instructed by the general meeting at any time therefore constituting a clear conflict of interest;

Openly stating your unwillingness to assist the TTFA Board of Directors in its affairs, particularly when asked to assist the Technical Committee on numerous occasions. The membership of the TTSL does not promote or condone this sort of negative arrogance;

Wrongful manipulation of the TTSL Constitution whereby you instructed the TTSL’s general meeting that TTFA Board of Directors suspended all non-compliant members voting rights in the TTSL, which was not the case.

In fact, the decision to suspend non-compliant TTSL members was taken—and then reversed—by the TTFA general membership and not Look Loy. And the TTFA has not had a functioning Technical Committee since four members resigned in January 2018.

Asked to give examples of Look Loy’s ‘poor leadership’, Hagley pointed to the lack of prize money over the past two seasons and three points deducted from Guaya last season, after they failed to travel with two uniforms—as mandated—for an away game against UTT FC.

Hagley admitted to personality clashes with Look Loy in the past. He shared a Whats App conversation with the TTSL president from December in which they traded barbs over a High Court victory for the National Futsal Team over the TTFA—which Hagley described as a “sad day in sports for T&T.”

The Guaya boss complained that Look Loy called him ‘stupid’ and did not conduct himself properly as the league president.

(Whatsapp Excerpt)

Hagley: We were deducted six points and everyone was happy…

Look Loy: You lost those points because of POOR management.

Hagley: The game against UTT you made that decision to give them the points.

Look Loy: Don’t be stupid. Rules are there to be followed. The committee decided that.

Hagley: I am not stupid as you my friend. The committee is you and you alone.

Ironically, UTT head coach Clayton Morris, who is also the National Futsal Team head coach, told Wired868 earlier that much of the dissatisfaction with Look Loy was—in his opinion—based on personal grouses.

“Just about three weeks ago, there was this thing where some clubs said they were going to form their own league; now all of a sudden they want the president to move,” said Morris. “They are saying they are dissatisfied with how the league is run but this is probably as smooth as the Super League has ever run; so I don’t understand.

“[…] I spoke to a couple of them and they told me they have beef or a personal thing with the [TTSL] president. It has nothing to do with the running of the league.

“For me, Keith [Look Loy] is the only voice—or the clearest voice—asking the TTFA president to account for things we are not sure about. If we want the football to succeed, we need to make the president accountable as stakeholders.”

At present, the TTSL has 22 member clubs. Eight have not supported Hagley’s petition. They are: Queen’s Park Cricket Club, Club Sando FC, FC Santa Rosa, RSSR FC, Bethel United, Prisons FC, UTT and Police FC.

From the remaining 14, Look Loy claimed three clubs said they were misrepresented or tricked into signing.

Metal X Erin FC representative Jason Charles supposedly felt the petition was for a discussion of issues related to the TTSL president rather than his removal from the TTFA board while WASA FC’s Lennon Jones was also said to have made an about-turn.

However, Wired868 could not independently confirm this.

Look Loy claimed that San Fernando Giants—ironically, represented by Clarke on the petition—did not sanction their support for the extraordinary general meeting.

Clarke admitted he had not consulted the club but accused Look Loy of stirring up trouble.

“What [Look Loy] did was he called a colleague at San Fernando Giant and said I, as club president, signed a petition for his removal,” said Clarke. “So of course the members of the board of the San Fernando Giants said it was not discussed with them yet as far as picking a side, which I agree with. But the petition is for a special general meeting of the members to discuss the issue and not to remove him.

“[…] When I informed them what the petition was about, they called a meeting for tonight and I am certain that letter [disavowing the club from the petition] would be revoked. So they were misinformed.”

The sole agenda item on the petition read: ‘Removal of President Keith Look Loy as the TTSL Representative on the TTFA Board of Directors with immediate effect’.

Erin FC and San Fernando Giants apart, the other 11 signatories were: Guaya United, Cunupia FC, Matura Re-United, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United (PVDMU), Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, Marabella FCC, Siparia Spurs, Youth Stars, Central 500 and Tobago 1976 Phoenix FC.

Only four of those teams—Guaya, Cunupia, Matura and PVDMU—actually competed in the TTSL last season. Another three—Siparia Spurs, Youth Stars and Central 500—are supposedly set to be declared non-compliant although that has not been confirmed by the TTFA.

Curiously, Hagley’s petition also includes Perseverance FC, which is not a TTSL member.

According to the TTSL constitution, decisions can be taken with only a simple majority. If all 22 clubs are allowed to vote, Clarke and Hagley could have half of the vote and would need just one backer from Giants, WASA FC and Erin FC to have their way.

If the non-compliant members are debarred, then Look Loy might manage just enough support to survive politically.

Naturally, the two parties disagree on the rights of non-compliant clubs.

“To participate in football you must be compliant with the TTFA but to vote for a motion in the TTSL, you only have to be a shareholder,” said Clarke. “The general membership of the TTSL has not suspended any member or any shareholder; so therefore all shareholders are still eligible to vote on any member within the TTSL.”

Look Loy admitted that the TTSL constitution did not speak specifically to the rights of non-compliant clubs. Ironically, the TTSL general membership were supposed to vote on the removal of voting rights for inactive clubs last weekend, only for the Concacaf/UEFA workshop to postpone their special meeting by one week.

That motion will be tabled tomorrow.

“You could be non-compliant and do remain a member of the league,” said Look Loy. “Nobody can take that right from you, unless you are demoted or don’t play for two seasons… But we saw that anomaly last year when one club pays its TT$45,000 registration fee to play and another club just pays the nominal fee of TT$1,000 to be a shareholder; and the two clubs have the same rights.

“[…] Any good constitution or set of bylaws will evolve over time. Things that become glaringly obvious today, you will say how you didn’t see that before.”

Look Loy will seek advice on the issue of compliance before he responds to Hagley’s petition.

“TTSL membership and the ability to play football is subject to being TTFA compliant,” said Look Loy. “People seem not to understand these fine distinctions.”

The appointment of a TTSL representative to the board is another grey area, which is not dealt with specifically by the constitution. Article 17.2 (d) comes closest as it states that the TTSL president is primarily responsible for ‘relations between Members, the TTFA and other bodies’.

“In all the regional associations and with other members, their boards—and not their general membership—select the persons who will represent them on the TTFA board,” said Look Loy. “That is the general, accepted practice across the TTFA.”

The TTSL board comprises of: Look Loy, Morris, Eddie Dean (Club Sando), Colin Murray (QPCC), George Joseph (Bethel United), Jameson Rigues (formerly Guaya) and Peter Thomas (general secretary).

The TTSL executive has 21 days to accede to the call for an extraordinary general council meeting on Look Loy’s potential removal from the TTFA board. At present, the TTSL president said he is looking into the validity of the request from the aggrieved clubs.

“We are trying to verify the issue of compliance with the TTFA,” said Look Loy. “We have to look at if they cross the 50 percent threshold to call the meeting—because it is 50 percent of who is eligible to vote. The threshold [if the three non-compliant members are excluded] then would be 10 clubs.

“We had documentation from Erin and San Fernando Giants to the effect that they have withdrawn and I expect more. But the minimum notice is 21 days, so I am trying to make sure that everything is in place; so that when we respond it is accurate.”

Hagley and Clarke voiced concern about Look Loy’s calls to check on the validity of the signatures on the petition.

“He is calling the owners of Defence Force, Harlem, etcetera and asking their bosses to rescind their signature from the list,” said Hagley. “But he can’t call my boss; my boss is Jesus.”

One club representative, under condition of anonymity, claimed he received a phone call from John-Williams on the TTSL. The TTFA president, he alleged, was enquiring about his support for the proposed changes to the second tier competition, which includes an injection of cash—from TTFA/SPORTT—for clubs as prize money and to run their operations as well as the removal of their registration fee.

John-Williams did not mention Look Loy or the petition specifically but he had made his view clear in the past.

“He said that Keith [Look Loy] is unworkable,” said the official.

The official suggested that several club representatives were caught in two minds about Hagley’s petition. Look Loy, he said, will not win many prizes for congeniality. But he said he saw the combative administrative as more of an asset than a liability for his work on the TTFA board.

“To be honest, some teams do feel that some of the issues raised about Look Loy have some truth to it,” he said. “Some clubs do feel damaged by Look Loy’s decisions at times. But we have to think about what the bigger picture, which is difficult at times…”

(How they voted)

Did not support petition:

8 clubs: Queen’s Park Cricket Club, Club Sando FC, FC Santa Rosa, RSSR FC, Bethel United, Prisons FC, UTT and Police FC;

Supported petition:

11 clubs: Guaya United, Cunupia FC, Matura Re-United, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United, Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, Marabella FCC, Siparia Spurs*, Youth Stars*, Central 500*, 1976 Phoenix FC*;

(Asterisk means there is uncertainty regarding the club’s compliance).

Unsure:

3 clubs: San F’do Giants, Metal X Erin FC, WASA FC.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #75 on: February 13, 2019, 01:31:41 AM »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #76 on: February 13, 2019, 03:27:13 AM »
My Cynicism is well documented, but at least it looks the part. If run by a fairly competent administration it might be good.

Offline maxg

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #77 on: February 13, 2019, 11:39:41 AM »
My Cynicism is well documented, but at least it looks the part. If run by a fairly competent administration [\b]it might be good.

Yet to see that since Lucas the grounds man at QRC. From Government to private sector. From infrastructure to major projects. Why would this be different at this point and time. Major hospital built, stadia, brand new, how those working out. In football, lots of in fighting, much controversy and non-payment of critical technical staff . Who will pay necessary personnel during startup and low seasons. Oh yeah, taxpayers.. well we could start growing pumpkin (or grass, if legalized) on a few fields for coaches to sell in the market  :devil:

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #78 on: February 13, 2019, 01:44:31 PM »
My Cynicism is well documented, but at least it looks the part. If run by a fairly competent administration [\b]it might be good.

Yet to see that since Lucas the grounds man at QRC. From Government to private sector. From infrastructure to major projects. Why would this be different at this point and time. Major hospital built, stadia, brand new, how those working out. In football, lots of in fighting, much controversy and non-payment of critical technical staff . Who will pay necessary personnel during startup and low seasons. Oh yeah, taxpayers.. well we could start growing pumpkin (or grass, if legalized) on a few fields for coaches to sell in the market  :devil:

Doh gih dem no ideas nah!
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Mitchell gives TTFA hotel 5-star rating
« Reply #79 on: February 24, 2019, 04:42:09 PM »
Mitchell gives TTFA hotel 5-star rating
TTFA Media


Former Vancouver Whitecaps defender Carlyle Mitchell is giving the TTFA Home of Football Athletes Accommodation hotel a thumbs up as this country’s senior team heads into day four of its training camp ahead of the upcoming international friendly against Wales on March 20th.

Mitchell is currently in the provisional squad preparing under Dennis Lawrence. He was among the players who were given a first-time tour of the facility on Thursday by TTFA President David John-Wiliiams, accompanied by Lawrence and the other members of the Senior Team technical staff.

“I think its good for the future. There are a lot of things surrounding the football now but this is definitely good for the future and the youths because they are going to benefit from it. It’s a top class, five-star facility and very professional. The players will not have to study anything, just come and play the football. Everything will be there for them,” Mitchell told TTFA Media.

Teammate Jomal Williams, a former Mexican-based midfielder had similar sentiments about the facility which is carded to be opened for use in April.

“It’s mind-blowing knowing that the level is high and the facility is very good. I think it’s going to be good for Trinidad and Tobago football. It’s something for players to look forward to especially the younger players. To be there and to be able to get the chance to sleep in one of those rooms means you have to be on the national team. It’s a dream come through to see something like this back home,” Williams said.

John-Williams in a brief conversation with the players at the hotel, said “We’re giving you a sneak preview of what your future home will look like. The good news is you will have a home. The bad news is it will make life a little easier for the coach to train you harder.  Generally it’s a 72-room facility and we hope to have it up and running by the end of April. It includes rooms, suites, medical rooms, dining rooms and more. We have three training pitches completed so you will be walking and driving to your training pitches. We finally have something that we can call home. All I will say is that this is best practice in world football.

“We are up against the world. We have the talent but we have to  work differently to compete with the world. No disrespect but our competition is not Jamaica and Antigua but our competition is Jamaica, Antigua, Brazil, Germany.. it’s the world. When here is completed treat it as your own home because this is the chance of a lifetime for many of you. You all will come into a generation that finally has something to call home,” John-Williams told the players. The facility will accommodate Men and Women teams and also has additional dormitory facilities for youth teams. There are executive suites on the third level for officials and generally the hotel will be accessible by athletes and individuals of other sporting disciplines and professions.

Meantime, on the on-field preparations so far, Mitchell said, “Things have been going quite good preparing for the Wales game. We have a bit of senior men with some youths and there’s incredible talent now on the national team and I’m surprised. It’s great to see Dennis is contracted again to work with the national team. Honestly it’s a good opportunity for the youths as the next World Cup is for the youths. We will be building the team around them,” Mitchell added.

“Of course I am looking to push for a spot on the Gold Cup even though it will be very difficult. I had a a difficult time with my going injury in 2017 ahead of the Mexico and Panama games. I was out for a year. Right now I am so happy to be injury free and pushing for a spot on the national team,” said the former South-Korean-based player.

Looking ahead to Wales, Mitchell continued, “We have to put the work in now. Gareth Bale and they are in season right now and we have players in preseason. We have to concentrate and be physically and mentally ready for this game. There will be no room for excuses.
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TTFA given 7 days to disclose ‘Home of Football’ info
« Reply #80 on: March 20, 2019, 12:46:53 PM »
Judge tells TTFA pres open books.
By Derek Achong (Guardian).


The T&T Foot­ball As­so­ci­a­tion (TTFA) has been cau­tioned by a High Court Judge over its re­peat­ed re­fusal to re­lease in­for­ma­tion on the con­struc­tion of its US$2.5 mil­lion "Home for Foot­ball" in Bal­main, Cou­va to one of its di­rec­tors.

De­liv­er­ing an oral judge­ment at the Hall of Jus­tice in Port-of-Spain yes­ter­day af­ter­noon, High Court Judge Ron­nie Boodoos­ingh ruled that TTFA pres­i­dent David John-Williams and for­mer gen­er­al sec­re­tary Justin Lat­apy-George act­ed ir­ra­tional­ly and un­rea­son­ably when they re­peat­ed­ly de­clined re­quests made by TTFA di­rec­tor and T&T Su­per League pres­i­dent Kei­th Look Loy, since De­cem­ber 2017.

"Or­gan­i­sa­tions like the TTFA, hav­ing been in­cor­po­rat­ed by statute, can not be the per­son­al fief­dom of in­di­vid­u­als. Even if it were so in the past, it can not be so in mod­ern times," Boodoos­ingh said, as he or­dered John-Williams to dis­close the in­for­ma­tion to Look Loy with­in sev­en days.

Nei­ther John-Williams nor Lat­apy-George were present in court for the judge­ment and were rep­re­sent­ed by the TTFA's lawyer Anand Mis­sir.

In his judge­ment, Boodoos­ingh ruled that Look Loy was en­ti­tled to seek the in­for­ma­tion which in­cludes the fi­nanc­ing arrange­ment for the fa­cil­i­ty, the ten­der­ing process used for se­lect­ing the con­trac­tor and sub-con­trac­tors and time-frames for com­ple­tion.

"He (Look Loy) has oblig­a­tions as well as po­ten­tial li­a­bil­i­ties and must, there­fore, have the true po­si­tion of the as­so­ci­a­tion so he can prop­er­ly per­form his func­tions," Boodoos­ingh said.

Stat­ing that trans­paren­cy is the an­ti­dote for cor­rup­tion, Boodoos­ingh ques­tioned the ra­tio­nale of the TTFA of­fi­cials in the case.

"Giv­en in­ter­na­tion­al knowl­edge of the tur­moil in Fi­fa, one would have thought that the de­fen­dant would not have found it­self in the po­si­tion it has," he said, al­so crit­i­cis­ing the TTFA for re­quest­ing that Look Loy sign a non-dis­clo­sure agree­ment if he was to be giv­en the in­for­ma­tion. The TTFA claimed that the re­quest was made af­ter it re­ceived ad­vice on the is­sue from Fi­fa, which main­ly fi­nanced the project.

"It is not about pro­tect­ing an or­gan­i­sa­tion but what is in the best in­ter­est of the world game...Those who have noth­ing to hide, should not fear light be­ing shone on them," Boodoos­ingh said.

As a sec­ondary is­sue in the case, the TTFA was al­leg­ing that Look Loy should not have been al­lowed to bring the ju­di­cial re­view law­suit as it is not a pub­lic body, whose de­ci­sions are ca­pa­ble of be­ing re­viewed by a court.

Boodoos­ingh strong­ly dis­agreed as he point­ed out that it was es­tab­lished by an Act of Par­lia­ment to man­age and pro­mote foot­ball in the coun­try and that it re­ceives oc­ca­sion­al State fund­ing.

He al­so re­ject­ed the TTFA claim that the is­sue should have been re­solved us­ing ar­bi­tra­tion as he stat­ed that such have would re­quire "will­ing­ness" from both par­ties.

In ad­di­tion to or­der­ing the dis­clo­sure of the in­for­ma­tion, Boodoos­ingh al­so or­dered the as­so­ci­a­tion to foot Look Loy's le­gal bill for pur­su­ing the law­suit.

Look Loy was rep­re­sent­ed by Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle and Crys­tal Paul.

Ac­coun­tants agree to analyse doc­u­ments

A team of foren­sic ac­coun­tants are ex­pect­ed to look in­to the fi­nan­cial records on the con­struc­tion of the "Home for Foot­ball".

In a brief in­ter­view out­side the Hall of Jus­tice in Port-of-Spain, af­ter Look Loy won his law­suit against the TTFA, he said the ac­coun­tants ap­proached by him had al­ready agreed to analyse the doc­u­ments once they are re­leased by the TTFA over the next week.

Look Loy said: "I don't know what we would find. I nev­er ac­cused any­one of any­thing but in the ab­sence of fac­tu­al in­for­ma­tion there would be spec­u­la­tion and there is a moun­tain of spec­u­la­tion over what is hap­pen­ing in Cou­va.

"I am go­ing in there now to see what ex­act­ly has been hap­pen­ing, not on be­half of Kei­th Look Loy but be­half foot­ball com­mu­ni­ty and the peo­ple of T&T."

Asked how he felt with the out­come of the case, Look Loy said he was al­ways con­fi­dent.

"It feels good to know that there was re­course for me and oth­er peo­ple who are fight­ing for trans­paren­cy in the con­duct of busi­ness, hu­man af­fairs and the con­duct of TTFA af­fairs," he said.

He al­so sug­gest­ed that Jus­tice Ron­nie Boodoos­ingh's judge­ment in the case may help im­prove the sport in T&T.

"The judge was right. Foot­ball is not pri­vate busi­ness or a pri­vate fief­dom, it be­longs to all of us," he said.

About the Project (Put in box)

The "Home for Foot­ball" project is ex­pect­ed to in­clude a 72-room ho­tel, train­ing pitch­es, an en­ter­tain­ment cen­tre and ad­min­is­tra­tive of­fices for the as­so­ci­a­tion.

The sod was turned in Sep­tem­ber 2017, with con­struc­tion start­ing in Feb­ru­ary, last year. The project was spon­sored by Fi­fa and is be­ing con­struct­ed on a lit­tle over sev­en hectares of land do­nat­ed by the Gov­ern­ment.

The project was al­ready at an ad­vanced stage when Fi­fa rep­re­sen­ta­tive Veron Mosen­go-Om­ba and Sports Min­is­ter Sham­fa Cud­joe con­duct­ed a tour in Au­gust, last year.

The project is still in­com­plete but the fa­cil­i­ty is sched­uled to be opened, lat­er this year.

RELATED NEWS

“Public organisations can’t be run like private fiefdoms!” Court orders DJW to hand TTFA financial info over to Look Loy
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) board member and TTSL president Keith Look Loy hailed a ‘complete victory’ over football president David John-Williams this afternoon, after the High Court ordered John-Williams to make all financial information related to the local football body available to the claimant within seven days.

Look Loy, who was appointed to the TTFA board in January 2018, turned to the courts after his repeated requests for information related to the controversial Home of Football project were either ignored by John-Williams or only offered on various conditions, including that the administrator sign a non-disclosure agreement.

However, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh rubbished John-Williams’ stance as he ordered the TTFA president to not only make the requested information available within a week but to also permit Look Loy to make copies.

Once more, John-Williams was stuck with not only the cost of his legal team but must also pick up the tab for Look Loy’s attorneys as well—expenses that must again be borne by the cash strapped local football body.

Crucially too, John-Williams’ stalling encouraged Look Loy to widen the scope of his enquiry to not just the Home of Football but every cent spent during the president’s tenure, which began on 30 November 2015.

Look Loy told Wired868 that he will immediately hire a forensic accountant to help shine light on the secret spending of the John-Williams-led administration, which has been kept hidden from even board members.

“I asked for names for all the contractors who worked [on the Home of Football] in Couva, what they worked for, who gave them the contracts, how much money has been spent, where the works have reached, etc,” said Look Loy. “But I also asked for the ledger of the TTFA from November 2015 to present. Why? Because it is the daily record of income and expenditure of the TTFA that tells the entire day by day history of the [football body] until March 2019.

“I am expecting we will find information on a lot of questions we have been asking including what is the TTFA’s relationship with I95.5FM, etc.

“It is extensive work but it is work that has to be done for us to ascertain the true financial status of the TTFA and to find out who has been spending money, what has the money been spent on and who has been receiving the money.”

Look Loy was represented by attorneys Matthew Gayle, Dr Emir Crowne and Crystal Paul. Anand Missir was retained by the TTFA.

John-Williams never denied that Look Loy was authorised to receive the information requested, according to the TTFA’s constitution. However, his legal team argued that world governing body, FIFA, was keen on a certain level of confidentiality for the project, that Look Loy ought to have used in-house arbitration before approaching the courts and the High Court was not the right forum to settle the dispute in any case since, they claimed, the TTFA was not a public body.

Justice Boodoosingh gave short shrift to each point as he pointed out that the TTFA was incorporated by an act of Parliament and the entire public has a stake in the going-ons of the national football body. And he chided John-Williams for trying to stand behind an alleged suggestion by FIFA, which the president did not support with documentation.

“The judge made the point that transparency and accountability are necessary in the modern world and those who have nothing to hide shouldn’t be afraid of the light,” said Look Loy. “And he said the TTFA and FIFA should have seized the opportunity to lay everything bare; but, even if FIFA said there should have been no disclosure, the TTFA should have rejected it and made the information available [for the sake of] the image of the game.

“Even if this type of thing happened before, it must not happen again. He actually made the point that public organisations cannot be run like private fiefdoms.”

The High Court’s ruling compounded a miserable month of March for John-Williams. Last week, Concacaf banned all Trinidad and Tobago clubs from participating in its competitions, due to the TTFA’s failure to properly implement the club licensing requirements—which means Pro League teams cannot compete at senior Concacaf Champions League or Under-13 level.

And, on Monday, a court order froze the TTFA’s First Citizen Bank account after a request by the National Futsal Team, following the TTFA’s failure to service a debt of just over $500,000.

Now, just eight months before John-Williams is due to face the electorate for a second term in office, the football president is forced to open his books to an indefatigable critic of his behaviour at the helm of the football body.

Look Loy suggested that his court victory was a win for transparency—in and out of the football community.

“First of all, I want to thank [my attorney] Matthew Gayle for doing a terrific job,” he said. “It feels good to know that I won—even though I had to take part in a 14 month odyssey. For people who are fighting for transparency and accountability in the national arena, at least we know that we can have recourse and justice from the courts.

“On a personal level, I feel good to know I did the right thing and the court supported it… In the absence of factual information, speculation will thrive. Now we will go and see what we find.”

TTFA given 7 days to disclose ‘Home of Football’ info.
By Jada Loutoo (Newsday).


The TT Football Association (TTFA) has been given seven days in which to provide documents on the construction of its US$2.5 million “Home for Football” to Super League president Keith Look Loy.

In an oral decision delivered a short while ago, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh ruled that the disclosure of the documents to Look Loy, a director of the TTFA, was in the public’s interest and the interest of transparency of the sport, locally and internationally.

Look Loy was granted permission to pursue his judicial review claim against the TTFA over the failure of its senior officials to disclose details related to the project in Balmain, Couva, to him and other directors.

In the claim, Look Loy has alleged he is entitled to the information, which includes financial records and details on the contractors and project manager hired for the project.

He also sought a declaration that TTFA president David John-Williams and general secretary Justin Latapy-George acted irrationally and unreasonably in repeatedly failing to disclose the information.

In an affidavit, Look Loy claimed he had made several requests of both men since December, 2017, all of which were ignored.

“My requests for inspection of the documents have not been made whimsically to the TTFA in any way. My requests have been ongoing for at least eight months and are of utmost importance to ensure transparency in the interest of the public,” Look Loy said.

In a supplemental affidavit, Look Loy said he was offered an opportunity to see the requested documents after he filed the lawsuit. However, the day before he was expected to do so, he was told he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement first. He refused.

Look Loy was represented by Matthew Gayle, Dr Emir Crowne and Sheriza Khan of New City Chambers.

The Home for Football project is expected to include a 72-room hotel, training pitches, an entertainment centre and administrative offices for the association. The sod was turned in September 2017, with construction starting in February. The project was sponsored by Fifa and is being constructed on a little over seven hectares of land donated by the Government.

The project is already at an advanced stage and was toured by Fifa representative Veron Mosengo-Omba and Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe in August last year.

« Last Edit: March 25, 2019, 12:34:39 AM by Flex »
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Storeboy

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #81 on: March 20, 2019, 03:18:57 PM »
The project "Home of Football" is a very good idea that should provide financial benefit and prestige to TT football. The problem is that the non-disclosure, secrecy, refusal to provide documents suggests corruption. There needs to be transparency. I support Look-Loy's attempts to obtain documents.
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Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #82 on: March 22, 2019, 04:20:48 AM »
TTFA mum on latest issues.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


THE TT Football Association (TTFA) is staying mum on a trio of issues which have seen them in the public limelight, for all the wrong reasons.

On Monday, the TTFA’s account at First Citizens was frozen, due to a garnishee order from the High Court, requested by members of the national futsal team.

The futsal team players and technical staff, on December 13, 2018, were awarded approximately $476,000 plus interest at three per cent per annum for unpaid salaries, match fees, per diems and expenses, following their participation at the 2016 CONCACAF Championship in Costa Rica, as well as legal costs estimated at $69,000.

Also, on Monday, TT Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer queried the recent election of Richard Quan Chan and Anthony Moore as vice-presidents of the TTFA, replacing Joanne Salazar and Allan Warner.

In another matter, on Wednesday, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, in the High Court, ordered the TTFA to make all its financial information, including details of the controversial Home of Football project in Couva, available to board member and TT Super League president Keith Look Loy within seven days.

Newsday contacted TTFA president David John-Williams via Whatsapp and text messages, as well as TTFA general secretary Camara David via telephone calls and text messages, for responses on those matters.

The WhatsApp messages to John-Williams were read, however, there was no reply, while there was also no reply from David, who took over from Justin Latapy-George on March 1, up to press time last evening.

RELATED NEWS

TTFA’s bank account frozen! DJW compared to Trump as court leans on football body again.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


The David John-Williams-led Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) was enveloped by fresh chaos today as the body’s bank account was frozen, due to a court order requested by members of the National Futsal Team.

TTFA general secretary Camara David and president John-Williams were informed of the development today by First Citizens Bank, which received a garnishee order from the High Court.

The legal manoeuvre, instigated by attorney Melissa Roberts-John on behalf of the Futsal team, is the latest twist in a three year battle between the two parties. On 13 December 2018, Justice Margaret Y Mohammed awarded 15 Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal players and five technical staff members roughly TT$475,743 plus interest at three per cent per annum for unpaid salaries, match fees, per diems and expenses.

The TTFA was also ordered to pay the Futsal Team’s legal costs of TT$69,200.82.

The High Court ruled that the local football body was to pay immediately. However, TTFA asked the claimants for 28 days’ grace to get the money together. Instead, John-Williams instructed his attorney, Annand Misir, to file an appeal.

More than three months after their court win, National Futsal Team head coach Clayton Morris said they had had enough of John-Williams’ stalling.

“We have run out of patience,” Morris told Wired868. “All the guys thought they were getting something extra for Christmas; but Christmas and then Carnival come and gone and now Easter is coming.

“The behaviour of John-Williams has been really disappointing but I wasn’t surprised because I have gotten to realise the character I am dealing with. He is someone who doesn’t care about the time, effort and commitment that people give towards football.

“Today is the 18th and almost three months after the High Court said we should be paid immediately, we still haven’t been paid. So definitely the guys are out of patience.”

The Futsal players who succeeded in the court action are: captain Jerwyn Balthazar, Kevin Graham, Adrian Pirthysingh, Colin Joseph, Kerry Joseph, Jameel Neptune, Ishmael Daniel, Anthony Small, Kevaughn Connell, Keston Guy, Kareem Perry, Jamel Lewis, Noel Williams, Bevon Bass and Cyrano Glen—whose elder brother Cornell Glen was one of 13 Soca Warriors who successfully sued the TTFA in the landmark ‘2006 World Cup bonus dispute’.

The technical staff members are: Morris (head coach), Ronald Brereton (manager), Sterling O’Brian (assistant coach), Perry Martin (goalkeeper coach) and Brent Elder (trainer).

The TTFA has never activated its legal committee under the current president and, in its absence, John-Williams has thrown the local football body into a host of legal cases on his own volition—often without discussions or consensus at board level.

Justice Mohammed made it clear in her ruling that she was decidedly unimpressed with the football president.

“In my opinion it was disingenuous for the [TTFA] to adopt the position it took with respect to the payment of the monthly stipends, per diem and match fees to the [Futsal] technical staff and the players respectively,” stated Justice Mohammed, “since based on the [TTFA’s] conduct, it actively led the [Futsal Team] to believe that nothing had changed and that the [TTFA] would have honoured the oral agreement made by Mr Tim Kee on behalf of the [TTFA].

“[…] In cross-examination, Mr John-Williams’ evidence on this issue was entirely discredited.”

The TTFA has not issued a statement on the legal decision with John-Williams and David opting, as is customary, for silence and urging board members to follow their lead. David has refused to comment to Wired868 and is understood to be attempting to introduce a formal media blackout for all TTFA office staff and coaches.

As Master Sherlanne Pierre set a date of 4 April 2019 to hear both sides on the matter, the TTFA will almost certainly be unable to pay salaries at the end of March. It is likely that the ruling could also force a delay in the payment of match fees to the Men’s National Senior Team players, who tackle Wales in an international friendly in Wrexham on Wednesday.

The court ruling follows on the heels of a Concacaf ban on Trinidad and Tobago clubs, due to the TTFA’s alleged failure to properly implement a club licensing set-up. The local football body has also operated without a technical director—a mandatory position according to FIFA—since January 14 when Anton Corneal downed tools and stated that he was “tired of the disrespectful and inhumane manner in which I have been treated by the President of the Association.”

John-Williams was also criticised, earlier this year, for his failure to activate 14 of the TTFA’s mandated 16 standing committees by FIFA IFAB board member and 2006 World Cup goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, TTOC president Brian Lewis, TTFA board member Keith Look Loy, UWI Sports Management lecturer Sherlan Cabralis, management consultant and ex-TIDCO president Brian Harry and management accountant and ex-Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB) official Kendall Tull.

Today, the Barbados Nation News unveiled Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 Team head coach and TTFA youth football staff coach Russell Latapy as the Barbados National Senior Team head coach-in-waiting.

Latapy is still owed a substantial amount in wages by the TTFA and has criticised John-Williams’ treatment of him in the recent past.

Look Loy, who is also the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) president, said the order freezing the TTFA’s bank account was ‘entirely avoidable’ and ‘further evidence, if we need any, of the mismanagement of the TTFA and its finances’.

“In real terms, with month end fast approaching, this means no TTFA staff can be paid and all programmes—already comatose as they are—will grind to a halt,” said Look Loy. “This is the consequence of DJW’s failure to activate the Association’s legal committee, which advises the board on legal matters, and his preference for unilateral action on legal matters as opposed to board discussion.”

Look Loy, who is a member of the newly formed seven-member Commission to handle the UEFA-proposed merger of the Pro League and TTSL, reiterated his stance that the local top tier leagues would be crazy to put its finances in the TTFA’s accounts.

“On the heels of Concacaf’s ban on TTFA clubs from the Caribbean Club Championship, this is a double whammy,” said Look Loy. “Moreover,  this unfortunate development substantiates my stance that state monies for the proposed  League should not be given to TTFA, as there is no shortage of TTFA creditors who may follow suit on the Futsal action.

“What more do the members of TTFA need to see to remove this man from office?!”

On the weekend, only five from the TTFA’s 49 delegates were present for the start of the reconvened AGM and John-Williams was forced to abort the meeting, as there was nothing close to the quorum necessary to address proposed constitutional amendments.

Look Loy suggested that the dwindling attendances was due to the partisan nature of meetings under the current president and the feeling that nothing was changing.

“In my estimation, at least some members believe attending meetings is becoming increasingly redundant,” he said, “as logic is being overwhelmed by political allegiance to the status quo.”

Northern Football Association (NFA) president Anthony Harford agreed emphatically with Look Loy.

“I think people are suffering from fatigue, because these meetings go on for the entire day and we never discuss the serious business of football,” said Harford. “We spend the entire time outing fires and discussing the misdeeds of the administration and people are just getting tired of it, as David [John-Williams] has shown that he has the required numbers to win a vote.

“[…] People are fed up of asking questions and not getting answers… [John-Williams] seems to be like the Trinidad version of Donald Trump, where you see so many cases for impeachment and yet the man seems impervious to everything; and just continues to lie and deceive people.”

« Last Edit: March 22, 2019, 04:23:52 AM by Flex »
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Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #83 on: March 28, 2019, 09:01:25 AM »
Look Loy not satisfied.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


OUTSPOKEN director of the TT Football Association (TTFA) is not satisfied with the documents presented to him by the local governing body, regarding the construction of its Home of Football venture.

The US $2.5 million project, which is being built at Balmain, Couva (next to the Ato Boldon Stadium) has been steeped in controversy since work began in February 2018.

Look Loy has repeatedly called on TTFA president David John-Williams to disclose financial information on the project.

On March 20, High Court Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh ruled the disclosure of the documents to Look Loy, within the space of seven days, was in the public’s interest and the interest of transparency of the sport, locally and internationally.

According to Look Loy, “(My lawyer Matthew Gale) was asked to collect documents by the TTFA lawyer (Anand Missir) at 10.30 am (yesterday) at the TTFA office.

“I presented myself but I didn’t receive all the documents. I pointed that out to them.”

Look Loy, the president of the TT Super League, continued, “They gave me a list, five pages long, of at least a couple dozen contractors and sub-contractors but I received not one contract, neither did I receive any information on who approved these contracts or who decided on these contracts and who signed them. That’s the heart of the thing. I am not satisfied with that at all and my lawyer would take measures to enforce the court order.”

Look Loy insisted, “At four o’clock (yesterday afternoon), at the close of business, they did not observe in full the terms of the court order because they did not present all the court documents that the court ordered them to (do).”

Asked how he felt about the TTFA’s moves, Look Loy replied, “I went down there with an open mind, but I was not surprised not to receive all of the documents. I’ll leave it like that.”

Look Loy, a member of the TTFA board since January 2018, said, “I got some other documents too, regarding the timelines for completion, and the work schedules and things like that.

“I also got the ledger which is the record of expenditure of the TTFA from November 2015 to December 2018. That is an important document.

“But the contracts for the Home of Football and the information on who approved these contracts and who signed these contracts, I didn’t get that. We will see what the next three or four days brings.”

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #84 on: April 01, 2019, 12:28:38 AM »
A bad joke! Look Loy mulls over contempt proceedings against John-Williams and Camara.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) board member Keith Look Loy is considering lodging contempt of court proceedings against local football president David John-Williams and his general secretary Camara David, after the duo allegedly failed to adhere to a High Court order regarding information related to the controversial Home of Football project and the TTFA’s finances.

On 20 March, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh ruled that John-Williams and/or his general secretary’s failure to furnish Look Loy with the requested documents was ‘unreasonable and/or unlawful’ and gave the pair seven days to remedy the misdeed.

The documents listed in the order are: the TTFA ledger for the period of November 2015 to present, the contributions of FIFA, TTFA and the government for the Home of Football and the overall budget for same, the names of all bidding companies or parties in connection with the project, the TTFA personnel who selected contractors and sub-contractors for the project, the name of the project manager, the names of contractors and sub-contractors engaged, the quantum, duration and terms of all contractors associated with the project, and the current financial and construction status of the project.

Look Loy told Wired868 that, although he has received a ledger, he is dissatisfied with the information relayed by TTFA attorney Annand Misir in relation to the Home of Football.

“We got about 15 mostly PDF documents and at a glance, at least one of them does not state the quantum of the contract,” said Look Loy. “I know what a construction contract looks like and what they sent out is a joke; I know what a FIFA contract looks like and this in no way resembles that.

“But first, the court order is that I should be able to see and make copies of the documents and in the day of the word processor, I am not going to accept a PDF. I want to see original documents and I have not received that.

“They gave me a photocopied list of about 25 or 30 contractors but with no contracts; so now I want to see the contracts for each of them. This doesn’t satisfy the order of the court.”

Attorney Matthew Gayle, who leads Look Loy’s legal team alongside Dr Emir Crowne and Crystal Paul, said he will decide—in conjunction with his client—whether or not the supposed omissions by the TTFA were inadvertent. If they believe John-Williams is defying the High Court, it could mean tougher sanctions against the beleaguered football president.

“On the face of it, it would appear that we don’t have all the documents,” said Gayle. “We will be going through documents today with a fine tooth comb and we will discuss [them]; and at that point we will take a definitive position.

“[…] Normally when one has to failed to comply with an order of the High Court, you would then proceed to enforcement—which is further court proceedings and the enforcement of sanctions up to and including jail time. So we would start contempt proceedings; but we are not getting ahead of ourselves.

“We are in the process of confirming whether there has been material non-compliance rather than inadvertent non-compliance.”

At present, John-Williams and David are in Las Vegas for the Concacaf League of Nations draw. Although the 28 year old David controversially travelled as TTFA general secretary while his predecessor Justin Latapy-George was still employed in that position, the current event marks his first official overseas trip as CEO of the local football body.

The TTFA’s First Citizen Bank account is frozen, at present, due to the John-Williams-led body’s failure to satisfy a court ordered payment of $544,943.82 plus interest to the National Futsal Team and their attorneys over a breach of contract.

The TTFA and the National Futsal Team will appear before Master Sherlanne Pierre on 4 April for a ruling on the impasse.

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Re: TTFA News Thread.
« Reply #85 on: April 11, 2019, 12:41:20 AM »
Over $16 million unaccounted from FIFA-funded Home of Football project! TTFA bank records to be searched next.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams and general secretary Camara David could be asked to explain a gap in excess of TT$16 million between the quantum of contracts at their headquarters and the budget for the controversial Home of Football in Couva.

The revelation comes as TTFA board member Keith Look Loy, with the support of the High Court, begins his search of football documents in earnest—after a 17-month campaign for transparency in John-Williams’ much-vaunted project.

Although the TTFA constitution states that board members should have full oversight over the entire operation of the body, Look Loy was forced to turn to the High Court to force John-Williams to open the books.

On 20 March, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh ruled that the TTFA president and/or his general secretary must furnish Look Loy with: the TTFA ledger for the period of November 2015 to present; the contributions of FIFA, TTFA and the government for the Home of Football and the overall budget for same; the names of all bidding companies or parties in connection with the project; the TTFA personnel who selected contractors and sub-contractors for the project; the name of the project manager; the names of contractors and sub-contractors engaged; the quantum, duration and terms of all contractors associated with the project; and the current financial and construction status of the project.

Look Loy told Wired868 that he was startled by what he observed so far.

“When I added up the quantum of what was stated in the contracts, the grand total was TT$3.189 million; but the grand total of the FIFA contribution for the Home of Football was US$2.75 million or TT$19.25 million,” said Look Loy. “So I don’t know how they plan to explain that shortfall; but the gap is over $16 million!”

Neither John-Williams nor David responded to queries from Wired868 about the possible discrepancy—although both recently shared views of the former’s presidency that seemed out of sync with reality.

“We’ve complied with the court order and that’s it; the TTFA has nothing to hide,” John-Williams told the Newsday, after blocking his board member from their financial books for a year and a half. “We’re even willing to open up our books to the media…

“People tend to be critical but they’re not seeing the positive things. It’s just that this president doesn’t talk because it’s not my business to beat my chest. I’m doing my job to the best of my ability.”

And David, John-Williams’ newly appointed general secretary, seemed to question the wisdom of the High Court when he told TTFA attorney Annand Misir: ‘All these documents have already been provided to the TTFA’s General Membership’.

The courts appear to view the work of John-Williams and David differently. In the past four months, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, Justice Margaret Y Mohammed and Master of the Court Sherlanne Pierre all ruled against the football body, which continues to rack up legal defeats despite spending more on legal fees than in any other period in its 111 year history.

Justice Boodoosingh described John-Williams’ behaviour as ‘unreasonable and/or unlawful’ while Justice Mohammed said the TTFA President’s testimony was ‘entirely discredited’ and summarised the conduct of his administration as ‘disingenuous’.

Look Loy called David’s assertion ‘absolute rubbish’ while he also criticised FIFA’s hands-off approach to the mushrooming scandal.

“When I hear they are going to inaugurate the facility in April, I have to assume either a final report from the project manager went to FIFA or FIFA is giving money without a final report,” said Look Loy. “Because I have not seen that final report and FIFA is not going to inaugurate a building that is incomplete. FIFA is not blameless in all of this because concern has been forwarded to FIFA for many months now about this project and they have been going merrily around.

“So I don’t know if FIFA was deceived about the fact that people are working without  proper documentary procedure or if FIFA has been turning a blind eye to it. Every time [FIFA director] Veron Mosengo-Omba comes [to Trinidad], he gives a green light and thumbs up, as if everything is fine [at the Home for Football] and everything is not fine. There are too many unanswered questions.”

Look Loy claimed that not only have John-Williams and David failed to provide supporting paperwork for a minimum of 85 per cent of the money spent on the Home of Football; but, allegedly according to the general secretary, millions might have been spent on the controversial project in cash payments, without formal contracts.

“I was told by Camara David there are service providers who had workers [on the Home of Football project] on a daily paid basis and they had no contracts,” Look Loy told Wired868, “and they were just paid in cash, which they then paid their workers with—so there was no record. So for that reason, we are now calling for [the TTFA’s] bank records.

“[…] I understand some of the [unaccounted TT$16 million] was used to buy televisions and beds for the rooms and so on; but there must be some paper trail for that too.”

Thus far, leaked emails suggest that John-Williams, David and Misir have ignored repeated requests by Look Loy’s attorney, Matthew Gayle, to make bank records available to the board member.

“My lawyer has written to them asking for the bank records because it falls within the ambit of the financial records being made available to us,” he said. “If they want us to return to the court for that, we will do it.”

Thus far, the TTFA has consistently been ordered to pay legal costs to its challengers due to its ‘unreasonable’ behaviour.

Tomorrow, Look Loy intends to hand over the documentation received from the TTFA thus far to a forensic accountant. And, based on the latter’s judgment, the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) president and his legal team of Gayle, Dr Emir Crowne and Crystal Paul will decide if the missing data constitutes a material breach of the High Court order.

If John-Williams and David are felt to have kept contracts from Look Loy, the board member will ask the pair to be held in contempt of court.

Look Loy said among the missing documents is the official lease agreement between the TTFA and Minister of Agriculture Clarence Rambharat for the land used to construct the Home of Football.

He was concerned too that the documents he saw suggested that John-Williams alone was making the calls on the multi-million dollar project with no evidence of board approval.

“Clearly what happened is David John-Williams—I have to assume he is the only person involved—acted like a general contractor and was issuing sub contracts to people, which is ridiculous,” said Look Loy. “He [appeared to be] issuing jobs with no contracts and people were working with no paper trail to show how much work they did and what they were paid.

“It is a financial and administrative mess and I would assume even a legal mess.”

Look Loy was concerned too about the recent revelation, during a court matter between the TTFA and members of the National Futsal Team, that John-Williams might have had ‘personal money’ in the bank account of the football body.

“By any legal definition, that is commingling of funds,” he said.

Look Loy called for an emergency board meeting to address the aforementioned concern and has been supported by Northern Football Association (NFA) representative Raeshawn Mars, Central Football Association (CFA) representative Colin Partap, Football Referees Association (TTFRA) president Joseph Taylor and Women’s League of Football (WOLF) representative Sharon Warrick.

However, he needs two more board members to support his petition before an emergency meeting can be triggered.

The remaining eight board members are: John-Williams (president), Ewing Davis (vice-president), Richard Quan Chan (Southern FA), Anthony Moore (Tobago FA), Julia Baptiste (TT Pro League), Bandele Kamau (Eastern FA), Sherwyn Dyer (Eastern Counties Football Union) and Selby Browne (Veteran Footballers Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago).

Look Loy claimed local football is in crisis and urged stakeholders to step forward and show their dissatisfaction with the John-Williams-led administration.

“The TTFA cannot receive money without it being taken by Futsal and the [office] staff cannot be paid and are suffering as a result of John-Williams’ mismanagement and poor judgment in provoking court cases that he cannot win,” said Look Loy. “This has wide ranging implications for football, including for this new start up football league [with the TT Pro League and TTSL clubs]. Soon, we will be getting the [former TTFA general secretary] Sheldon Phillips judgment too.

“Effectively the TTFA is bankrupt; it cannot receive money and if it receives it, then it cannot spend it.”

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #86 on: April 14, 2019, 01:24:37 AM »
Cuba shows interest in TTFA Home of Football Facilities.
TTFA Media.


The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s Home of Football Accommodation hotel and facilities could well be a training base for Cuban athletes in the future.

That was the indication coming from Alex Gonzales first secretary of the Embassy of Cuba in Trinidad and Tobago following his first official tour of the facilities in Couva last week.

Gonzales was led through the site visit by TTFA President David John-Williams and General Secretary Camara David along with other TTFA officials.

“We have coordinated this visit in order to know more of the work of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association and to explore new ways of cooperation. We had a really good meeting with the Association and I had the opportunity to see the facilities . It was a nice experience,” Gonzales told TTFA Media.

“I think the idea of increasing the facilities and making it a more comfortable stay will make it a very competitive venue and hopefully we will see more championships here and more friendly matches,” he added.

“This is a very well organised and designed facility. It is also a bit similar to Cuba as you know we have talented sportsmen and women in Cuba and this could only auger well for all athletes. The idea of our visit today to strengthen our relationships and find new ways of cooperation,” Gonzales concluded.

While baseball is the most popular in Cuba other popular sports there include boxing where they are i a dominant force in amateur boxing, consistently achieving high medal tallies in international competitions), volleyball, sailing and basketball as well as football with its national team qualifying for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They have consistently produced top athletic coaches who are called to duty in different countries across the globe.

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #87 on: April 17, 2019, 12:34:46 AM »
Tim Kee: Home of Football project ‘started with me.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


RAYMOND TIM Kee admits that he conceptualised the Home of Football project and its original base was the former Union Park facility in Marabella, where the Manny Ramjohn Stadium is currently located.

Last Friday, Tim Kee, who served as president of the TTFA (TT Football Association) from 2012-2015, announced his intention to run for office at the TTFA elections, which is expected to take place later this year.

The Home of Football project, which is being constructed next to the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, is yet to be completed.

But current TTFA president David John-Williams has insisted that the he was the brainchild behind the current project.

Tim Kee, in an interview at his Port of Spain office yesterday, said, “The Home of Football started with me.”

According to the businessman and former Port of Spain mayor, he wanted to utilise the turf ground at the Marvin Lee Stadium (now ML Ball Park) in Macoya for the T&T women’s team, who were preparing for the final round qualifiers for the 2015 FIFA World Cup.

“I wrote (them) for the use of the ground for our women to practice, to get accustomed,” said Tim Kee. “They wrote me back and say I have to pay $500 a session. There is where the Home of Football concept was born. I say this must never happen again.”

He continued, “I went to (then Sports Minister Anil) Roberts, identified a piece of land in Marabella, Union Park, and we got the land approved at the Ministry. When I found (the Ministry) were staying too long, and FIFA were saying they would give us some money from the Goal project, I went to the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her office in St Clair.

“I told her what was happening, she called Roberts and told him to expedite the project,” added Tim Kee. “So, when (John)-Williams is saying that is his project, that is (not true). FIFA would not approve lands if the lands were not ours. That’s why that (project) started, because of the experience we had with the Centre of Excellence.

“The concept was to have accommodation for our national teams to go in camps in preparation for tournaments. It has nothing to do with (a) hotel. We don’t have the capabilities to run a hotel. That’s a different industry, we are in football.”

Tim Kee wonders if the hotel will generate any income due to its location and the lack of access roads to and from the venue.

“Where the building is located, I don’t know what the thinking was. It couldn’t be for commercial purposes. It seems to be a nice building but take out from there and carry it somewhere else. I predict it would be a white elephant because I do not see who is going to patronise it. I don’t know where the money is coming from to pay for that.”

Tim Kee also spoke of his desire to run for the post as TTFA president, even though he has kept a low profile since his defeat to John-Williams in the 2015 elections.

“I love football, I love my country and I have plenty shame,” he said. “Where football is now is a complete embarrassment to the country and to our people, the majority of whom loves football. For the past two years, I (have been working) at the Maximum Security Prison with Clayton Morris with futsal. We train them to become referees, to coach and (develop) every segment of the game that you can think about. It’s completely voluntary.”

He continued, “I really have the desire to see football come back to where it’s capable of. When I went in, we were number eight in Concacaf and after my first year we were number three in Concacaf. (In) my three years, all national teams had gone into finals in Concacaf and CFU tournaments.

“When I left, I thought there would have been a continuation, a trajectory. What you see now, we are not in anything. We are not a respected football country in the Caribbean. That is why Concacaf representative office is in Jamaica, a FIFA office is in Jamaica and Jamaica is hosting Gold Cup (matches).

“We have the best grounds, the most supporters. What it says is FIFA does not respect us because we don’t respect ourselves anymore. We don’t have any programmes.”

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #88 on: April 20, 2019, 07:00:06 AM »
Tim Kee: Home of Football project ‘started with me.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


 What you see now, we are not in anything. We are not a respected football country in the Caribbean. That is why Concacaf representative office is in Jamaica, a FIFA office is in Jamaica and Jamaica is hosting Gold Cup (matches).

“We have the best grounds, the most supporters. What it says is FIFA does not respect us because we don’t respect ourselves anymore. We don’t have any programmes.”




Nail on the fking head!
VITAMIN V...KEEPS THE LADIES HEALTHY...:-)

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Re: Home of Football Thread
« Reply #89 on: April 22, 2019, 04:03:08 AM »
Cudjoe silent as TTFA row rages on, Govt mum as Home of Football scandal continues on state land.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Sport Minister Shamfa Cudjoe remains deafeningly silent as the furore surrounding Trinidad and Tobago’s football continues to intensify in the courts, the board room and, ultimately, the fields of play.

In the past six months alone, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) President David John-Williams lost legal cases to ex-General Secretary Sheldon Phillips, Board Member Keith Look Loy, the Normandie Hotel and the entire National Futsal Team.

On 5 May, John-Williams will also take the TTFA back to the High Court to face current Technical Director Anton Corneal, who is suing for breach of contract. And the scandal of the Home of Football project is now an international talking point throughout the region.

Yet, so far, Wired868 has been unable to penetrate Cudjoe’s cloak of communications officers for comment. The Sport Minister has not returned calls or emails on the subject.

The TTFA is formed by an act of Parliament and is headquartered on government property at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. John-Williams’ controversial Home of Football is also built on land leased by the state while the only notable sponsorship deal secured during his tenure is a TT$8 million boon from the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB)—which the football body still benefits from, despite not satisfying the terms of the agreement.

Not to mention the fact that the TTFA fulfils a public service to taxpaying football fans and players on the twin island republic.

In Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh’s ruling against the John-Williams-led body for its unmistakable lack of transparency, the High Court Judge stated that ‘public organisations cannot be run like private fiefdoms’.

Remarkably, Cudjoe has so far chosen to be neither proactive nor reactive. At present, local football is in a state of paralysis, as the decision of Pro League and Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) clubs to move under the direct care of the TTFA saw the country’s top two tiers of football indefinitely postpone the start of their respective seasons—to the chagrin of hundreds of footballers.

The Trinidad and Tobago government’s apparent blind eye towards the TTFA comes at a time when Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi claims to be narrowing in on financial crime through the Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Bill.

And it follows closely on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s outspoken criticism of the supposedly dictatorial and murky management style of former Cricket West Indies President Dave Cameron.

In sharp contrast, the Republic of Ireland’s entire football board served notice of its impending resignation yesterday after the Irish government opened an investigation into the FAI (Football Association of Ireland) through its Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

Irish Sport Minister Shane Ross made it clear that the FAI will receive ‘no further government funding’ until the ruling party sees ‘real change and reform in the Association’s corporate governance, and until we have credible answers’.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar went further, as he assured Irish football fans that his government shared the ‘anger of football fans and concerns of taxpayers about how the FAI has been run’.

“The objective must be to restore confidence in how the FAI is being run and make sure that we can get back to do what we should be doing,” Mr Varadkar said. “That is promoting this sport, funding it at grassroots level for participation by young people and women in particular, and making sure that this really popular sport across the country is able to focus on what it does best.”

The FAI row began after a Parliamentary committee flagged a curious €100,000 (TT$766,111) loan between the football body and its vice-president John Delaney. Delaney offered to step down today.

In contrast, Look Loy found TT$16 million unaccounted for in John-Williams’ Home of Football project, built on state land.

“When I added up the quantum of what was stated in the contracts, the grand total was TT$3.189 million; but the grand total of the FIFA contribution for the Home of Football was US$2.75 million or TT$19.25 million,” said Look Loy. “So I don’t know how they plan to explain that shortfall; but the gap is over TT$16 million!”

John-Williams refused comment on the financial discrepancy while his General Secretary Camara David’s attempt to explain should also have caught Al Rawi’s attention.

“I was told by Camara David there are service providers who had workers [on the Home of Football project] on a daily paid basis and they had no contracts,” said Look Loy, “and they were just paid in cash, which they then paid their workers with—so there was no record…”

Millions of dollars allegedly handed out in cash on a project run by a national body on state-owned land?

The current PNM government has spoken repeatedly on its desire for transparent governance and sound financial conduct. If that applies anywhere, there is certainly little sign of its application in Cudjoe’s neck of the woods.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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