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Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #780 on: October 05, 2021, 10:24:57 PM »
the government involved, we need FIFA involved and we're having active discussions with everyone.

The government need to get involve? Really ? And then for FIFA to say later that government get involve and dictate to the the TTFA.  They only want the government to put out money.

Online Tallman

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TTFA Normalisation Committee, what is really going on?
« Reply #781 on: October 07, 2021, 06:51:26 AM »
TTFA Normalisation Committee, what is really going on?
By Colin Murray (T&T Guardian)


The annual general meeting (AGM) of the Trinidad & Tobago Football Association (TTFA) held recently seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest with the football fraternity in the country seeking answers on the 2019 financials.

Admittedly, I am perplexed by the normalisation committee and its role. You see, I thought this committee was instituted to oversee the finances of the TTFA and to be totally transparent when it came to revenue (if any) and expenditure. Therefore, to read that members are seeking answers on financials is extremely disappointing.

FIFA’s media release dated March 17, 2020, noted that the committee was to fulfil four specific aims: (1) To run the TTFA’s daily affairs; I suppose that this is ongoing, for the most part, as every now and again, a release is published from the general secretary (Ag.) Amiel Mohammed or the chairman of the committee Robert Hadad making a statement on the news with either an appointment or the clarification of a query.

(2) To establish a debt repayment plan that is implemented by the TTFA; I will have to address that a little later on because I am completely baffled by that in terms of some statements attributed to Hadad.

(3) To review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; - I do not have a clue if and when this is supposed to be done so naturally, I reached out to two individuals closely linked with football in T&T. One laughed sarcastically and said, “Boy I really don’t know. This normalisation committee is looking to shut down football in the country.” The other person said, “I have no idea.” At that point, I did not feel too bad as, to be honest, I did not want to admit that I, too, did not have a clue.

(4) To organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate. It appears elections of a new executive is not on the short term agenda of this normalisation committee. Perhaps, it is because they have not completely fulfilled their mandate given to them by FIFA. The normalisation committee was appointed in March 2020 and their mandate clearly states: “The specified period of time during which the normalisation committee will perform its functions will expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its assigned tasks, but no later than 24 months after its members have been officially appointed by FIFA”. The clock is slowly ticking for Hadad and his team as their 24 month term ends in March 2022.

Let us now focus on this debt repayment plan. Since the normalisation committee was appointed, presumably their most important mandate was to establish this plan, I would have assumed that the first order of business was to get all of TTFA’s financials in order.

Therefore, I was taken by surprise when I saw the Guardian headline on September 27, 2021 which read, “TTFA members seek answers on 2019 financials”. The audit was rejected at the AGM and I genuinely cannot understand why the normalisation committee failed to get approval for the 2019 audited financial statement. Maybe I am being totally naive but here is a committee appointed by the highest body in football with their mandate to look after the finances and debt repayment and they cannot even get the finances passed.

Further, if no approval of the audited financials are given, then decisions had to be deferred on the debt repayment plan if it even exists. As a result, TTFA is also unlikely to receive further funding from FIFA. Naturally, with the debt estimated at $98.5Million, some members enquired about the current debt and why a title or lease for the land that houses the so-called ‘Home of Football’ has not been acquired by the normalisation committee.

Why would the committee exclude the value of the land which is estimated at around $42Million? Something is not sitting right here. Wasn’t the land given to the TTFA by the government? FIFA gave the money and TTFA built the ‘Home of Football’. Everybody posed and smiled at the opening and gave lavish speeches and praises on this beautiful structure that was going to take TTFA out of debt and was supposed to be the shining light for the future of Trinidad & Tobago's football development.

From then to now, no deed or lease has been obtained by anyone. So let us be fair to the normalisation committee. They only came into office in March 2020 but from then to October 2021, they cannot get some documents from the government to satisfy the auditors? Stakeholders complain about footballing decisions made by the normalisation committee and while I can understand that they may lack the footballing knowledge, it is beyond me that when it comes to decisions not pertaining to football, they seem to get it all wrong. Who is responsible for obtaining this certificate? I cannot believe that football is at a standstill because of this.

Now, without that $42Million in the accounts and with the debt at $98.5Million, Hadad has admitted that the TTFA is insolvent but it is not something they are looking at right now.

I am even more confused - is it now that the normalisation committee is looking to raise funds? Is it now that the normalisation committee is looking at some sort of process to repay the debt that suddenly came upon them? Is it now they are looking for donations? Is it now they are looking for sponsors some 19 months into its two-year term?

Hadad goes on, “there are many ways to deal with this debt but it’s not going to happen overnight”. Really? Why is the government now getting involved? Surely, one should have been having dialogue with the government one year ago. All of a sudden the Minister of Sport and Community Development needs to be part of a discussion to clear the debt. I know that when I am allowed to go back into the sea (bizarre that waterparks are allowed to open before beaches), once the water starts to go from my feet to my knee to my waist to my head, it might be too late for me to survive so from the time I go into the water, I should have a plan.

Once more, football has remained at rock bottom. Meanwhile, Jamaica's premier division is in full flow with good, competitive matches played weekly while our football is at a standstill. No payment of players, no tournaments for the teams, no training and we are going nowhere fast. Well, as they say, another day in paradise.
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #782 on: October 08, 2021, 06:53:32 AM »
Awai tells members, TTFA not insolvent
...wants Hadad to get certificate of title for HoF land
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).


Mike Awai, a stakeholder in local football, is urging the membership of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) to not approve the audited financial accounts of the TTFA when it is presented for discussion and eventual vote at the TTFA Emergency General Meeting (EGM) on Sunday.

Awai, the former AC Port of Spain Business Development Manager, has been angered by a Guardian Media report on Wednesday that confirmed that the embattled football association is insolvent, and is now calling on Robert Hadad, the chairman of a FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee to get a certificate of title for the land housing the controversial "Home of Football" (HoF) in Balmain, Couva that will be accepted by the auditors.

Awai said for such a businessman, a certificate of that nature would be at his fingertips or at the call of his phone.  

Determining the solvency of the football association will be done at the EGM. At present, the TTFA is in need of the audited financials of the association to be approved if it is to received monies from FIFA.

The EGM became the next step after AGM deferred discussions on the issue of the audited financial statement and the lease for the Home of Football at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the TTFA on September 26. At that meeting, the accounts were presented minus the value for the land that houses the Home of Football, said to be estimated at $42 million.

In July, Hadad issued a statement that put the TTFA debt at $98.5 million.

Leading the discussions were the Veteran Football Foundation of T&T (VFFOTT) and T&T Pro League campaigners W Connection Football Club, both of which penned letters to the normalisation committee before and after the AGM, demanding answers on the matter.

However, David John-Williams, a former president of TTFA who was responsible for ensuring that approved audited financial reached into the hands of the FIFA in 2018 and 2019 for the first time since 2008, has promised to offer a statement after the EGM. John-Williams is also responsible for securing the land for the Home of Football from the government.

In the meanwhile, Awai who has been attempting to find answers for the football quagmire, was livid when he saw statements from the local football boss and said on Wednesday: “What is wrong with Hadad? He took 18 months to figure out that he does not have a plan. What has he been doing? What is his mantra?

"Isn’t it to fix the constitution, to prepare fresh election and have a debt repayment plan? I am going to send an email to all the stakeholders because I have the whole listing of them.

"I am going to make an appeal to the stakeholders, not to approve the audited accounts because the TTFA is not insolvent.

"Eighteen (18) months and we can’t get a certificate of title, 18 months and we can’t get a proposal for the repayment plan and now all of a sudden, after 18 months he is now asking the government to talk, he could have done that a year ago and they might have done something small for us in the budget.”

Awai, the owner and founder of the FUTGOF Football Academy, has been avoiding calls to enter the fray ahead of the coming elections of the TTFA. However, he has been bitterly disappointed with the work done by Hadad and his committee members to date, saying they have not achieved a single item of their mandate by FIFA.  

A week ago, Awai came up with two theories why the NC would want the TTFA to be insolvent, and one entailed the possibility of avoiding the huge debt that has crippled local football for many years.  

Sunday’s EGM is expected to be intense but Hadad is assuring members that answers to their questions will come but just not from him. Apart from revealing the financial status of the TTFA, Hadad also said that the independent auditors will be the ones to provide the answers to the questions of the members.

Awai believes that if the membership approves the audited financials, they will indirectly be giving up their power and control of the assets of the TTFA.

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

Online Tallman

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #783 on: October 09, 2021, 06:24:03 PM »
President of the Veteran Footballers Foundation, Selby Browne, says the FIFA appointed normalization committee is an excellent one comprised of competent individuals in their respective fields. But he's now calling for a more collaborative relationship to take shape between the committee and the TTFA membership in the best interest of football in T&T.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/JEnweyfHIks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/JEnweyfHIks</a>
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Online Tallman

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Hadad must go: TTFA delegates discuss issues at EGM today
« Reply #784 on: October 10, 2021, 10:07:36 AM »
Hadad must go: TTFA delegates discuss issues at EGM today
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)


FIFA appointed him. However, the guns might be trained on Robert Hadad when well over 60 delegates of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) meet at today’s virtual extraordinary general meeting, which begins at 10 a.m.

One of those stakeholders, Selby Browne of the Veterans Football Association of Trinidad and Tobago (VFFOTT), thinks local businessman Hadad has some explaining to do.

“The public pronouncement of Robert Hadad on the TTFA being insolvent can only be considered grounds for his immediate removal as chairman of the TTFA normalisation committee,” Browne has stated.

“The chairman of the normalisation committee had a responsibility to make his statements at his first AGM of the TTFA held on September 26, 2021, and he unfortunately failed to do so,” Browne said.

While admitting Hadad might have done some work, such as running the TTFA’s daily affairs, the VFFOTT president thinks the businessman has failed in at least two major areas of his mandate—to formulate a procedure for liquidation of the TTFA’s near-$100 million debt, and also reforming the TTFA constitution to meet FIFA statutes. Browne also accused Hadad of communicating with no one—TTFA board members, delegates, clubs, creditors, national footballers or coaches.

“The TTFA belongs to its membership and is not the personal asset of any individual,” Browne declared. “Finally on Sunday, it’s all up to the delegates, the membership who are owners of the TTFA, to take the decision on the TTFA and no one else.”

Two weeks ago, at the first AGM since the Hadad-led normalisation committee was installed, TTFA members refused to approve the 2019 financials presented by the NC. Of concern to the membership was the de-listing of the $42 million Home of Football as one of the TTFA’s assets, because the NC citied the lack of an official Government deed for the State-donated land on which the Couva HoF is located.

Browne said that from private discussions among delegates, some feel the normalisation committee is intent on dissolving the TTFA, as it now stands.

“They have decided this is a lost cause and it’s insolvent,” said Browne, himself a businessman.

Browne further stated that before acceding to the approval of the TTFA’s 2019 financial statements, VFFOTT will like certain assurances.

“Is the normalisation committee prepared to make a declaration to delegates of the EGM, which states: “The normalisation committee shall not take any action to declare the TTFA insolvent upon approval of the audited financial.”

Like James Thomas, whom the normalisation committee allowed to leave his TTFA role in the last few days, Browne, at least, wouldn’t mind seeing Hadad ride off into the sunset as well.

However, he also suggested in ending: “Maybe the NC will bear great tidings from the finances of FIFA or the GovTT to be the recommendations for treating with the debt.”
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #785 on: October 12, 2021, 12:25:09 AM »
FIFA could extend NC control of the TTFA — Browne.
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian).


There is a possibility that comes March 27, 2022, the stranglehold on the T&T Football Association (TTFA) by the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee could be extended.

This is according to Selby Browne of the Veteran Football Foundation of T&T (VFFOTT) who spoke to Guardian Media Sports on Monday about what the progress was made to date by the Robert Hadad-led NC since being appointed to take control of local football federation following the removal from office of the duly elected William Wallace, who defeated incumbent David John-Williams in the November 2019 T&TFA elections.

Back then FIFA in its letter of appointment said: The Bureau of the FIFA Council has today decided to appoint a Normalisation Committee for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) in accordance with article. 8 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes.

The decision follows the recent FIFA/Concacaf fact-finding mission to Trinidad and Tobago to assess, together with an independent auditor, the financial situation of TTFA.

The mission which took place in February 2020, found that extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with massive debt, have resulted in the TTFA facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity. Such a situation is putting at risk the organisation and development of football in the country and corrective measures need to be applied urgently.

Therefore, the mandate of the Normalisation Committee will include the following:

· to run the TTFA'S daily affairs;

· to establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA;

· to review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress;

· to organise and to conduct elections of a new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-year mandate.

The Normalisation Committee will be composed of an adequate number of members to be identified by the FIFA administration, in consultation with Concacaf. In line with the FIFA Governance Regulations, all members of the Normalisation Committee will be subject to an eligibility check.

The Normalisation Committee will act as an electoral committee, and none of its members will be eligible for any of the open positions in the TTFA elections under any circumstances. The specified period of time during which the Normalisation Committee will perform its functions will expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its assigned tasks, but no later than 24 months after its members have been officially appointed by FIFA.

However, Browne was quick to point out that the date for the new T&TFA elections is just about five months but the Normalisation Committee is yet to get done what they were appointed to do.

He added, “So it is my view that ahead of the next T&TFA election it is the prerogative of FIFA to extend or consider the extension of the tenure of the Normalisation Committee. For how long it may do so or what process it entails, I don’t know, but we (T&TFA membership) are not ready or have not received any information. But I do the thing it is possible unless we will have a host of proposals presented during the final quarter of 2021 for consideration by the membership, and that I expect.”

Reflecting on the appointment of the NC and the lack of communication or information coming to the membership, Browne stated, “We have less than five months to the end of the NC reign and FIFA has taken a decision to pay an NC to provide recommendations to the T&TFA membership. They were given a mandate of two years, and it is now to find out from the NC whether if they are ready to any recommendations."

However, Browne said he doubted the NC led by chairman Robert Hadad was ready to do so.

He explained, “My personal view is that the NC got distracted with running the day-to-day affairs of football like the preparations of the teams for the World Cup qualifiers, Gold Cup qualifiers and the women’s team, things they were not really prepared for.”

But in their defence, Browne stated, "Remember these are professionals in the own right, but they are not efficient at the business of football,” said Browne.

On Sunday, the Normalisation Committee-led T&TFA was able to approve the 2019 audited financials at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) hosted by the Robert Hadad-led NC Sunday virtually with the TTFA membership.

The EGM was called as a direct consequence of the motions passed by the TTFA Members at the annual general meeting (AGM) which was held on September 26 where the membership required further time to review the 2019 audited financial statements in detail, understanding the implications to the TTFA, and tabled all additional questions to the external auditors Madan Ramnarine and Co and the Normalisation Committee.

According to a release from TTFA’s acting general secretary Amiel Mohammed those questions were received before the EGM and addressed by the auditors and the Normalisation Committee.

And following further discussions on the topic at Sunday’s meeting, the 2019 audited financials were approved by the TTFA membership by a clear majority vote.

Additionally, during the EGM, the T&TFA membership ratified the expulsion of the Coaches Association from the membership to correct a motion that was not properly executed, as per the TTFA constitution, at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on April 21, 2018.

Following this decision, the TTFA Membership admitted the Unified Football Coaches of T&T (UFCTT) and welcomed them as the newest member of the TTFA.

Commenting on the EGM, Browne said the T&TFA made great progress.

He said, “We are in a better place than we were a day before and it’s the first time that there was a dialogue with a meaningful discussion between the NC and the membership.

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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #786 on: October 14, 2021, 12:23:48 AM »
Normalisation committee urged to communicate with TTFA members.
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).


SELBY BROWNE, president of the Veterans Football Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago (VFFOTT), is urging the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee to maintain a level of communication with the membership of the TT Football Association (TTFA).

Browne was speaking in an interview on Monday, a day after the normalisation committee, which oversees the daily affairs of the TTFA, held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), to approve the audited financial statements for 2019, ratify the expulsion of the Coaches Association of TT from its membership, and welcome the Unified Football Coaches of TT to its fold.

“It was the best thing that happened to the TTFA, progress was made. We’re in a better place now,” was Browne’s view on Sunday’s EGM. “For the very first time, there were truthful discussions between the membership and the normalisation committee. That is the only way that we can make progress and move things forward.”

The normalisation committee (chairman Robert Hadad, Judy Daniel, Nigel Romano and Nicholas Gomez) held its annual general meeting (AGM) on September 25, the first time they held an AGM since they were appointed in March, 2020 to replace the TTFA executive, led by William Wallace.

“It was made abundantly clear that the normalisation committee had boxed themselves into a corner with the desperate need to have the approval of the audited financial statements of 2019,” said Browne. “The point was made to the chairman that the failure of the normalisation committee were three important things – communication, communication and communication.”

According to Browne, who served as vice-president during the tenure of David John-Williams as TTFA president, “The normalisation committee has understood, for the first time, their roles and functions. In my humble view, of the points issued in their mandate, (another) one should have been added, which is communicate with your membership as quickly as possible, and far more progress would have been made, because there were straightforward questions that were asked, and there was the demand for direct answers, especially from the chairman.”

Merere Gonzales, president of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), who described the meeting as “rather successful, productive, meaningful and positive”, is also hopeful that there will be light at the end of the tunnel for TT football, at least from an administrative level.

“I believe, while there are various challenges which didn’t occur overnight, I am seeing a more genuine interest by persons to see if they can re-engage, revamp and return the image of Trinidad and Tobago football to where it rightfully deserves,” said Gonzales. “It’s just that, along the way, you will have some unique challenges, either by persons or by circumstances, that can sometimes create a stumbling block.”

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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #787 on: October 17, 2021, 10:59:02 AM »
“No different than John-Williams!” Hadad-led NC accused of ‘hiding money’ from creditors.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) technical director and Men’s National Senior Team player Kendall Walkes has accused the Robert Hadad-led normalisation committee of hiding money from its creditors.

Walkes, who won a TT$5.1m award in the Port-of-Spain High Court for breach of contract against the David John-Williams-led administration in 2015, has not gotten a cent from the local football body since he was allowed to empty the TTFA’s accounts on 16 March 2020.

Ironically, Walkes’ case was used as justification for Fifa’s decision to ‘normalise’ the TTFA to address its critical debt situation. The Bureau of the Fifa Council appointed Hadad, Judy Daniel and Nigel Romano on 27 March 2020 to supervise a ‘debt repayment plan’ for the two-island republic.

Nineteen months later, though, Walkes said he saw no evidence of a debt plan at all. In fact, he said things are now worse than under former president William Wallace—whom Fifa president Gianni Infantino dramatically removed—with Hadad refusing to have meaningful dialogue with him.

In the absence of information, there has been speculation within local football circles that perhaps the normalisation committee’s inability to pay office staff, coaches and players in a timely manner is attributable to its surreptitious payment of prior debts.

Walkes insisted that Hadad and his gang are certainly not addressing his outstanding money.

“They owe me every penny that was awarded to me [by the High Court] and more,” Walkes told Wired868. “When I garnisheed their account [at First Citizens Bank] when the new [Wallace-led] administration had come in, there was maybe US$55,000 there—that was it… Since then, they have moved their money because we examined their accounts again and the account was dry.

“They hid the money somewhere else. I was told that they are paying guys directly into their accounts. They would still have to declare to Fifa what bank they are using because their subventions have to come here but there is a tight lid on it.”

Fifa law dictates that the world governing body can only deposit money into an account taken out in its name within the borders of the member association.  However, the normalisation committee members are direct employees of Fifa.

In short, wherever Hadad and committee members Judy Daniel, Nigel Romano and Trevor Nicholas Gomez are putting the TTFA’s money, it could not be without Fifa’s approval.

“The payroll continues, so which local bank is it coming through?” Walkes asked. “My lawyer has served them a court order to disclose what financial institutions they are working through, so their creditors can know. How is that going to go? I don’t know.

“Every time my lawyer has contacted them so far, we get a short answer: they don’t have any money. I don’t know if it is on Fifa to tell anyone what financial institution the association is working through, but I know the TTFA is being tight-lipped on it.”

Former Men’s National Senior Team head coach Stephen Hart and ex-technical director Anton Corneal are the TTFA’s second and third largest creditors, to the tune of TT$5 million and TT$3.5 million respectively.

Both echoed Walkes’ position. They don’t know who, if anyone, has been getting money out of the normalisation committee—but it certainly is not they!

“There is nothing to tell really,” said Hart, when asked for an update regarding his outstanding money. “There has not even been a courtesy call [from the normalisation committee] in the last six-plus months. It’s clear the TTFA/Fifa normalisation or whatever clearly have no intention of paying debts.

“There is not even a plan moving forward.”

Corneal concurred.

“I have not been paid,” said Corneal, “and no arrangement has been made yet for me.”

Trade Winds director Susan Phargoo, whose travel agency is owed just over TT$500,000, said local service providers are not faring any better. Even as Phargoo conceded that the TTFA had acknowledged its debt to her company, she said the normalisation committee is using other travel agents for their teams’ overseas assignments while ignoring its debt to her.

“We have full admittance from TTFA of the outstanding debt—yet they’re paying other travel agencies and not clearing our outstanding money,” said Phargoo. “We have no update at present or any confirmation from TTFA on when the debt will be settled. But we are diligently pursuing our legal options.”

Former Soca Warriors head coach Dennis Lawrence had another two years on his contract at US$17,000 per month, when he was sacked by the TTFA Board in December 2019. It is uncertain what the outstanding balance is but it is estimated at roughly TT$3m.

Lawrence’s agent, Mike Berry, said the former 2006 World Cup hero is now turning to the courts after growing frustrated with the Hadad-led normalisation committee. He too said he has not been paid a cent.

“There was minimal contact initially in the first two months but it has only been legal communication ever since,” said Berry. “I asked Hadad ‘why don’t you reach out to Dennis, why don’t you talk to him?’ But he did nothing. It is terrible.

“[…] It is ludicrous that we are now in the fifth year since the non-payment of his bonus for the win against the USA [on 10 October 2017]. Everybody got paid for that game except Dennis. It is scandalous really.”

Walkes has since returned to the United States, where he has lived since accepting a ‘soccer’ scholarship in the 1980s. A former coach at US collegiate level, he was technical director at the US Virgin Islands when the TTFA asked him to oversee the development of the game on the two-island republic in 2015.

“After giving to a foreign country for my whole adult life, I thought it was a chance to give back to my own country,” said Walkes, “and it turned out to be the worst thing ever. It was like walking into Caesar’s court, where I am being stabbed all over.

“Had I stayed in ‘VI’, I am sure I would still be there. Look at [Russell] Latapy who has been in Barbados for as long as he was in Trinidad or even longer. [Trinidad and Tobago] don’t treat their own properly at all.

“[…] Here, I walk into the room and they say ‘I have heard so many good things about you’. You get that respect. And you go home and you are among your own and they are the ones who stab you the deepest.

 “[…] Up here, the pros get together all the time to try to come up with ideas that are best for their country. In Trinidad, they are just fighting each other all the time.”

Berry, an Englishman, also pointed out the nationality of the four committee members—Hadad, Daniel, Romano and Trevor Nicholas Gomez—who he felt were disrespecting his client, a Chaconia Medal recipient for outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago with the 2006 World Cup team.

“There is no empathy, no communication really, and no respect at all!” Berry said. “And we are talking Trinis to Trinis, not British colonials to Trinis. There are four Trinidadians on that committee.

“What are they even doing after all this time? It is as if they spend one day a week, if that much, attending to normalisation committee business and really couldn’t be bothered otherwise.

“I would think they would be preparing the election process by now [as their term is due to end in March 2022]. There has not even been a mention of that.”

Article 22 of Fifa’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players stipulates that the world governing body will only get involved in disputes when there is an ‘international dimension’.

Fifa: ‘Without prejudice to the right of any player, coach, association, or club to seek redress before a civil court for employment-related disputes, Fifa is competent to hear: […] employment-related disputes between a club or an association and a coach of an international dimension…’

Berry saw that law work in practice. After Wallace dismissed the Men’s National Senior Team staff, Lawrence and assistant coach Stuart Charles-Février turned to Fifa for help.

Février is St Lucian but has lived in Trinidad and Tobago since 1999, when he was appointed as head coach of W Connection FC while he also spent most of his playing years in the two-island republic.

(Février was even invited—but declined—to represent the Strike Squad in the 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign, as St Lucia only received Fifa affiliation in 1988.)

Lawrence holds a British passport and has lived in the United Kingdom since 2001.

Yet, Fifa declared that Lawrence was a Trinidad and Tobago citizen and there was no ‘international dimension’ to his dispute with the TTFA, while Février was considered a foreigner.

And, as was the case with Norwegian Even Pellerud, Dutchman Wim Rijbergen and others, Fifa paid Février directly from the TTFA subvention while Lawrence is forced to follow Hart, Corneal and Walkes to court. Ironically, the latter trio also have dual citizenship.

Using that same law, Fifa would step in to assist Englishman Terry Fenwick if his contract was not being respected, even as Fifa’s own employees, Hadad, Daniel, Romano and Gomez, are allegedly hiding income from unpaid local coaches.

“It is a disgrace and I think it is so wrong and against the principles of Fifa for fair play,” said Berry, of Article 22. “[…] I think in the future that law has to change, so everyone gets the same treatment.”

Walkes told Wired868 that, despite his hurt, he cannot help but think about the state of Trinidad and Tobago football and said he is in regular communication with iconic Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) coach and former TTFA technical committee member Michael Grayson.

“For some reason, my mind always drifts to how can I help football back home,” he said. “When there are new trends in the game, I always wonder if they are paying attention to what is happening—and I pick up the phone and talk to Mikey about that all the time.”

Walkes was critical of his former national teammate Richard Chinapoo’s role in a TTFA ‘ad hoc selection panel’ created by the normalisation committee, which was responsible for the selection of Angus Eve and James Thomas as head coach of the men’s and women’s programmes respectively.

“Chinapoo has only coached youth level in the States, like under-15s down, apart from being player/coach at indoor level more than 20 years ago,” said Walkes. “I left the international game in 2018 and I don’t think I am in a position to make decisions on [what coaches are] out there. I would have to make extensive calls and so on to familiarise myself with the market.

“He has never even been in it. I texted ‘Chinas’ and asked ‘why the hell would you be on a selection committee?’”

Walkes sent Chinapoo another text when Thomas quit the Women’s National Senior Team head post to take up the post of Bristol City Women and Girls youth development manager.

“I said ‘great vetting on women’s coach’,” he said. “Now [Thomas] can put Trinidad and Tobago on his résumé so he can get a bigger job.”

Walkes was critical too of the ‘work’ being done by current technical director Dion La Foucade, who he said ‘totally missed the boat’ in terms of productively using theCovid-19 pandemic- provoked absence from the playing fields.

“Fifa has a library archive that gives you CDs on small-side game situations—from one v one all the way to six v six,” said Walkes. “You can access it as a coach in a member association. If there is a topic I wanted to drill on, I can go and look at it for a bit to get ideas.

“Dion has all that at his fingertips and he could be creating from that to share with players stuck at home, or with coaches to add to what they might be doing.

“A whole year has passed and all the youngsters are sitting at home and you have done nothing to massage their love for football. That is criminal as the technical director.”

Walkes did not trust himself to articulate his feelings on Hadad and his associates.

“I don’t know what ‘NC’ means anymore but I can think of a lot of things,” he said, with a laugh. “Fifa said Wallace and them were driving the FA into debt, so they moved them out and tasked these people with fixing it—but I have heard nothing from them.

“I hope when my lawyer serves them that they can at least say something. They are no different than John-Williams, who would not communicate at all.

“All the smoke that was around John-Williams and the Fifa guy from Africa (Veron Mosengo-Omba) about their alleged handling of money for the Home of Football. That was such a hot topic, yet it has just gone away as soon as the normalisation committee got in; and these guys get to sleep comfortably at night. It is nuts.”

Hadad did not respond to Wired868’s request for comment on the concerns raised by the TTFA creditors.

RELATED NEWS

‘Unworkable!’ Ferguson, Lewis, Look Loy and Wallace discuss Hadad’s debt plan and suggest how to rescue TTFA.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


On 5 October 2021, Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad shared his idea for addressing the debt of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association with the Trinidad Guardian.

“We’re looking at other methods of raising the funding and some sort of process to repay that debt, either borrowing or [an] advance that somebody would give us—or somebody gives us a donation,” said Hadad, who was appointed to the helm of the TTFA on 27 March 2020. “There are many ways to deal with this debt issue, but it’s not going to happen overnight, so we need the government involved, we need Fifa involved and we’re having active discussions with everyone.

“Maybe contributions from a third party or multiple third parties, maybe contributions from different places, different sources…”

Hadad, after 19 months on the job, is yet to hold a media conference to discuss his stewardship or ideas for the TTFA while TTFA members complained frequently about the inaccessibility of the committee.

So what do local football stakeholders make of the work done by the committee, which comprises Hadad, vice-chair Judy Daniel, Nigel Romano, and Trevor Nicholas Gomez?

Wired868 spoke to former TTFA president William Wallace, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis, ex-TTFA Board member Keith Look Loy, and former local football presidential candidate Richard Ferguson on the normalisation committee’s job so far, and, in particular, Hadad’s comments about addressing the TTFA’s debt.

Wallace was removed by the Bureau of the Fifa Council, headed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino—on 17 March 2020, just four months after his election—due to the world governing body’s supposed concern at the TTFA’s ‘massive debt’ and ‘very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity’.

Almost two years later, the TTFA’s financial situation has not improved. Wallace suggested that Hadad’s inability to point to any real debt repayment plan is proof that Fifa misled Trinidad and Tobago about its intentions here.

“The people in and out of the TTFA who were making all the noise never took time to understand what ‘normalisation’ meant in the context of what we were faced with,” Wallace told Wired868. “The impression that Fifa would liquidate the debt seemed to be the understanding among many. That thinking led me to publicly state that, if that was so, I would immediately step aside.

“[…] All the voices that reverberated at the many levels [for me to accept normalisation] are now strangely silent. Fifa took the microscope away from itself and DJW (David John-Williams) and to hell with everybody now.”

Wallace’s former Board member, Look Loy, echoed Wallace’s view as he mocked the ‘neophytes’ of the normalisation committee.

“I have always maintained that the true rationale behind Fifa’s action was/is to prevent the United TTFA administration from untangling the financial mess left behind by the last (David John-Williams-led) administration,” said Look Loy, “and to cover its financial impropriety and mismanagement, which Fifa must have been aware of.

“The world body inflicted absolute neophytes—supposed leaders of business and management—on the Association. It is no surprise that they don’t have the first idea how to proceed with their responsibilities and are now begging the government, Fifa itself, and indeed anyone, for a handout.”

Lewis, who is also part of the local football ecosystem through his membership at the Harvard Sports Club, suggested that the TTFA’s leaders should spend less time looking at the cash flow statement and focus more on the cash flow projection.

The outgoing TTOC president insisted that the local football debt, which is estimated at around TT$50 mil, is not insurmountable. However, he said more ‘resourceful and entrepreneurial thinking’ is needed at the helm.

“Crunching the numbers and looking at the TTFA debt from a purely financial, accounting and book-keeping perspective is not or ought not to be the singular focus,” said Lewis. “What’s the vision for the future? The vision will drive the mindset [and] it can’t be based on the numbers and arithmetic alone. It has to include the passion and purpose for the positive difference [that] football can make to the youth and young people and citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

“[…] The financial experts and financial engineers may know everything about finance and money but the TTFA is more than number crunching. It’s about people and their passion for football.”

Ferguson, a businessman and accountant by trade, went further. The Terminix La Horquetta Rangers suggested why Hadad’s proposed debt repayment plan was not only unworkable but ‘ridiculous’.

“You can’t ask the government to fund the TTFA’s debt, because you’re telling the country they have to pay for all the mistakes the TTFA’s management made, which is not fair,” Ferguson told Wired868. “You are also setting a precedent that the government has to bail out companies that are doing stupidness. And you can’t be telling Fifa that any member that wastes its money paying coaches TT$250,000 a month can turn to them and ask them to pay it. That is a terrible precedent and that plan is unsustainable and goes against the grain of financial propriety.

“No, you have to take some financial responsibility. Going to the government with a plan like that is just ridiculous.”

Did Ferguson have a suggestion then?

In fact, he does. And he shared it with Hadad, he said, months ago. The normalisation committee, he claimed, did not even offer him the courtesy of a proper response.

“If your income is $100, you have to save $10 for whatever unforeseen problems may arise, then you spend $60 on things that generate income and $30 you spend on things you consume,” said Ferguson. “That is very basic management. But he is not doing that. He wants to spend $150. You have to spend on things that make money and he is not doing it.

“[…] They had a job to do. They had to prepare a debt repayment plan and to organise constitutional reform, which they haven’t done. We did it and sent it to them and they ignored it. So you would think they have something better. But [what] he is talking about is worse.”

Ferguson said it is extremely difficult to get usable financial information from the Hadad-led normalisation committee. However, he said their inability to pay staff, coaches and players in a timely manner was an indication that Hadad, Daniel, Romano and Gomez are not managing the affairs properly.

For the Rangers director, the path to becoming debt free—and he suggested that the TTFA’s real debt is roughly TT$45m—passes through stringent financial measures.

“He has to cut all his expenses and stop living like a billionaire,” said Ferguson. “Use local coaches and don’t pay them more than TT$10,000 per month. You have to bite the bullet and pay for sins of the past.

“The TTFA’s income from Fifa is about TT$20m. So say we take TT$10m and put it towards the debt and live on TT$10m. That way, you can pay off most of that debt in five years. It is a bitter pill to swallow but you have to be prudent.

“[…] He thinks Fifa are going to come and pay off TT$100m just so? He has to be mad. The plan must be sustainable and it must make financial sense.

“The TTFA can deal with this debt on its own if they manage it properly, but he doesn’t seem to want to be prudent… If he is getting $10, he wants to spend $35. I say spend $3.”

Wallace agreed that Hadad’s two main proposed sources of debt relief were, based on his information, non-starters.

“If there is still hope in Fifa paying the debt, then there is information that the normalisation committee has that we are not privy to,” said Wallace. “As far as the Government is concerned, Prime Minister [Dr Keith Rowley] indicated to me then that he was not willing to use taxpayers’ money to deal with the debt and I agreed with him. If that position has since changed, I am happy for the TTFA.”

Lewis, like Ferguson, believes the TTFA’s debt can be approached with more creativity than simply requesting a handout. Whereas Ferguson focused on cutting costs, Lewis pointed to a potential revenue-generating asset.

“Slaying the dragon of indebtedness is by no means a simple or easy task for the TTFA but it can be done with creativity and taking calculated risks,” said Lewis. “But there must be a willingness to listen to the football stakeholders who have the passion for the sport… In terms of [raising finances], I still feel the Home of Football is a critical success factor and a key asset for the TTFA.”

Ferguson said the TTFA’s current reality is not as bleak as suggested by the normalisation committee’s auditor’s report, which described the local football body as ‘a going concern’.

“In accounting, the rule is if a company is unable to meet its debts, you have to prepare the accounts as ‘a going concern’, which means the debt is greater than the assets—that it can’t continue,” said Ferguson. “But the standard also goes on to say if the owners can prove the company can continue, then you continue to prepare it as normal.

“The fact is the TTFA has been insolvent for many years, but it is not a going concern because Fifa (a billion-dollar organisation) is directly involved and came into it to make sure it is sustained. So it is not a going concern according to international accounting standards.”

Invariably, the focus shifted to Fifa’s reasons for being here, its oversight of the local football over the past 19 months and, in particular, the work done by Hadad, Daniel, Romano and Gomez.

“The normalisation committee was imposed by Fifa ostensibly to devise a debt reduction plan and to effect it and to revise TTFA’s Constitution,” said Look Loy, “[…] but the normalisation committee has accomplished absolutely nothing. It is an absolute failure at its ostensible mandate.

“At its real purpose, it has been an outstanding success.

“Imagine, this is what representatives of government, the overwhelming majority of TTFA members and the general public demanded United TTFA should abandon its fight to allow. Ultimately, people get the government they deserve.”

Wallace said he ran for TTFA president to ‘help to make a difference’ to the state of the local game. He felt he was moved aside for an unelected businessman who has fared, at the very least, no better.

“It pains me to see that we have not moved football and the TTFA forward after all the ‘noise’,” said Wallace. “It is also sad that a plan to deal with the debt by the duly elected executive was never even given a chance to fail.”

The Hadad-led committee had ‘a limit of 24 months imposed on it from the start by the Bureau of the Fifa Council. It means the normalisation committee should be replaced by 26 March 2022, just five months or 24 weeks from today.

Ferguson said Hadad has been such an abject failure at his mandate that he is forced to wonder if there is an ulterior motive.

“There is a concept that if you go in the kitchen and you make a mess, then you clean it up,” said Ferguson. “Don’t wake up your mother and father to clean it up.

“My point is the revenue is there to clean up the mess but they want to eat their cake and have it too. That plan he has to address the debt is erroneous and unworkable.

“But maybe that plan is so he won’t have to relinquish that [normalisation committee] position. Maybe he wants to stay for another five years…”

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: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #788 on: October 18, 2021, 09:28:56 AM »
 >:(

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #789 on: November 09, 2021, 01:40:34 AM »
TTFA Normalisation Committee appoints Trustee to negotiate debt repayment.
TTFA Media.


The FIFA appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has moved one step closer to developing an implementable plan to address the TTFA’s long-term debt.

An Ernst & Young report, dated April 09, 2021, put the TTFA’s total outstanding liabilities and unasserted claims (contingent liabilities) at approximately TT$98.5 million.

The NC today (Monday November 8, 2021) notified the Supervisor of Insolvency of its intent to make a Proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago which will enable a structured approach to the restructuring of the TTFA and the preparation of a fair, transparent and acceptable payment proposal to address the TTFA’s debt.

This process as it was designed, will allow the TTFA to manage its operations and provide a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to 6 months, thereby securing the TTFA’s assets while the management and NC work under the oversight of the independent Trustee to develop and present a proposal to address the TTFA’s debt to all creditors.

The NC has appointed Maria Daniel, a Licensed Trustee, to manage the debt proposal process, which will be guided by the rules of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Chapter 9:70. The process will include meetings with and the submission of claims (and supporting documents) by all creditors; a review and verification of the claims; and the development of a proposal to deal with the valid outstanding liabilities. Once the proposal has been developed and approved by the creditors, it will be sanctioned by the Courts and the NC will proceed to implement the proposal in accordance with its terms. During the development of the proposal and its implementation, the NC’s day-to-day management of the TTFA will be unaffected.

Commenting on the decision to seek protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, NC chairman Robert Hadad said: “The TTFA is currently hamstrung with debt, and we can’t allow past mismanagement and poor governance to cripple the future of football or indeed its daily operations.

“This option, under the supervision of the Supervisor of Insolvency, the Trustee and the courts, ensures transparency, equity and independence in the process while, at the same time, ensuring that our current subventions are used for the day-to-day running of the TTFA and its present and future needs. The intent is to rehabilitate as opposed to dissolve the TTFA with a view to preserving continuity and the development of football in Trinidad and Tobago for future generations.”

MORE – BACKGROUND

On March 17th, 2020, the international governing body for football, the Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA), announced the Bureau of FIFA Council’s decision to appoint a normalization committee (NC), in accordance with Art. 8 Par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes.

The mandate given to the NC included:

•   Run the TTFA’s daily affairs
•   Establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA
•   Review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; and
•   Organize and to conduct elections of a new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-year mandate.


FIFA appointed Mr. Robert Hadad (Chairperson), Ms. Judy Daniel (Deputy Chairperson), Mr. Nigel L. Romano (Member) and Mr. Trevor (Nicholas) Gomez (Member) to serve as members of the Normalization Committee (NC). One (1) additional committee member can be appointed. The NC’s tenure, which includes acting as an electoral committee “as none of these members will be eligible for any of the open positions in the TTFA elections under any circumstances,” expires upon the execution of their mandate “but no later than 24 months after its members have been official appointed by FIFA.”

MORE – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Has the Normalisation Committee filed for Bankruptcy? Is the TTFA now bankrupt?

No. The Normalisation Committee has neither filed for bankruptcy nor has the TTFA been put into bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago provides an avenue for individuals or organisations in financial difficulty to seek the protection of the Courts from litigation while they develop a payment proposal and negotiate with creditors to settle outstanding debt through a court supervised process that is fair, transparent, and equitable.

What happens to the individuals or organisations that have made successful claims against the TTFA in Court?

A stay of all such proceedings was automatically triggered by the filing of the Notice of Intent on November 8th 2021. This, in effect, will ensure that all creditors are treated equitably in the settlement of the TTFA’s debt.

Given the $98 million debt, how does the NC / TTFA plan to continue funding the running of football?

Filing the Notice of Intent to develop a payment proposal for creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, gives the TTFA the protection of the Courts from claims on its current and future income – the TTFA’s existing assets will be used to deal with the existing debt. The day-to-day operations of the TTFA and future football activity will be funded with subventions from FIFA in the first instance.

What is the total value of the TTFA’s assets?

An independent third-party valuation is to be conducted to determine that figure.

Will the Home of Football be sold?

At this stage, all options are on the table; the sale of the Home of Football is definitely an option.

When will creditors be paid?

Acting under the supervision of the court, and guided by the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, 2007, the TTFA has to develop a repayment proposal under the oversight of the Independent Trustee and get the approval of the creditors in a period of up to six months. The process will include meetings with and the submission of claims (and supporting documents) by all creditors; a review and verification of the claims; and the development of an approved repayment proposal to deal with all valid outstanding liabilities. Following this, a timeline will be agreed for payment to creditors.

Will creditors be paid in full?

The repayment proposal will be determined by the funding available to pay creditors, and will be made after all claims have been reviewed and verified by the Independent Trustee and those verified claims weighed against the TTFA’s ability to pay.

Is the NC taking this action so that it can extend its term beyond March 2022?

The tenure of the NC is wholly in the hands of FIFA. The decision to file a Notice of Intent to develop a repayment proposal for the TTFA’s creditors was taken because it is a court supervised process that ensures transparency, equity and independence while, at the same time, ensuring that the TTFA’s current subventions are used for the day-to-day running of the TTFA and its present and future needs.

How has the Association accumulated $98.5 million in debt and unasserted claims? Over how many years has this debt been accumulating? Who was responsible for this mismanagement over these years?

Decades of poor governance and a lack of proper internal controls characterized the operations of successive TTFA administrations and is the root cause for poor financial health and overall operational performance of the TTFA.

Has the Association accumulated additional debt since the NC was appointed?

No. During the past 12 months the NC has focused on improving the systems of governance and controls and has implemented several operational improvements, including the preparation of monthly management accounts; the introduction of improved compliance processes and procedures; enhanced systems and accounting software; and reviews by EY, FIFA and CONCACAF. The NC is in the process of implementing EY’s recommendations for new policies and procedures, use of technology and improved governance.

I know you indicated that the value of the accumulated debt and unasserted claims of the Association as at April 2021 is $98.5 million but what is the value of the Association’s assets?

An independent third-party valuation is to be conducted to determine that figure.

Why did the Association not seek funding relief from FIFA and GORTT to repay the debts of the Association?

Neither FIFA nor the GORTT has any legal obligation to repay debt accumulated by the TTFA as a result of mismanagement and poor governance.

The matter of contingent liabilities as at April 2021, what is the value of these liabilities, to whom are they due, and for what? Are these liabilities likely to crystallise and will they form part of the liabilities that the Association will have to settle?

The Licensed Trustee will meet with all creditors to ascertain the validity of each claim and make a final determination.

Why did the Association not simply take a loan from a bank or other lending institution equivalent to the liability and pay off its creditors?

With its accumulated debt and track record of poor management and governance, the TTFA would not qualify for a loan of the size necessary to settle its debt.

The NC has the responsibility, under their mandate, to develop a debt repayment plan. Why are they passing off their responsibilities assigned by FIFA to a Trustee?

By appointing an independent Trustee under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the NC is ensuring that the process for developing a repayment proposal, under the supervision of the court, would be fair, transparent and have the approval of the TTFA’s creditors. The appointment of a Trustee is a requirement of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

It is said that the Association has assets which include the Home of Football and acres of land valued at approximately $75 million, surely the Association can use these assets to settle its creditors!

An independent third-party valuation is still to be conducted to determine the value of the TTFA’s assets.

Is TTFA being dissolved?

No, the TTFA is not being dissolved; the organization will continue to operate normally under the supervision of the NC while the Trustee meets with creditors to validate their claims and develops a payment proposal to settle the TTFA’s outstanding debt. This process will allow the NC to build the foundation for the rehabilitation of the TTFA.

Have other options to this approach considered by the TTFA?

Several options were considered and reviewed with our consultants EY and this was determined to be the best and most viable; the TTFA’s assets are protected while a fair and transparent repayment plan for the TTFA’s creditors is developed with the oversight of an independent Trustee and the administration of football continues without interruption.

Can the TTFA enter into new contracts during this process?

Yes, the TTFA will continue to operate normally, under the supervision of the NC.

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: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #790 on: November 09, 2021, 07:03:54 AM »
Give that a FORWARD!

After all ... all sorts of bankruptcy at the TTFA have long been presumed and alleged.

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #791 on: November 10, 2021, 01:42:05 AM »
Awai supports TTFA Normalisation Committee's strategic approach.
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian).


Michael Awai, an official of the AC Port-of-Spain, says the move by the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) to appoint Maria Daniel, a Licensed Trustee, to manage the debt proposal process which will be guided by the rules of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Chapter 9:70, is a good one.

According to the TTFA release on Monday and an Ernst & Young report, dated April 9, 2021, which put the TTFA’s total outstanding liabilities and unasserted claims (contingent liabilities) at approximately TT$98.5 million.

The release outlined the process which will include meetings with and the submission of claims (and supporting documents) by all creditors; a review and verification of the claims; and the development of a proposal to deal with the valid outstanding liabilities.

Once the proposal has been developed and approved by the creditors, it will be sanctioned by the Courts and the NC, headed by chairman Robert Hadad, will proceed to implement the proposal following its terms.

During the development of the proposal and its implementation, the NC’s day-to-day management of the TTFA will be unaffected.

Commenting on Daniel’s appointment, Awai told Guardian Media Sports that Daniel will be coming in as the receiver officially so that she will go through with the creditors the contingent liabilities and determine the real balances owed by the TTFA and the ones that are in doubt and come to a decision by taking it to the Court and get a ruling from the Court to establish what is the true balance owed by the TTFA.

He added, “I think it is very strategic because they (NC) don’t seem to have a plan as yet or maybe they do have one and they are not sharing it on how they are going to repay TT$98.5 million."

Awai said the process of hiring a Trustee was always open to the NC and all involved would have known about it and as they were then trying to get the support of the membership.

He said: "Because you can understand that if the accounts were not passed they would not have gotten any money to continue paying people salaries, coaches and people in the administration and so on, and I think that was key to the accounts being passed.”

Questioned as to whether the total value of TTFA’s asset which includes the Home of Football (HoF) and acres of land valued at approximately $75 million could be used to settle with its creditors to which Hadad said an independent third-party valuation is to be conducted to determine that figure and at this stage, all options are on the table including the sale of the HoF.

Awai said the plans being put forward by the NC seems a sort of sell or lease and buy back, or sell and lease situation when it comes to the HoF.

He added, “I think they (NC) like to talk the worse things and then they give you what the real thing is. They are very strategic in their information and the time of their releases and I am not at all excited nor scared about what they are doing, but I think they are on the right path. They have taken their time and I think the move has kicked the can down the road for another six months in order where they can get more information via the court who will establish all the balances that need to be established."

He continued: “And I think in six months they will come to the end of the tenure of the NC and they may have an extension so they can regularise and identify and deal with the balances through the court by the TTFA and secondly by the time they should have in place a plan to deal with the repayment of the debt."

However, Awai was upbeat that the HoF would remain under the ownership of the local federation saying, “I don’t believe, however, that we will sell the HoF as I don’t think it is theirs to sell because it is not a private sector business. It’s an organisation and I don’t believe the government will allow them to sell it to be quite frank."

He said having been in charge of football for close to two years now the generating of funds by the NC to help the financially strained body is all down to timing more than anything else.

He explained: “They are trying to deal with the thing that will bury the TTFA, they are trying to establish the debt and when that is done the money that will come or the funding of US$1.5 million per annum from the FIFA they will be able to use that to help the national teams without having to be scared about anybody who may be taking the money in the bank when the money goes to the bank, particularly the people who have the executions over the judgment debt.

"After that is done the whole question of the HoF will allow the TTFA to breathe a little easier at least for six months to be able to finance the national teams going forward, and once they put a plan in place I believe only then that the businessmen will start to listen to the TTFA via Robert Hadad.

"It’s purely a matter of timing and so long as the timing is alright and it is synchronized properly, I believe it’s a whole national effort to get the football going forward."

However, Awai warned that if the NC was to shut down the TTFA and start a new one in 2022 he doesn’t think anyone will deal with them.

He said: “So in the next six months, I think they can bring in a marketing person to deal with not so much so of trying to pay the debt but to see how they can promote and market the HoF and there is a space just west of the stadium where they have concerts and parties and I think that is where they might be looking to see as part of the arrangement on how they can develop a sort of funding for football in general.”

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #792 on: November 10, 2021, 01:35:30 PM »
EGM still requested: On balance, support for normalisation committee’s insolvency solution but...
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)


A month after Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) delegates met, the Veterans Football Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago (VFFOTT) has urgently requested an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) be held.

This comes amid the backdrop of Monday’s announcement by the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee (NC) of the TTFA.

The NC announced via media release that it had notified the Supervisor of Insolvency of its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago which will enable a structured approach to the restructuring of the TTFA and the preparation of acceptable payment proposal to address the TTFA’s debt.

Now, VFFOTT president Selby Browne has made the call for a second EGM, within a month, via letter sent to acting TTFA general secretary Amiel Mohammed.

“I wish to bring to your attention the urgent need to have an EGM of the TTFA convened soonest, ideally before November 30, 2021. One month has now passed since the last TTFA EGM held on October 10, 2021 and there are several important matters of business to be urgently addressed by the TTFA membership.”

Browne has cited several matters to be discussed and with the Robert Hadad-led NC now showing its intended direction, Browne feels an EGM is even more necessary. He said regardless of whether insolvency was a good step or not, it should have been presented to the TTFA membership before any decision was made.

Further, Browne believes that the main issues with the Hadad-chaired NC, is a basic disregard, as well as a perceived disrespect and discourtesy towards the general TTFA membership.

“Part of your mandate tells you (to) bring your recommendations to the membership for their approval,” Browne contends. “Is it not the better thing to say ‘fellas we are thinking about doing this’. It is basic management. It is basic courtesy. Not doing your own thing and telling the boys later. Keep in touch with your membership, who will all walk along with you and have their input (and) who will facilitate guidance so we are all swimming in one direction,” Browne suggested.

Apart from Browne, there were also varying views from other TTFA stakeholders to the latest decision of the NC. Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) president Osmond Downer is of the view that the move toward insolvency was sensible given the TTFA’s $98.9 million debt. However, Downer questioned why the normalisation committee has only decided on decisive action four months before the end of its 24-month mandate. He also hoped that the insolvency process is completed before the term of the current NC ends, in March 2022.

“FIFA had given a mandate to the normalisation committee to deal with the debt. Therefore, the normalisation committee can take any measures to deal with the debt. This measure, to my understanding, is really to prevent the creditors from coming down on the Association and taking away whatever they have in any bank account or even levying on their property, and this is a threat that is possible at the moment,” Downer noted.

Downer said once an application for insolvency is made, creditors are automatically halted from going after the TTFA’s assets. “It means the TTFA can continue receiving its grant from FIFA to carry on its day-to-day business. You don’t want creditors coming down on the (FIFA) grant,” stated Downer. “This move is a sensible move and it does not need any general meeting approval because it is not a dissolution of the Association (TTFA),” he further explained.

Meanwhile, Jefferson George, president of the Unified Football Coaches of Trinidad and Tobago (UFCTT), felt the NC’s position was very much worth discussing and was one of the agenda items at last night’s executive meeting of the coaches’ body.

And the outspoken Michael Awai, of the AC Port of Spain professional club, thinks Hadad’s proposal has both its merits and its demerits.

“They still haven’t come up with a plan for the Home of Football as yet. But that of itself (insolvency) is a very good decision. It is a good, legal decision and it gives them six months to reveal all the existing creditors,” Awai assessed.

“Now the people who have matters in court (against the TTFA); those are valid, but there are some invalid ones. So, that’s why I think they want the six-month period under the Insolvency Act to make sure they verify all the payable outstanding,” Awai opined. “But they still have the problem of finding a use of the Home of Football going forward.”
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Offline Bourbon

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #793 on: November 14, 2021, 05:24:13 AM »
Now...insolvency is supposed to be a precautionary measure to ensure everyone is paid and to avoid bankruptcy. So I might be kinda ok with that.

How that debt is to be repaid is the question. Does the TTFA have any other revenue generating ideas other than selling an asset (and while I wasnt really convinced by the manner of it being done I at least appreciated the intent.

How much of the debt is due to termination fees due to coaches being hired and fired without a plan?
You selling basically the only asset the organization has....and....planning to pay to use it in future?
If you tell me mortgage it and pay off creditors then maybe. But again.....what revenue generators does the TTFA have to service that debt and also meet future needs?

The only thing that normal about this normalization committee is that they chaotic...shortsighted....poor in communication....and not making sense.

Which I guess....is normal for us.  :banginghead:
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #794 on: November 17, 2021, 06:12:18 PM »
Our football administrators are their own worst enemy
T&T Guardian


Last week, the Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) announced that it had “notified the Supervisor of Insolvency of its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago that would enable a structured approach to the restructuring of the TTFA and the preparation of a fair, transparent, and acceptable payment proposal to address the TTFA’s debt.”

The process, according to the NC, would allow the TTFA to manage its operations and provide a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to six months, thereby securing the TTFA’s assets while the management and NC work under the oversight of the independent Trustee to develop and present a proposal to address the TTFA’s debt to all creditors.

In other words, the move would ensure the TTFA’s current assets are protected from legal action by individual creditors and that everybody owed by the TTFA would be treated equitably.

Corporate Trinidad and Tobago, which has all but turned its back on local football, would have seen this as a positive development – a structured approach adopted by the administration of football to deal with its debt in a manner that would not cost taxpayers a cent.

The response among football administrators (or stakeholders, as some prefer to be called) was, however, mixed, and in some instances downright hostile.

In an immediate response, Selby Browne, who heads the veteran footballers’ association, said he felt disrespected, and that there should have been prior consultation. He wanted to call a special general meeting to discuss the matter. Why? To discuss what, Mr Browne?

Osmond Downer, Head of the Referees’ Association, and media-ordained football constitution expert pointed out (to Browne and, maybe to the reporter who quoted him) that the NC had the authority, under the TTFA constitution, to do what it did. And by the way Mr Ian Prescott (Express reporter), the TTFA has neither been placed in bankruptcy nor made insolvent, a fact made abundantly clear in the TTFA’s news release. But why let the truth get in the way of a good headline?

Other football stakeholders – let’s call them what they are, Administrators with tabanca – when asked about the move wantonly blamed the NC for the state of Trinidad and Tobago football and challenged its ability to handle TTFA business. Hold on. Are we missing something? Aren’t these the same individuals who have been around for the past umpteen years, overseeing various aspects of local football, while the TTFA was accumulating $100 million in debt.

These same individuals are now demanding that the NC get committees working, restart the pro league, appoint national coaches and technical teams, get our national footballers back into training, and organize international warm-up matches. How? And with what money? It seems idiotic to say it, but… haven’t they noticed that we’re in the middle of a pandemic, that the TTFA is $100 million in debt, and the NC is struggling to keep things afloat on a stipend from FIFA. It’s by no means business as usual.

Moreover, it is you, football gurus, Messrs Wallace, Look Loy, Downer, Browne, John Willams, et al, and your fellow associates (and predecessors), who brought Trinidad and Tobago football to where it is today.

The NC was appointed to save you from yourselves. Its members were nowhere around when the rot that characterized the administration of local football was taking place. Robert Hadad was running a successful business; Nigel Romano, a successful international career in banking; Nicholas Gomez a successful accounting and business consultancy; Judy Daniel a reputable and successful law practice. See the common thread? These people have been put in charge of local football to help... because you couldn’t, and still can’t run it successfully. They aren’t the problem, you are.

The members of the NC all have proven track records of success. Hear this: They are going to find a solution to repay the creditors that you (the former leaders of the TTFA) owe money; they are going to put in place modern systems governance and control to ensure that the administration of football is on a sound and sustainable footing.

These four individuals are all respected in the fields of endeavour, Corporate Trinidad and Tobago trust them. When they (the members of the NC) hand the TTFA back to you, you can be confident that the business community will be far more willing to consider investing in football and it was 20 months ago.

And by the way, none of them is doing it for the stipend FIFA pays them. Rather than attack them, I suggest you try to help them help you. If you can’t, hush, and let them fix the mess you made.

Derek Derron

Fete match guru

St James
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #795 on: November 18, 2021, 06:27:45 AM »
Trinidad and Tobago football can be considered in a state of rebuilding. Many individuals would love to see the return of T&T football to its best, but there are also concerns that need to be addressed.

One such person is long standing servant of the TTFA Board, Richard Quan-Chan, who says while he is open to new ideas in an effort for improvement of the game, he is not in total agreement with the suggestions of the Normalization Committee especially in the category of finance.

Additionally, there are suggestions by the Normalization Committee to liquidate the assets of the TTFA to neutralise some of these debts incurred, including the home of football in Couva. Quan Chan says this would be a disaster.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fBWvsMLQaJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fBWvsMLQaJE</a>
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Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #796 on: November 18, 2021, 09:11:11 AM »
Our football administrators are their own worst enemy
T&T Guardian


Last week, the Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) announced that it had “notified the Supervisor of Insolvency of its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago that would enable a structured approach to the restructuring of the TTFA and the preparation of a fair, transparent, and acceptable payment proposal to address the TTFA’s debt.”

The process, according to the NC, would allow the TTFA to manage its operations and provide a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to six months, thereby securing the TTFA’s assets while the management and NC work under the oversight of the independent Trustee to develop and present a proposal to address the TTFA’s debt to all creditors.

In other words, the move would ensure the TTFA’s current assets are protected from legal action by individual creditors and that everybody owed by the TTFA would be treated equitably.

Corporate Trinidad and Tobago, which has all but turned its back on local football, would have seen this as a positive development – a structured approach adopted by the administration of football to deal with its debt in a manner that would not cost taxpayers a cent.

The response among football administrators (or stakeholders, as some prefer to be called) was, however, mixed, and in some instances downright hostile.

In an immediate response, Selby Browne, who heads the veteran footballers’ association, said he felt disrespected, and that there should have been prior consultation. He wanted to call a special general meeting to discuss the matter. Why? To discuss what, Mr Browne?

Osmond Downer, Head of the Referees’ Association, and media-ordained football constitution expert pointed out (to Browne and, maybe to the reporter who quoted him) that the NC had the authority, under the TTFA constitution, to do what it did. And by the way Mr Ian Prescott (Express reporter), the TTFA has neither been placed in bankruptcy nor made insolvent, a fact made abundantly clear in the TTFA’s news release. But why let the truth get in the way of a good headline?

Other football stakeholders – let’s call them what they are, Administrators with tabanca – when asked about the move wantonly blamed the NC for the state of Trinidad and Tobago football and challenged its ability to handle TTFA business. Hold on. Are we missing something? Aren’t these the same individuals who have been around for the past umpteen years, overseeing various aspects of local football, while the TTFA was accumulating $100 million in debt.

These same individuals are now demanding that the NC get committees working, restart the pro league, appoint national coaches and technical teams, get our national footballers back into training, and organize international warm-up matches. How? And with what money? It seems idiotic to say it, but… haven’t they noticed that we’re in the middle of a pandemic, that the TTFA is $100 million in debt, and the NC is struggling to keep things afloat on a stipend from FIFA. It’s by no means business as usual.

Moreover, it is you, football gurus, Messrs Wallace, Look Loy, Downer, Browne, John Willams, et al, and your fellow associates (and predecessors), who brought Trinidad and Tobago football to where it is today.

The NC was appointed to save you from yourselves. Its members were nowhere around when the rot that characterized the administration of local football was taking place. Robert Hadad was running a successful business; Nigel Romano, a successful international career in banking; Nicholas Gomez a successful accounting and business consultancy; Judy Daniel a reputable and successful law practice. See the common thread? These people have been put in charge of local football to help... because you couldn’t, and still can’t run it successfully. They aren’t the problem, you are.

The members of the NC all have proven track records of success. Hear this: They are going to find a solution to repay the creditors that you (the former leaders of the TTFA) owe money; they are going to put in place modern systems governance and control to ensure that the administration of football is on a sound and sustainable footing.

These four individuals are all respected in the fields of endeavour, Corporate Trinidad and Tobago trust them. When they (the members of the NC) hand the TTFA back to you, you can be confident that the business community will be far more willing to consider investing in football and it was 20 months ago.

And by the way, none of them is doing it for the stipend FIFA pays them. Rather than attack them, I suggest you try to help them help you. If you can’t, hush, and let them fix the mess you made.

Derek Derron

Fete match guru

St James


Says the fete match guru

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #797 on: November 18, 2021, 10:31:00 AM »
Trinidad and Tobago football can be considered in a state of rebuilding. Many individuals would love to see the return of T&T football to its best, but there are also concerns that need to be addressed.

One such person is long standing servant of the TTFA Board, Richard Quan-Chan, who says while he is open to new ideas in an effort for improvement of the game, he is not in total agreement with the suggestions of the Normalization Committee especially in the category of finance.

Additionally, there are suggestions by the Normalization Committee to liquidate the assets of the TTFA to neutralise some of these debts incurred, including the home of football in Couva. Quan Chan says this would be a disaster.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fBWvsMLQaJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fBWvsMLQaJE</a>

Dahis where the substance ended? What an abrupt end of a clip that seemed to find Richard Quan Chan mid-way through an incomplete thought. Maybe the seconds of dead air killed the prospect of the viewers getting the full piece. ::)

Other than that, it seems he was wading into a precarious defense of costs and benefits. Surely he isn't suggesting that hotel expense savings offer the panacea for working the TTFA's way out of the quicksand.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2021, 10:37:18 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #798 on: November 18, 2021, 10:55:20 AM »
Moreover, it is you, football gurus, Messrs Wallace, Look Loy, Downer, Browne, John Willams, et al, and your fellow associates (and predecessors), who brought Trinidad and Tobago football to where it is today.

I will give Tim Kee a pass to an extent. He was the one who inherited Jack Warner's commesse. Unfortunately he was not able do anything substantial due to his one term in office, plus his health. May he Rest In Peace.

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High-Risk: Ferguson concerned NC’s strategy could destroy TTFA
« Reply #799 on: November 19, 2021, 08:23:51 AM »
High-Risk: Ferguson concerned NC’s strategy could destroy TTFA
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)

Former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) presidential candidate Richard Ferguson believes that the TTFA normalisation committee (NC) should have considered an alternative to seeking insolvency protection as a means of shielding it from creditors.

“On the eighth of November the normalisation committee would have initiated bankruptcy/slash insolvency proceedings, as per the act,” Ferguson declared. “First of all, bankruptcy is the last resort. It is the worst thing that could happen to a business, an organisation, or a person.”

Further, Ferguson, a chartered accountant with a Master’s degree in business administration, is of the belief that the NC, which is chaired by local businessman Robert Hadad, is taking a high-risk step.

On November 8, the TTFA notified the Office of the Supervisor of Insolvency of “its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The NC has appointed Maria Daniel, a licensed trustee, to manage the debt proposal process, which will be guided by the rules of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Chapter 9:70. The process will include meetings with the submission of claims; a review and verification of the claims; and development of a proposal to deal with the valid outstanding liabilities.

“By making this proposal and initiating the insolvency procedure, they are engaging in high-risk behaviour. Very, very high-risk,” emphasised Ferguson, who stated that the possibility of a receiver being appointed and the TTFA liquidated, looms a real threat.

He is also of the view that the TTFA’s cash flow projection will show that the financially-challenged football association can pay it creditors.

Ferguson, commenting on the latest edition of the Ascension Football show in which he was interviewed by host Kieron Edwards--who serves as both Ascension Invitational director and president of the Eastern Football Association (EFA)—said: “Over the last four years, the TTFA would have (had) revenue of $125 million.

“It is a significant amount when compared to the debt that is being claimed,” adding, “the debt being claimed (is) around $98 million, but I personally don’t believe it (to be) $98 million...it’s less than that.”

Ferguson offered no details of the conditions FIFA might have imposed on the TTFA for use of its funding. “I could be wrong. I not inside...I don’t have the facts,” admitted Ferguson, who believes the TTFA debt was likely closer to $50 million.

Given the TTFA’s revenue to debt ratio, he believes the NC could have approached the TTFA’s bankers for a long-term loan to pay off its debts.

Ferguson also saw the NC as operating as a law onto itself, totally disregarding the TTFA membership, leading to speculation since the stakeholders are being left out of the decision-making process. “The membership of TTFA has very little knowledge of what is going on,” Ferguson contended.

“One of the things that is characteristic of the normalisation committee, is that ever since they have been in power, they have not garnished or provided any information to the members,” adding, “They can pay off the debt in five years. Over four years, you had revenue of $125 million.”

Ferguson also argued that TTFA needed to drastically cut its expenditure, like not hiring expensive coaches. The businessman and professional football club owner asserted that while bankruptcy might offer the TTFA some protection, there were disadvantages, including how it could affect the organisations’ creditworthiness.

“It creates a high level of untrustworthiness,” opined Ferguson. “It’s a terrible situation. The normalisation committee was appointed to manage the affairs of the TTFA to avoid bankruptcy.”
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #800 on: November 23, 2021, 01:45:34 AM »
NC files for protection under Bankruptcy Act; TTFA will consider selling Home of Football.
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“[…] This process, as it was designed, will allow the TTFA to manage its operations and provide a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to six months.

“[…] At this stage, all options are on the table; the sale of the Home of Football is definitely an option…”

The following is a press statement from the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee, which is headed by businessman Robert Hadad and runs the operations of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) at present:

The Fifa-appointed normalisation committee (NC) of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has moved one step closer to developing an implementable plan to address the TTFA’s long-term debt.

An Ernst & Young report, dated 9 April 2021, put the TTFA’s total outstanding liabilities and unasserted claims (contingent liabilities) at approximately TT$98.5 mil.

The NC today (Monday 8 November 2021) notified the supervisor of insolvency of its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago, which will enable a structured approach to the restructuring of the TTFA and the preparation of a fair, transparent and acceptable payment proposal to address the TTFA’s debt.

This process, as it was designed, will allow the TTFA to manage its operations and provide a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to six months, thereby securing the TTFA’s assets while the management and NC work, under the oversight of the independent Trustee, to develop and present a proposal to address the TTFA’s debt to all creditors.

The NC has appointed Maria Daniel, a licensed trustee, to manage the debt proposal process, which will be guided by the rules of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Chapter 9:70. The process will include meetings with and the submission of claims (and supporting documents) by all creditors; a review and verification of the claims; and the development of a proposal to deal with the valid outstanding liabilities.

Once the proposal has been developed and approved by the creditors, it will be sanctioned by the courts and the NC will proceed to implement the proposal in accordance with its terms. During the development of the proposal and its implementation, the NC’s day-to-day management of the TTFA will be unaffected.

Commenting on the decision to seek protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, NC chairman Robert Hadad said: ‘The TTFA is currently hamstrung with debt, and we can’t allow past mismanagement and poor governance to cripple the future of football or indeed its daily operations.

‘This option, under the supervision of the supervisor of insolvency, the trustee and the courts, ensures transparency, equity and independence in the process while, at the same time, ensuring that our current subventions are used for the day-to-day running of the TTFA and its present and future needs.

‘The intent is to rehabilitate as opposed to dissolve the TTFA with a view to preserving continuity and the development of football in Trinidad and Tobago for future generations.’

Background:

The mandate given to the NC included:

-Run the TTFA’s daily affairs

-Establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA

-Review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; and

-Organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate.

FIFA appointed Mr Robert Hadad (chairperson), Ms Judy Daniel (deputy chairperson), Mr Nigel L Romano (member) and Mr Trevor Nicholas Gomez (member) to serve as members of the normalisation committee (NC). One additional committee member can be appointed.

The NC’s tenure, which includes acting as an electoral committee ‘as none of these members will be eligible for any of the open positions in the TTFA elections under any circumstances’, expires upon the execution of their mandate ‘but no later than 24 months after its members have been official appointed by FIFA’

Q&A

TTFA Media: Has the normalisation committee filed for bankruptcy? Is the TTFA now bankrupt?

Hadad: No. The normalisation committee has neither filed for bankruptcy nor has the TTFA been put into bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago provides an avenue for individuals or organisations in financial difficulty to seek the protection of the courts from litigation while they develop a payment proposal and negotiate with creditors to settle outstanding debt through a court supervised process that is fair, transparent, and equitable.

What happens to the individuals or organisations that have made successful claims against the TTFA in court?

A stay of all such proceedings was automatically triggered by the filing of the Notice of Intent on 8 November 2021. This, in effect, will ensure that all creditors are treated equitably in the settlement of the TTFA’s debt. 

Given the $98 million debt, how does the NC/ TTFA plan to continue funding the running of football?

Filing the Notice of Intent to develop a payment proposal for creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act gives the TTFA the protection of the courts from claims on its current and future income—the TTFA’s existing assets will be used to deal with the existing debt.  The day-to-day operations of the TTFA and future football activity will be funded with subventions from Fifa in the first instance.

What is the total value of the TTFA’s assets?

An independent third-party valuation is to be conducted to determine that figure.

Will the Home of Football be sold?

At this stage, all options are on the table; the sale of the Home of Football is definitely an option.

When will creditors be paid?

Acting under the supervision of the court, and guided by the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, 2007, the TTFA has to develop a repayment proposal under the oversight of the Independent Trustee and get the approval of the creditors in a period of up to six months.

The process will include meetings with and the submission of claims (and supporting documents) by all creditors; a review and verification of the claims; and the development of an approved repayment proposal to deal with all valid outstanding liabilities. Following this, a timeline will be agreed for payment to creditors.

Will creditors be paid in full?

The repayment proposal will be determined by the funding available to pay creditors, and will be made after all claims have been reviewed and verified by the independent trustee and those verified claims weighed against the TTFA’s ability to pay.

Is the NC taking this action so that it can extend its term beyond March 2022?

The tenure of the NC is wholly in the hands of FIFA. The decision to file a Notice of Intent to develop a repayment proposal for the TTFA’s creditors was taken because it is a court supervised process that ensures transparency, equity and independence while, at the same time, ensuring that the TTFA’s current subventions are used for the day-to-day running of the TTFA and its present and future needs.

How has the Association accumulated $98.5 million in debt and unasserted claims? Over how many years has this debt been accumulating? Who was responsible for this mismanagement over these years?

Decades of poor governance and a lack of proper internal controls characterised the operations of successive TTFA administrations and is the root cause for poor financial health and overall operational performance of the TTFA.

Has the Association accumulated additional debt since the NC was appointed?

No. During the past 12 months the NC has focused on improving the systems of governance and controls and has implemented several operational improvements, including the preparation of monthly management accounts; the introduction of improved compliance processes and procedures; enhanced systems and accounting software; and reviews by EY, Fifa and Concacaf. The NC is in the process of implementing EY’s recommendations for new policies and procedures, use of technology and improved governance.

I know you indicated that the value of the accumulated debt and unasserted claims of the Association as at April 2021 is $98.5 million but what is the value of the Association’s assets?

An independent third-party valuation is to be conducted to determine that figure.

Why did the Association not seek funding relief from Fifa and GORTT to repay the debts of the Association?

Neither Fifa nor the GORTT has any legal obligation to repay debt accumulated by the TTFA as a result of mismanagement and poor governance.

The matter of contingent liabilities as at April 2021, what is the value of these liabilities, to whom are they due, and for what? Are these liabilities likely to crystallise and will they form part of the liabilities that the Association will have to settle?

The licensed trustee will meet with all creditors to ascertain the validity of each claim and make a final determination.

Why did the Association not simply take a loan from a bank or other lending institution equivalent to the liability and pay off its creditors?

With its accumulated debt and track record of poor management and governance, the TTFA would not qualify for a loan of the size necessary to settle its debt.

The NC has the responsibility, under their mandate, to develop a debt repayment plan. Why are they passing off their responsibilities assigned by Fifa to a Trustee?

By appointing an independent trustee under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the NC is ensuring that the process for developing a repayment proposal, under the supervision of the court, would be fair, transparent and have the approval of the TTFA’s creditors. The appointment of a trustee is a requirement of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

It is said that the Association has assets which include the Home of Football and acres of land valued at approximately $75 million. Surely the Association can use these assets to settle its creditors!

An independent third-party valuation is still to be conducted to determine the value of the TTFA’s assets.

Is TTFA being dissolved?

No, the TTFA is not being dissolved; the organisation will continue to operate normally under the supervision of the NC while the trustee meets with creditors to validate their claims and develops a payment proposal to settle the TTFA’s outstanding debt. This process will allow the NC to build the foundation for the rehabilitation of the TTFA.

Have other options to this approach been considered by the TTFA?

Several options were considered and reviewed with our consultants EY and this was determined to be the best and most viable; the TTFA’s assets are protected while a fair and transparent repayment plan for the TTFA’s creditors is developed with the oversight of an independent trustee and the administration of football continues without interruption.

Can the TTFA enter into new contracts during this process?

Yes, the TTFA will continue to operate normally, under the supervision of the NC.

RELATED NEWS

‘A smart move’, ‘laughable’, ‘farming out their duties’; TTFA members and creditors respond to NC.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Before lunch yesterday, Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad faced off against former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) technical director Kendall Walkes in a virtual hearing of the local high court.

Walkes was represented legally by Keston McQuilkin and Melissa Keisha Roberts-John. Attorney Stephen Salandy is believed to have appeared for the TTFA, which is being run by the normalisation committee at present.

In September 2019, Justice Joan Charles ordered the TTFA to pay TT$5.4 mil to Walkes for breach of contract and unpaid wages. Thus far, Walkes has collected roughly TT$300,000 from the local football body back—and, even then, he needed a garnishee order on 16 March 2020 to get it.

Fifa’s intervention in the twin island republic, on 17 March 2020, was supposed to improve the fate of creditors like Walkes. A key component of its normalisation committee’s mandate is: ‘to establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA’.

Yet, the Hadad-led body not only failed to engage in active dialogue with Walkes—and previous employees like Stephen Hart, Anton Corneal, Russell Latapy and Dennis Lawrence—but offers little transparency on the millions that it receives from Fifa, on behalf of the TTFA.

Yesterday’s hearing should have been one step towards clearing up the latter.

“We filed an application in July and, as a result of that application, the hearing was set for [yesterday],” Roberts-John told Wired868. “The application was for the TTFA to disclose its financial books and accounts with respect to its income and outcome and where they are keeping their money, so we can know specifically what they have in terms of assets. It was a request for an examination of their accounts essentially.

“Because the TTFA did not yet have a lawyer on record, I gave Hadad a reminder last Friday with respect to the July application and the hearing.”

On the very next working day, Monday 8 November, the TTFA notified the Office of the Supervisor of Insolvency of ‘its intent to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of Trinidad and Tobago’.

“The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) of Trinidad and Tobago provides an avenue for individuals or organisations in financial difficulty to seek the protection of the courts from litigation,” Hadad told the TTFA Media, in a press release yesterday, “while they develop a payment proposal and negotiate with creditors to settle outstanding debt through a court supervised process that is fair, transparent, and equitable.”

What did Roberts-John think when she was informed of Hadad’s legal manoeuvre through the press—so soon after her phone call, without warning, and just hours before their own court date?

Walkes’ attorney gave a mirthless laugh. Although their hearing will resume on December, she knows they can be little meaningful progress while the BIA is in effect.

“It is an ongoing matter,” she said, “and I don’t want to jeopardise my client’s case by telling you my thoughts on that [TTFA move]!”

British football agent Mike Berry, who represents Lawrence, was more blunt.

“It looks like another expensive delaying tactic by the normalisation committee, on top of the lack of action over the last 18 months so far,” said Berry. “No doubt the appointed trustee and Hadad and company will carry on being paid their costly fees while the creditors continue to wait!”

And how do TTFA stakeholders feel?

Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) president Osmond Downer, one of the authors of the TTFA Constitution, said he received several phone calls on Monday from members who wanted to know if the normalisation committee could turn to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act without consulting them.

In Downer’s opinion, Hadad is on solid ground from a constitutional standpoint.

Article 82 of the TTFA Constitution states: ‘Any decision relating to the dissolution of TTFA requires a majority of three quarters of all of the Members, which must be obtained at a general meeting specially convened for the purpose.’

“They have not declared bankruptcy, so this doesn’t fall under that,” said Downer. “The main mandate of the normalisation committee was to try to solve the big debt. So they are not bound to call a general meeting to inform members about this because it falls within the mandate given by Fifa.

“[…] If the feeling is that they will be able to deal with the debt easier without having the creditors on the back [through the Act] and this move can allow them to do that ‘in peace’, then it is a smart move.

“Otherwise the creditors could have moved in on the TTFA at any time… So there is nothing wrong with it.”

A qualified accountant with knowledge of the local football scene, who spoke to Wired868 on condition of anonymity, was less impressed.

The normalisation committee has stopped using the TTFA’s established bank accounts, without informing the general meeting or even its own employees about where it banks.

Article 8(d) of the Fifa Forward Development Programme Regulations (under which member associations receive between US$1 mil (TT$6.8 mil) and $2.5 mil (TT$17 mil) annually from the global governing body) states that its subvention must go to a ‘bank account in [the name of the football association] with a bank in the country in which it has its registered headquarters’.

So where is Fifa’s money going?

The accountant suggested it was immoral and possibly illegal to ‘hide’ income from creditors.

“What would you call it,” he asked, “if your creditor has a court order against you […] and you change where the funds are going so they can’t access it?

“Basically, you’re disrespecting our courts and breaking your own statutes.”

Roberts-John confirmed that it was her client’s concern that TTFA was continuing business as usual in apparent disregard to its debt, which forced them to turn to the courts in an effort to compel Hadad to be transparent.

“I cannot state for a fact what money they have got but I am under the belief that they are getting money from Fifa, like most associations have,” she said. “We were told a payment plan is being put into place but nothing was forthcoming. Hence why my client has to take these proceedings.”

Since Hadad and company are Fifa employees, is the global body somehow involved in the act of depriving the TTFA’s former employees of money due to them under a court order?

“I reserve my comment on that,” said Roberts-John. “Again it is an ongoing matter and I don’t want to prejudice my client’s case in any shape or form.”

Ironically, Article 22 of Fifa’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players stipulates that the world governing body will only get involved in disputes when it has an ‘international dimension’.

The effect of this ruling is that foreign employees can go directly to Fifa for redress, with the global body generally compensating them directly from Fifa Forward money due to the Association.

This option was taken by former coaches like Even Pellerud, Wim Rijsbergen, Carolina Morace, and even Stuart Charles-Fevrier—a St Lucian who resides in Trinidad.

Meanwhile not only are local coaches denied the opportunity to be compensated through Fifa, but the global body’s own employees are, allegedly, keeping funds due to creditors outside of their grasp.

The accountant noted that Hadad’s pivot towards the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act was not novel. Fifa suggested using that legal avenue to late former president Raymond Tim Kee and William Wallace—whose tenure was cut short by normalisation.

Tim Kee and Wallace both felt ‘hitting the reset button’ on the TTFA’s debts was unfair to creditors, who were often ‘football people’ themselves.

“If your big plan to reduce the TTFA’s debt is to put the thing in receivership and pay cents on the dollar,” the accountant noted, “then how is that significantly different from anything that happened before?

“And you’re talking nonsense about ‘we are not bankrupt, we are insolvent’. Technically that’s true but it is laughable because the effect is the same; you are telling creditors you cannot pay them and trying to play smart with stupidness.

“[…] I can understand why they would take this step. Does it make sense? Yes it does and there is a case to be made for it—unless you are a creditor, of course. But to act as if this is something new that they came up with is not true.”

Hadad’s suggestion that the normalisation committee has not increased the TTFA’s debt raised eyebrows, particularly as the local body is not believed to have finished paying off Terry Fenwick’s coaching staff.

And if, as Hadad claimed, the sale of the TTFA Home of Football is ‘definitely an option’ then that would be a surprise to anyone with knowledge of Fifa regulations. Wallace was allegedly told the opposite by Fifa officials, during his short tenure.

“I don’t see how [the sale of the Home of Football in part or whole] is even remotely possible,” said ex-TTFA Board member Keith Look Loy, who is a former Fifa development officer and Concacaf technical study group member, “because Fifa regulations prohibit the sale of infrastructure which it has financed, while the land on which it is built is Government-owned and leased to the Association.

“Of course, all three parties—TTFA, FIFA and the Government—formed an unholy alliance to remove the United TTFA administration, so perhaps laws will be set aside to continue the tragicomedy we have been watching since March 2020.”

In Look Loy’s opinion, Hadad and fellow committee members, Judy Daniel, Nigel Romano and Trevor Nicholas Gomez, have long proven themselves to be unsuited to the running of the local game.

“I am not at all surprised by this turn of events,” said Look Loy. “Never mind the bravado of the related statement, the normalisation committee has long shown that it has no ideas and that it cannot address TTFA’s debt other than by mendicancy.

“[…] Indeed, the NC has amply demonstrated that it cannot handle TTFA business, as a whole. Members are not included in decision making, there is no transparency in TTFA operations, and football has ground to a halt—not only because of the pandemic but also because of NC disinterest and incapacity.

“Those who were vociferous against [the United TTFA] have long fallen silent in the face of NC failure. Pity the national game.”

Berry concurred for the most part. He said he was stunned that, after 19 months, Hadad, Daniel and Romano were now set to pay a third party to validate debts and evaluate assets.

At US$6,500 (TT$44,000) a month, Hadad is believed to have earned US$123,500 (TT$838,000) since he took up his current Fifa post while Daniel and Romano stood to pocket US$76,000 each (TT$516,000) at US$4,000 (TT$27,000) per month.

Neither Fifa nor the normalisation committee members confirmed their pay packet but the figures suggested are standard for appointees across the globe. If the same figure was paid here, it would mean the trio collectively received US$275,500 (TT$1.87 mil) for their work since March 2020.

The question is: what have they done for local football?

“Basically Hadad is just delegating his own responsibilities to third parties—Ernest and Young, Grant Thornton Orbit Solutions, and now an independent trustee [Maria Daniel],” said Berry. “Are the normalisation committee, who are two accountants, one banker and a lawyer, not capable of validating creditors themselves?!

“He has been saying for 18 months that he is producing a payment plan and looking to evaluate the assets; and now he says he is farming both tasks out to a costly third party! What’s he getting paid for?!”

Although Downer was fine with Hadad’s decision to invoke the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, he told Wired868 that he does have a problem with the length of time taken to make the decision.

“The quantum of the debt and the number of creditors was known by the normalisation committee since at least January,” said Downer. “Why didn’t they make this move earlier so as to fall within the time limit given by Fifa, which stipulates that their term should end in March 2022? Why wait until now, which is four months from March?”

Outgoing Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis believes the answer is obvious.

“It’s very clear to me that the Bureau of the Fifa Council will extend the mandate of the normalisation committee of the TTFA, which is due to expire March 2022,” said Lewis, who expects Hadad’s team to get a six-month extension in the first instance to continue to ‘oversee’ the ‘debt repayment plan’.

There is, as he noted, precedence for such an extension.

Egypt was normalised on 20 August 2019, while Pakistan met the same fate on 13 September 2019.

Egypt’s normalisation committee was due to be replaced on 31 July 2020, yet the Bureau of the Fifa Council—headed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino—extended its term on three occasions. Pakistan’s normalisation process was extended on four occasions on 15 June 2020, 31 December 2020, 30 June 2021, and then on 30 September 2021.

Article 8.2 of the Fifa Statutes, which deals with normalisation, states: ‘executive bodies of member associations may under exceptional circumstances be removed from office by the Council, in consultation with the relevant confederation, and replaced by a normalisation committee for a specific period of time.’

Much has been said about the vagueness of the term ‘exceptional circumstances’, which allows Fifa to step in and take over the running of any member association. But ‘a specific period of time’ appears to be equally fluid.

Incidentally, Pakistan tired of its normalisation committee and former football president Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah ‘reclaimed control’ of the body in March 2021.

“We went to meet [normalisation committee chairman Haroon Malik] and handed him the letter that we have got a mandate from the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Congress and executive committee to reassume the PFF charge,” said Shah, in a report in the Pakistan press.

“I told him that we had given the normalisation committee the charge in good faith in September 2019, with the hope that it would hold the PFF elections in a fair and transparent way within the Fifa mandate.

“But it did not do anything in the past 18 months.”

Fifa promptly suspended the PFF from all international football, even as it continues to pay its normalisation committee members in the country. However, Pakistani journalist Umaid Wasim told Wired868 that Pakistan’s national league is ongoing at present while Shah is making efforts to reclaim the PFF’s headquarters.

Ironically, despite being ostracised by Fifa, there is more football in Pakistan than Trinidad and Tobago at present.

“Football in Trinidad and Tobago now is at a total standstill and if we continue beyond March, irreparable damage will be done to our football,” said Downer. “It will be a good day in March when the normalisation committee has completed its job and elections have taken place, so we can have all the standing committees functioning and football can get going again.

“Covid is certainly no excuse. You could have your standing committees like your technical committee, your referees committee, your medical committees, etc, making plans for the restart of football—so when the normalisation committee finishes its functions, you don’t have to start from scratch.

“[…] Okay, so the debt might have been cleared by the time they leave or there may be plans to do so, but what about the football?!”

If Hadad has not charmed football stakeholders, he is not faring much better with creditors.

Roberts-John noted the TTFA’s statement that the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act would allow the local football body ‘a stay from all legal proceedings and creditor actions for a period of up to six months’. In reality, the BIA offers only a 30-day stay but the debtor can apply for this to be extended up to a maximum of five times.

Is Hadad suggesting that the TTFA already intends to ‘drag on’ the process for as long as possible? Would that be interpreted as a signal of good faith by long-suffering creditors?

“The normalisation committee has always been very quiet and silent—that is what gets to most creditors,” said Roberts-John. “You don’t know where they are at and what they are thinking. The silence is deafening and it aggravates the matter.

“If there was frequent and open communication, we would all be more at ease.”

Downer echoed the complaint.

“With this normalisation committee, the members are almost powerless,” said Downer. “From the very start, the members were put aside and ignored in Trinidad and Tobago—that is a fact. As I told you before, there is no comparison to Guyana who had a very successful normalisation experience.

“In Guyana, the first thing [the normalisation committee] did was call a general meeting and establish standing committees, like the referees and technical committees, which started working one time. We have nothing of the sort.

“Sure Covid is preventing people from going on the field but there is no planning going on at all. Our national youth teams [who are exempted from Covid-19 restrictions] are not training either.

“I suppose people have to hold their breath and just wait for the normalisation committee to leave. But we will be in a very poor state at every level of our football by the time they do.”

The anonymous accountant suggested that the TTFA members, who voted to accept Fifa’s normalisation committee, had questions to ask themselves:

‘What has been better since normalisation? What has gotten worse? What is the same? Is there more transparency or accountability?’

Editor’s Note: Since Gianni Infantino was elected Fifa president in February 2016, Fifa has ‘normalised’ over a dozen countries including: Guinea, Guatemala, Greece, Argentina, Thailand, Mali, Benin, Madagascar[2], the Dominican Republic[3], Egypt[4], Comoros[5], Iraq[6], Pakistan[7], Venezuela[8], Namibia[9] and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Normalisation committee granted one-year extension by FIFA
« Reply #801 on: December 24, 2021, 03:14:11 PM »
Normalisation committee granted one-year extension by FIFA
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


THE FIFA-appointed normalisation committee has been granted a one-year extension by FIFA to complete its mandate.

The Robert Hadad-led administration now remains at the helm of Trinidad and Tobago football until March 31, 2023.

This was confirmed by the governing body’s general secretary Fatma Samoura on Friday.

Initially, the normalisation committee’s tenure was scheduled to end on March 26, 2022.

But, owing to an array of legal drawbacks stemming from the TTFA board of directors’ disagreement with the committee’s appointment in 2020, partnered with pandemic challenges, FIFA has opted to extend the committee’s reign for an additional year to assist them in achieving their core objectives.

The FIFA statement read, “The Bureau (of the FIFA council) took note that the actions taken by members of the former board of directors of the TTFA (TT Football Association) greatly hindered and significantly impacted the work and mandate of the normalisation committee, as it had to devote considerable effort to countering such actions.

“In addition, that the tasks assigned to the normalisation committee were subsequently delayed due to the covid19 pandemic and sanitary restrictions imposed by the government of TT. The Bureau also took note that there were certain issues that led to the backlog in the normal operations of the TTFA, including finance.

“This contributed to the inability to appoint an independent auditor, which in turn meant that no audited financial statements could be prepared (and thus presented); the inability to make payments directly to the TTFA’s bank account due to a high risk of garnishment, thereby restricting the TTFA from making immediate payments when necessary and having more freedom with regard to the use of the funds; and the budget cuts imposed due to the multiple claims and payment demands from creditors.”

The Bureau also acknowledged that in November, due to the current total debts of the TTFA, the normalisation committee notified the office of the Supervisory of Insolvency of its intention to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of TT.

They then partnered with a licensed trustee under the Act to manage the debt proposal process.

“Under the above-described circumstances and considering all the urgent and complex challenges the TTFA is still facing, the Bureau decided on December 17 to extend the mandate of the normalisation committee until 31 March 2023 at the latest.”

In March 2020, the normalisation committee, comprising Hadad, Nigel Romano, Judy Daniel and Nicholas Gomez, was appointed by FIFA after the William Wallace-led executive was removed by the governing body owing to mounting debt and mismanagement.

The normalisation committee was then given a mandate to run the TTFA’s daily affairs, to establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA administration, to review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary), and ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress, and to organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate.
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Offline lefty

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #802 on: December 24, 2021, 04:00:11 PM »
To be slightly controversial :D I feelin we also gettin punish for money and opportunity lost in d last WC  :P
I pity the fool....

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #803 on: December 24, 2021, 11:37:15 PM »
To be slightly controversial :D I feelin we also gettin punish for money and opportunity lost in d last WC  :P

Yep!

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #804 on: December 25, 2021, 09:20:14 AM »
To be slightly controversial :D I feelin we also gettin punish for money and opportunity lost in d last WC  :P

Yep!
people doh realize just how much dat loss cost d U.S. and dey power interests, hundreds of millions, if not billions, went up in smoke on dat faithful day
« Last Edit: December 25, 2021, 09:22:40 AM by lefty »
I pity the fool....

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #805 on: December 25, 2021, 12:57:34 PM »
To be slightly controversial :D I feelin we also gettin punish for money and opportunity lost in d last WC  :P

Yep!
people doh realize just how much dat loss cost d U.S. and dey power interests, hundreds of millions, if not billions, went up in smoke on dat faithful day
how so ?

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #806 on: December 25, 2021, 02:22:54 PM »
To be slightly controversial :D I feelin we also gettin punish for money and opportunity lost in d last WC  :P

Yep!
people doh realize just how much dat loss cost d U.S. and dey power interests, hundreds of millions, if not billions, went up in smoke on dat faithful day
how so ?
ditto, ditto.  ???

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #807 on: December 26, 2021, 06:14:16 AM »
TTFA's End of Year Greetings from NC Chairman.
TTFA Media.


What a year 2021 has been! To describe it as a challenging year may be an understatement as we’ve had more than our share of disruption and difficulty, and, in too many instances, personal loss and pain.

These are unprecedented times; the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another; and football has been no different. Like the rest of the local sporting fraternity, all our leagues and competitions have had to be put on hold, delaying the progress we had all hoped to achieve. Globally, sport continues to face challenges as new strains of the virus emerge.

On the bright side, scientists have come together to develop vaccines to help protect us from the worst of the virus. While many have mixed views on the efficacy of the vaccines, it is the only defence we have against this deadly disease. I encourage everyone that hasn’t been vaccinated to speak with their doctor about the importance of so doing.

This year, sport has delivered many bright and inspiring moments and have been a welcome salve to troubling times. Both our Men and Women’s National Teams have been putting in the hard work in the face of very trying conditions, and we are beginning to see the fruits of their efforts.

Our athletes are always reminded that pain is temporary and that they must push past it to achieve glory. Their resilience and determination are lessons we must embrace to help keep us hopeful and positive.

While the past year has been a frustrating one, we must put it behind us and focus on making tomorrow a better day. Let us persevere, do the right things and together we will make 2022 a better year.

Like every other organisation, the work of the Normalization Committee was hampered by COVID, and we were unable to implement much of what we had planned. These setbacks have not diminished our commitment and our resolve to get football back onto a sound and sustainable footing,  that would enable future administrations to focus on the development of the game.

 Finally, as we get together with our families and friends during this holiday period, I implore you to do so safely and responsibly, and let us spare a thought and prayer for the ones who have gone before us.

On behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association and the wider football fraternity, I extend sincere season’s greetings to all our fellow countrymen and look forward with determination to us all working together to make 2022 a better year.

Warm Regards,
Robert Hadad
Chairman
Normalization Committee
Trinidad & Tobago Football Association


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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #808 on: February 24, 2022, 12:26:00 PM »
TTFA extends condolences following the death of Normalisation Committee Deputy Chair Judy Daniel
TTFA Media


The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is saddened by the passing of Ms Judy Daniel, the deputy chair of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee.

Judy died peacefully today in the US in the presence of her relatives and family.

The members of the TTFA and the Normalisation Committee extend its deepest condolences to Judy’s family and friends and will remember her as a tireless and devoted friend, who always selflessly gave her best in service of the Association.
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #809 on: February 25, 2022, 11:14:01 AM »
TTFA extends condolences following the death of Normalisation Committee Deputy Chair Judy Daniel
TTFA Media


The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is saddened by the passing of Ms Judy Daniel, the deputy chair of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee.

Judy died peacefully today in the US in the presence of her relatives and family.

The members of the TTFA and the Normalisation Committee extend its deepest condolences to Judy’s family and friends and will remember her as a tireless and devoted friend, who always selflessly gave her best in service of the Association.

Was there ever a sighting of her in T&T or was all of her activity conducted remotely?

 

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