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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #630 on: September 01, 2020, 04:10:13 PM »
Hadad slams offensive Wallace's attacks on FIFA.
By Keith Clement (Guardian).


Chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) Robert Hadad has slammed former T&T Football Association (TTFA) boss Williams Wallace for the offensive manner in which Wallace continues to address the world governing body in the ongoing dispute between the two parties.

Hadad has also knocked Wallace for continuing to use TTFA and FIFA insignia’s on his correspondence, as he is no longer qualified to do so, and called on him to do the right thing to so the game can return to normalcy in this country.

Hadad made the comments in response to an open letter, dated August 26, from Wallace to FIFA president Gianni Infantino which has attacked the normalisation process and the work of Hadad’s team thus far.

In Wallace's letter to Infantino, headed Failure of Normalisation in Trinidad and Tobago, Wallace said: "My vice-presidents and I were elected to lead the TTFA in November 2019. For years before that FIFA had stood-by and watched as mismanagement and cronyism caused havoc for football in Trinidad and Tobago, provoking notable public failures, including the botched Home of Football project in Balmain, Couva. We were elected to bring transparency and financial probity.

"Normalisation is a draconian and unfair act which seeks to undermine the independence of the TTFA and ride roughshod over the will of the electorate who voted for the United TTFA slate in November 2019."

Noting that the two reasons given by FIFA for their intervention in T&T had nothing to do with his former executive, Wallace noted his team was still willing to work with FIFA to resolve the outstanding issues in the interest of T&T football Football. However, Wallace noted his executive should have been given the chance to resolve the issues as opposed to FIFA sending in a normalisation team and again called for mediation in the matter, which is currently before the local courts.

"FIFA cannot continue to ignore our calls to mediate an agreement between the TTFA and FIFA and maintain any moral authority. FIFA must recognise and work with the duly elected executive of the TTFA. Likewise, TTFA must recognise, and does, the need for financial assistance and guidance from FIFA in resolving TTFA’s current financial malaise. If you will not talk and if no agreement is reached, the TTFA is left with no choice but to continue on the path FIFA has forced us down through the courts."

However, in a response on Independence Day (August 31), Hadad told Wallace his letter to Infantino was a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

“As stated in writing on numerous occasions by FIFA, you Mr Wallace, are not recognised as the Trinidad & Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president. The TTFA Normalisation Committee which I chair has been appointed by FIFA and is the only legitimate body entrusted to manage/run the affairs of the TTFA as recognised by FIFA, Concacaf and FIFA’s 211 member associations," Hadad wrote.

"Furthermore, you are not authorised to use the TTFA letterhead or any other marking for any communication or representation. Similar to all your correspondence and media interviews, your letter is an example of the campaign of misinformation and disinformation that you and a number of your colleagues from the removed TTFA Executive Committee have undertaken from the inception of not only the normalisation process, but as evidenced from the first day you were in office."

Hadad told Wallace he had ignored the truth and calls from his membership to resolve the issue out of the court.

“You have had every opportunity within the FIFA system to make a case and put forward your position, however, you have voluntarily chosen not to do so and even went so far as withdrawing the matter from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). You know very well that it is a requirement of FIFA, Concacaf and TTFA Statutes that such disputes be managed through CAS, and you know very well the potential consequences for those who ignore important FIFA rules and regulations."

Hadad added: "The tone and content of your letter is offensive, not only to the Normalisation Committee but to the people of Trinidad and Tobago who are working extremely hard for the betterment of football in the country. In recent weeks, the players of our senior men’s national team, our membership at large and other stakeholders have spoken out to you and your cohorts to request that you do the right thing and put Trinidad and Tobago football first."

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #631 on: September 02, 2020, 12:47:39 AM »
Harris hopes T&T football issue ends by Sept 16.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).


T&T's Constitutional expert Osmond Downer has come under fire for attempts to clear the air on the use of the constitution to prevent a four-member United T&T Football Association (TTFA) team of William Wallace, Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip from challenging FIFA's decision to appoint a Normalisation Committee to govern T&T football.

The United TTFA was removed as the duly elected executive on March 17, just three months after assuming office following the TTFA elections in November last year for what FIFA claimed as administrative flaws that would have plunge the sport into insolvency.

Wallace and his team have since challenged the decision by first going to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland where they complained of institutional bias, before taking their fight to the T&T High Court. The United TTFA later claimed a round-one victory when Justice Carol Gobin on August 13 ruled that the dispute could be heard in the T&T High Court, a direct violation of the FIFA Statutes which state that all grievances by Member Association are to be settled at CAS. FIFA has since appealed the judge's ruling on August 20.

Last Wednesday, FIFA, through its Secretary General Fatma Samoura wrote to Robert Hadad, chairman of the normalisation committee indicating that TTFA could face sanctions from FiFA, if Wallace and his team does not drop the matter from the T&T High Court by September 16 and accept CAS as the body to lodge their legal challenge.

The threat caused football's membership in T&T to take action to stop Wallace and company from continuing their court action against FIFA by attempting to have an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) to remove Wallace and his three vice-presidents as administrators of local football, as well as, lobby with the T&T court to drop the fight against FIFA.

But Downer, sought to make it clear that the membership could not remove the president and his executive, furthermore stop the court battle. He also said in his letter that FIFA Congress on September 18, did not have on its Agenda, the suspension or expulsion of any member association, a comment which was dismissed by Randy Harris, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president who said Downer had got it all wrong.

Harris speaking on the Andre Baptiste's I.95.5FM Radio Show, on Tuesday, said the time to panic in T&T is now, as FIFA is very serious.

"It is my belief that FIFA has offered the United TTFA the opportunity to withdraw the matter from the court on September 16, which gives them two days before the Congress. I believe though that FIFA is of the opinion that the United TTFA would withdraw the matter when consideration is given to what can happen to T&T football," said Harris.

Downer stated that the stipulations for requesting an EGM are clearly stated in Article 29 of the TTFA's constitution.

"More than 50 per cent of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting (not of the members) must make the request in writing. Of course, with each Member Association or League submitting an official letter supporting the request with the names of its allotted delegates supporting the request. Of course, all Member Associations or Leagues must be provided with a copy of the entire motion and its proposers which is to be debated at the EGM. The composition of the General Meeting of the TTFA is stated in Article 22 of the constitution. Note that the total number of delegates allotted is 47; therefore, a number of at least 24 of the accredited delegates is needed to request a valid EGM.

Downer questioned: "How are we going to achieve secret balloting in a virtual meeting in these COVID-19 times?"

He also said the country is not in line to face any sanctions, saying: "Yes, there is an item (f) on the Agenda - Suspension or expulsion of a member (if applicable). This item is standard for all annual Congresses.

"Contact has been made with Caribbean Colleagues who will be attending the September 18 Congress and I have been informed that the mandatory Agenda and accompanying documents sent to them, have all made no mention whatsoever of any motion to suspend or expel the TTFA.

"The motion to suspend or expel a Member can be put before the annual Congress only by the Council of FIFA, by no other body or person. I have made inquiries about the deliberations of the last FIFA Council Meeting of about three weeks ago, and I have been reliably informed that the only matter that came up concerning the TTFA was the ratification of the Bureau’s decision to install the Normalisation Committee. No decision was taken to recommend the expulsion or suspension of the TTFA to the Congress."

However, Harris said: "I know FIFA normally brings matters to the Congress that they deem as emergency, of course, the executive committee of FIFA. They have the authority to bring matters to the Congress and I would like the matter to be dealt with on September 18 and not to drag it on, because the longer it goes, the longer any sanctions can be upheld. We have the qualifications coming up, we have the Gold Cup coming up and we don't want T&T sanctioned.

"I think that is the primary interest of all persons who are committed to the game, and in the Caribbean, especially T&T, is one of our brighter lights and we would not like to see anything happen to T&T football."

RELAtED NEWS

CFU president: We don’t want TTFA to be suspended.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


RANDY Harris, president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), says the regional governing body does not want the TT Football Association (TTFA) to be suspended by FIFA if it does not end its High Court matter against FIFA by September 16.

Harris was speaking in an interview on I95.5 FM on Tuesday.

On Monday, Osmond Downer, former FIFA referee and one of the framers of the TTFA constitution, expressed his doubts that FIFA can expel or suspend the TTFA at its annual ordinary congress on September 18.

Downer, in a media release on Monday, wrote, “I have been informed (by Caribbean colleagues who will be attending the congress) that the mandatory agenda and accompanying documents sent to them have all made no mention whatsoever of any motion to suspend or expel the TTFA.

“The motion to suspend or expel a member can be put before the annual congress only by the council of FIFA – by no other body or person,” Downer added. “I have made inquiries about the deliberations of the last FIFA council meeting of about three weeks ago, and I have been reliably informed that the only matter that came up concerning the TTFA was the ratification of the Bureau’s decision to install the normalisation committee.

“No decision was taken to recommend the expulsion or suspension of the TTFA to the congress.”

According to Harris, “It is my belief that FIFA has offered the TTFA the opportunity to withdraw the matter of the court decision on (September 16), which gives them two days before the congress is held.

“I believe that FIFA is of the opinion that the United TTFA would withdraw the matter,” Harris continued. “In the Caribbean, (T&T) is one of our brighter lights and we certainly would not like to have anything happen to T&T’s football.”

Concerning Downer’s view that FIFA would not have enough time, Harris said, “I know FIFA usually brings matters to the congress that they deem as an emergency. The executive committee of FIFA have the authority to bring matters to the congress.

“I would like the matter to be dealt with on the 18th of September and not to drag on, because the longer it goes, the longer any sanctions can be upheld. We have the (World Cup) qualifications coming up, the Gold Cup coming up and we don’t want that T&T (to be) sanctioned during any of these tournaments. We want them to be included in our schedules and our competitions.”

Harris also responded to Downer’s claim that he spoke to persons in the Caribbean who seem unaware that T&T can be sanctioned in the congress meeting.

“We, in the Caribbean, are hoping that the United TTFA would really do what it is in the best interest of football in the Caribbean. We are not waiting on any sanction or any suspension. We are hoping that the matter is dealt with before the deadline of September 16.”

« Last Edit: September 02, 2020, 03:35:02 PM by Flex »
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #632 on: September 02, 2020, 03:36:24 PM »
Wallace not fazed by Hadad’s comments.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


WILLIAM Wallace, the ousted president of the TTFA (TT Football Association), is not fazed by statements made towards him, in a letter issued on Monday by Robert Hadad, chairman of the TTFA normalisation committee.

Wallace and his former executive (vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip) are currently challenging FIFA’s decision to remove them, in March, and install a normalisation committee.

On August 13, Justice Carol Gobin, in the Port of Spain High Court, ruled that the matter involving Wallace and the United TTFA team, and FIFA, can be heard at the High Court and not the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Hadad, in his email to Wallace, referred to Wallace’s letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino on August 26, in which Wallace wrote, “Normalisation is a draconian and unfair act which seeks to undermine the independence of the TTFA and ride roughshod over the will of the electorate who voted for the United TTFA slate (in the TTFA elections) in November.”

Describing Wallace’s letter as “a complete misinterpretation of the facts”, Hadad wrote, “Wallace voluntarily chose not to make a case within the FIFA system and put forward his position. However, he withdrew the matter from CAS.”

When contacted on Tuesday, Wallace said, “I saw the letter. I just went through it. I have not formed any opinion of it. I prefer to not even respond to that.”

Asked if his focus is, instead, on the legal matter with FIFA, Wallace replied, “Yes. There is nothing there (with Hadad’s letter) for me to respond to.”

Hadad, in his letter, claimed that the tone and the content of Wallace’s letter was offensive, not only to the normalisation committee but to the people of T&T. The normalisation committee head mentioned that T&T players, membership and stakeholders requested that Wallace do the right thing and put T&T football first.

Wallace, regarding “the tone and content” of the letter, noted, “That’s Mr Hadad’s opinion. He’s entitled to that.”

About the request that he “do the right thing”, Wallace said, “The right thing is very subjective. What is the right thing? That’s a matter of perspective. That is right for some people and, for others, it’s not the right thing. We have some time on our hands and we’ll see how things progress.”

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #633 on: September 03, 2020, 07:21:42 AM »
Sport minister vows to ditch TTFA if Fifa acts, Wired868 examines fall-out as Wallace misses key meeting.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) traditionally depends on funding from two main sources to carry out its operations: international governing body, Fifa, and the Ministry of Sport—via the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT).

Besieged TTFA president William Wallace could potentially lose both patrons with just one vote, on the eve of the Fifa Congress on 18 September.

Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura advised that, unless Wallace withdraws a High Court case against the Zurich-based body by 16 September, it will initiate the process to formally suspend the TTFA at the upcoming congress.

For the suspension to be ratified, Fifa president Gianni Infantino must get 75 percent of its 211 member associations—at least 160 MAs—to agree to bench the Soca Warriors.

Infantino and his team are believed to be canvassing diligently to get the requisite number of backers, including from among the Caribbean’s 25 full member associations. However it is not necessarily cut and dry.

While Fifa expects to get the support of the Caribbean nations to admonish one of its colleagues, there is a hint that some countries less enamoured by Infantino at present might use the impasse to embarrass the president, who is facing criminal charges in his homeland of Switzerland.

Do Wallace and vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip—whose defiance of Fifa earned the initial support of High Court Judge Carol Gobin on 13 August—hold their nerve and risk suspension in the face of Infantino’s bullying tactics?

Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe yesterday raised the stakes higher still. If the TTFA is suspended, Wallace can expect little more financial support than what the likes of the scrabble and ballroom dancing associations get by on.

“There are 54 recognised sporting disciplines [under the Ministry of Sport] including bodies like Scrabble and Ballroom Dancing,” Cudjoe told Wired868. “Football is among 12 sporting bodies that qualify for higher investment under SporTT and which we work with to help their athletes to attain the highest possible level within the world.

“[If they are suspended] there certainly will not be that level of investment we put in right now, which is to get them to the highest international level of their sport, following a certain growth path.

“[…] You can’t feel you will turn your back on the funding and support from Fifa in this guava season and expect the taxpayers to support you. That will not be happening.”

Sports Company chairman Douglas Camacho echoed Cudjoe’s view. The Ministry of Sport puts a dozen ‘special’ sport bodies under the SporTT for support, but Camacho said that one must be ‘in good standing with your international governing body’  and have ‘a legitimate expectation of making it to the top level’ to qualify for the privilege.

“As the chairman of the Sports Company, I would support anyone having the opportunity to go to the highest level of the international game,” said Camacho. “Anyone who doesn’t have that aspiration should not fall under the Sports Company.”

He suggested that government funding offered to domestic football competitions like the Pro League would also end, with diminished support going instead to the grassroots game.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Sport held an online discussion on ‘the way forward for football in Trinidad and Tobago’ and invited Wallace and his vice-presidents, Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad and several football stakeholders including: acting Pro League chairman Brent Sancho, Women’s League of Football (WoLF) general secretary Jamilya Muhammad, acting Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president Phillip Fraser, Morvant Caledonia United co-founder Jamaal Shabazz and former TTFA president and W Connection president David John-Williams.

Neither Wallace nor his vice-presidents attended.

“Some of the people at the meeting said it was disrespectful that none of them attended,” said Camacho.

Cudjoe said that, based on what she was told by stakeholders at the meeting, the non-appearance of Wallace and his colleagues may have been a deliberate snub or ‘boycott’.

“It was the right and proper opportunity for them to speak on their plans,” said Cudjoe. “Should they win a battle and lose the war, what is their plan for football?”

Wallace said he was invited to the Ministry of Sport’s discussion via a phone call at 10am on Thursday. He said he was awaiting an emailed invitation with the meeting’s agenda before he decided whether to attend.

“I received a call at 10am [on Thursday] and was told that an invitation would be sent,” Wallace told Wired868. “Nothing came to my email. However, late that evening in a discussion with someone, they told me to check my spam mail; and the invitation was there.”

Cudjoe, who forwarded proof of her staff’s attempts to reach Wallace, was not convinced by the former Carapichaima East Secondary vice-principal’s explanation.

“My deputy PS contacted Wallace and spoke to him and them sent him an email,” said Cudjoe. “At about 4pm, when we recognised he and his vice-presidents were not present, she called him again and sent him Whats App messages. He did not respond to any until much later. So that talk about spam is a really strange claim.”

On Friday evening, Wallace wrote to the Ministry of Sport to say that he is unavailable to meet the minister due to ‘legal advice’. The TTFA’s legal team is headed by Dr Emir Crowne and Matthew Gayle.

“Based on legal advice, unfortunately, it would be inappropriate for us to meet with the minister at this point in time,” stated Wallace, who complained earlier this year about Cudjoe’s perceived reluctance to meet him, “to have any discussions pertaining to a matter presently before our honourable courts. I do hope the minister understands.”

The minister does not understand.

“At the end of the day, it seems they are adamant about going forward with the case—but it is a selfish move since it doesn’t redound to the benefit of our athletes,” said Cudjoe. “In a recent radio interview, Mr Wallace said it doesn’t matter if we lose two or three years [to suspension]. I think that is a very unfortunate position for the people who rely on football as an income generator.

“[…] Two to three years might not be a long time for someone like Wallace, but it is a  very long time if you are an athlete. At the end of the day, it is not the managers who suffer; it is the players.”

In the absence of Wallace and his colleagues—Super League president and United TTFA member Keith Look Loy said he was not invited—the meeting was described as almost universally in condemnation of the TTFA officers’ court action. Selby Browne, who heads the Veteran Footballers Foundation (VFFOTT), led the charge while Hadad also petitioned Cudjoe for support against Wallace.

Although Hadad bears the responsibility for talking Wallace out of the court case, the HadCo Limited co-CEO has not spoken to the TTFA president since March. And persons who attended Thursdays’ meeting said Hadad used part of his speaking time to defend the controversial tenure of Wallace’s predecessor, John-Williams.

If the growing number of persons unhappy with the court action—or at least its potential ramifications—failed to get overt support from the government, Thursday’s meeting, coupled with Wallace’s no-show, might have galvanised their view.

On Monday, unhappy stakeholders intend to hand Hadad a petition of support for his normalisation committee, which insists that they are not in favour of the actions of the TTFA’s elected officers and were never consulted on the issue.

“Despite several attempts to use moral suasion to have [Wallace, Taylor, Phillip, Warrick, Look Loy and Anthony Harford] cease these aggressive legal manoeuvres, they have continued to do so without the support of the members of TTFA,” stated the petition. “We the delegates and members of the TTFA are fully aware of the contractual agreements between TTFA and Fifa and as such we totally support any sanction that Fifa deems necessary to implement on the United TTFA.

“However, we are a football loving nation in Trinidad and Tobago and we kindly ask that you continue to assist the growth and the development of football in this country. And we humbly request that you do not ban Trinidad and Tobago […] as a result of the erratic, arrogant, irrational and selfish behaviour of the minority, namely the members of the United TTFA.

“They clearly lack transparency, accountability, humility and the desire to take football forward for Trinidad and Tobago.”

Notably, Wallace said prior that he and his vice-presidents filed as elected officers—but not as the TTFA itself—so as to shield the local game from sanction. Infantino and Samoura failed to make that distinction so far, even as they claim that the quartet are ‘former’ officials.

The TTFA Constitution requires the consent of 66 percent of the football body to suspend a member or 75 percent to expel the offending party. There should be 49 voting delegates, according to the constitution, but the Players and Coaches Association (one vote each) are both defunct, which leaves 47 eligible delegates at present.

Wired868 understands that the status of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA), which has two delegates and generally leans in favour of United TTFA, is under threat by TTFA and could also be stripped of its ability to vote. But that is far from a done deal.

So, at present, a maximum of 45 delegates to decide the fate of Wallace and his team. Sancho and his party would need 30 members to suspend the elected officers and 34 to eject them from office outright.

However, article 29.2 states that: ‘an extraordinary general meeting shall be held within 30 days of receipt of the request’.

If Sancho, Browne or any of the other dissidents wanted to remove Wallace according to the constitution and in time to stave off a Fifa ban, the deadline to request an extraordinary general meeting was on Monday 17 August.

But then Fifa’s insistence that it effectively seized control of the TTFA on 13 March arguably complicated things. If Wallace was already the ‘former’ president, why would Sancho and company need to vote him out?

Still, if the TTFA’s members show that they have enough support to make Wallace’s removal a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’, would the president step aside before he is constitutionally obliged to do so?

At present, Wallace is on the right side of the constitution and the High Court. But he is unlikely to feel as though he is winning.

Cudjoe suggested that Wallace must have known Fifa’s rules when he ran for president. Is the implied suggestion that Infantino’s view ultimately counts for more than the ruling of Trinidad and Tobago’s High Court?

The minister of sport tried to be careful as she framed her response to Madame Justice Gobin’s ruling.

“What the High Court says is what the High Court says,” said Cudjoe, “but the government has made significant investment in football over the years, in the Super League, Pro League and with national football teams. Then you can talk about the government’s plans to expand sport tourism, utilising our football infrastructure.

“So to make that kind of investment and then be told that they care more about making a point to Fifa is very unfortunate.”

Camacho offered a viewpoint that matched Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s recent quip about a frog crossing the road in Tobago, who refused to yield to an incoming truck since he felt he had the right of way.

“I want to be right,” said Camacho, “but not dead right.”

Although Wallace turned down the chance to talk to Cudjoe, the sport minister offered him counsel anyway.

“My simple advice [to Wallace], from one Tobagonian to another,” said the Tobago West Member of Parliament, “head ent make to wear hat alone. Let good sense prevail.”

Rejected by Fifa, Wallace and his team are served notice that they will be abandoned by the government next—and maybe their membership before that.

“I don’t know if they thought that Fifa is an institution that bluffs,” said Camacho. “If anything Fifa has demonstrated the opposite; that it is more likely to act harshly first and then give an ease later.”

The United TTFA is in a bind.

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 #634 on: September 03, 2020, 07:37:19 AM »
FIFA steps into Venezuelan power vacuum with Normalisation Committee
Insideworldfootball.


September 3 – Venezuela is the latest country to have its affairs run by FIFA after being plunged into yet more turmoil.

Football’s world governing body has appointed a Normalisation Committee to run the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) following the death of Acting President Jesús Berardinelli last month.

The committee will manage the FVF  on a day-to-day basis until June 30 of next year at the latest and will organise elections because of the “leadership vacuum” within the federation.

Berardinelli had been in charge since January after Laureano González stepped down citing health problems.

González had himself taken over from predecessor Rafael Esquivel, a former Conmebol vice-president who was one of the original “Zurich Seven” in the FifaGate scandal and who  pleaded guilty  to seven counts of racketeering, money laundering conspiracies and wire fraud.

Berardinelli died 16 days after being arrested in July on corruption charges, two days after which he was transferred to a clinic due to respiratory failure.

In a statement FIFA said the FVF “is currently facing a situation in which its President and first vice-president are permanently absent”.

“This leadership vacuum prevents the FVF from taking key administrative and sporting decisions during these critical times, which could impact negatively on the development of Venezuelan football at all levels.”

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #635 on: September 03, 2020, 07:47:47 AM »
Wallace reminded FIFA is in charge.
Ian Prescott (Express).


FIFA IN CHARGE: Robert Hadad, Normalisation Committee Chair

WILLIAM WALLACE has been reminded that he is no longer president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA).

This, after Wallace sent out correspondence to FIFA member associations seeking support and asking them “to investigate FIFA’s decision ahead of the Congress in an effort to protect football democracy and fair play.”

The warning to Wallace came in a letter from local businessman Robert Hadad, chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee. Hadad informed of being in receipt of a copy of the letter Wallace sent to the international football family, and urged him to desist from suggesting that he still represents the TTFA.

“You Mr. Wallace, are not recognised as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president,” Hadad stated in a letter to the former Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president. Hadad instructed Wallace that he is not to speak for the TTFA.

“The TTFA Normalisation Committee which I chair has been appointed by FIFA and is the only legitimate body entrusted to manage/run the affairs of the TTFA as recognised by FIFA, CONCACAF and FIFA’s 211 Member Associations.”

“Furthermore, you are not authorised to use the TTFA letterhead or any other marking for any communication or representation,” Hadad added.

A mere four months after winning TTFA elections, Wallace and vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip were booted from office in March 2020, when FIFA intervened and appointed its own Normalisation Committee to run local football.

Wallace’s dismissed executive has since initiated T&T High Court proceedings against FIFA, contrary to the world body’s statutes, which mandate suspension from international football for such action. With speculation rife that T&T faces impending suspension this month, Wallace has sought international support.

However, Hadad’s position was recently reinforced by FIFA’s Senegalese general secretary Fatma Samoura in an August 26 letter giving the “former” TTFA executive a September deadline to withdraw High Court action against FIFA or face sanctions.

“We firmly request the TTFA to ask ‘the TTFA former leadership’ for an immediate withdrawal of the claim at the Trinidad and Tobago High Court by 16 September 2020, at the latest,” Samoura stated.

Consequently, former T&T Sport Minister Brent Sancho said a petition demanding that Wallace and company drop the High Court action will be sent to Hadad. Over 50 per cent of TTFA delegates have signed the petition.

“Well, Wallace is no longer president,” stated TTFA Board member Brent Sancho. “He stopped being president when FIFA appointed the Normalisation Committee. The Normalisation Committee is in charge. They are the ones the membership have to deal with, not Wallace.”

Hadad also reminded Wallace of the position taken by FIFA in Samoura’s letter.

“In recent weeks the players of our senior men’s national team, our membership at large and other stakeholders have spoken out to you and your cohorts to request that you do the right thing and put Trinidad and Tobago football first. You have also ignored your own government who gave you the opportunity to speak.”

“Mr. Wallace, the FIFA and CONCACAF position on this matter is clear and unequivocal. You know very well the risks you are taking,” said Hadad. “The choice is very clear: do the right thing prior to the deadline of September 16th established by FIFA or continue down your path and jeopardise the futures and opportunities for our national team players and coaches, and for football as a whole in our country.”

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #636 on: September 03, 2020, 04:55:41 PM »
Dear editor: Will you tell your children to accept abuse, once there’s money in it?
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“[…] I imagine the people who support Fifa’s intervention, in the face of a High Court ruling, would give this advice to their children: ‘When you’re accepting payment from someone, abuse is justified’…”

The following Letter to the Editor on Fifa’s takeover of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) was submitted by Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-15 Team and Presentation College (San Fernando) goalkeeper coach, Jefferson George:

So in the era of #BlackLivesMatter and the outcry for social justice, must we accept Fifa pushing a knife down our throats once they are also putting a few sweets into our pockets?

I imagine the people who support Fifa’s intervention, in the face of a High Court ruling, would give this advice to their children: ‘When you’re accepting payment from someone, abuse is justified’.

I encourage everyone interested in the Trinidad and Tobago football fraternity to read Judge Carol Gobin’s ruling and examine her judgement against Fifa. Regardless of our personal feelings about the individuals involved, the world’s governing body obviously does not apply its ‘fair play’ mantra to its own operations.

We love invoking Rosa Parks and her stance—or more literally sit-in—against segregation without recognising the personal consequences she endured in doing so. Freedom and liberty always comes with a high price because those who benefit from maintaining the status quo will fight to keep it in place.

So it is evident, if the efforts against injustice is weaker than the unjust systems themselves, then those systems will all remain in place—doling out crumbs to give the appearance of benevolence, while becoming fat off of the work of its participants.

Are you willing to pay the price for justice, T&T?

RELATED NEWS

Downer: Fate of TTFA NOT on Congress agenda; so Fifa can’t suspend T&T on 18 Sept.
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“[…] I have made inquiries about the deliberations of the last Fifa Council Meeting of about three weeks ago, and I have been reliably informed that the only matter that came up concerning the TTFA was the ratification of the Bureau’s decision to install the normalisation committee…”

The following is a release by TTFRA vice-president Osmond Downer, one of the framers of the TTFA Constitution, on the move to oust president William Wallace and vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip; and a possible suspension by Fifa:

Please allow me to comment on certain statements emanating from some stakeholders in football in the country concerning the request for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the TTFA to consider the removal of the officers of the TTFA.

[Those officers] were duly elected at the November 2019 AGM of the TTFA and are also expressing concerns about a possible suspension or expelling of the TTFA by Fifa, especially in light of Fifa’s recent letter calling on the elected officers to withdraw their matter from the local High Courts by 16 September, with the pending meeting of the FIFA Annual Congress on 18 September.

The stipulations for requesting an EGM are clearly stated in Article 29 of the TTFA’s Constitution: ‘More than 50% of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting (not of the members) must make the request in writing’.

Of course, with each Member Association or League submitting an official letter supporting the request with the names of its allotted delegates supporting the request. Of course also, all Member Associations or Leagues must be provided with a copy of the entire motion and its proposers, which is to be debated at the EGM.

The composition of the General Meeting of the TTFA is stated in Article 22 of the Constitution. Note that the total number of delegates allotted is 47; therefore, a number of at least 24 of the accredited delegates is needed to request a valid EGM.

Now, let us deal with the requested dismissal of the elected officers. Again Article 38 of the TTFA’s Constitution is clear on this. Note paragraph two: ‘The motion for dismissal must be justified. It will be sent to the members of the [board of directors] and/or to the members along with the agenda’.

Note also paragraph three: ‘The person or body in question has the right to defend him/herself’. Also paragraph four: ‘The motion for dismissal shall be decided by means of secret ballot. For the motion to be passed, a majority of three quarters of the valid votes is required’.

How are we to achieve secret balloting in a virtual meeting in these Covid-19 times?

Finally here, note that the Fifa letter installing the normalisation committee has removed only the executive (board of directors) of the TTFA and replaced it with the normalisation committee.

Fifa has not suspended the Constitution of the TTFA. Also Fifa has not abolished the standing committees that were constitutionally created by the BOD before the advent of the normalisation committee.

Also to my knowledge, Fifa has not removed the general secretary from his post. I have been reliably informed that Fifa wrote to the general secretary, after the establishment of the normalisation committee, requesting that the general secretary cooperate with the normalisation committee.

I shall not deal here with the merits or demerits of Fifa’s removal of the TTFA’s Executive and its replacement with the normalisation committee. This matter is now before the highest courts of the country and may very well be sub judice.

Now, a look at the hysteria surrounding the possible suspension or expulsion of the TTFA at the upcoming Fifa Annual Ordinary Congress on 18 September.

First, look at the agenda for the Annual Congress. Yes, there is an item (f) on the agenda: Suspension or expulsion of a member (if applicable). This item is standard for all Annual Congresses.

Contact has been made with Caribbean Colleagues who will be attending the September 18 Congress and I have been informed that the mandatory agenda and accompanying documents sent to them have all made no mention whatsoever of any motion to suspend or expel the TTFA.

The motion to suspend or expel a member can be put before the Annual Congress only by the Council of FIFA—by no other body or person. I have made inquiries about the deliberations of the last Fifa Council Meeting of about three weeks ago, and I have been reliably informed that the only matter that came up concerning the TTFA was the ratification of the Bureau’s decision to install the normalisation committee.

No decision was taken to recommend the expulsion or suspension of the TTFA to the Congress.

Editor’s Note: Fifa president Gianni Infantino cannot put the possible suspension of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) on the agenda in time for the 18 September Fifa Congress.

However, Infantino can call a meeting of the seven-member Bureau of the Fifa Council at any time. Article 38.1 states: ‘The Bureau of the Council shall deal with all matters within the competence of the Council requiring immediate decision between two meetings of the Council’.

As such, Fifa can temporarily suspend the TTFA through its Bureau of the Council and the local body will remain suspended until the Council—and ultimately the Congress—meets to decide whether to accept or revoke the Bureau’s decision.


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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 #638 on: September 04, 2020, 03:10:39 AM »
Petitions delivered but Look Loy claiming majority support.
T&T Guardian Reports.


"The people who have voted the United T&T Football Association into power are supporting us to fight the FIFA," said Keith Look Loy, the United TTFA member on Thursday.

Look Loy was responding to a meeting of the sport's stakeholders held by Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe on August 27, in which she called on the members to “take action and let good sense prevail in the matter.” During the meeting Minister Cudjoe reminded the membership “about the work and investment that the Government has and continues to make in football and the campaign for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the opportunities that will be lost for economic expansion through sports tourism and the loss in the potential, that sport and in particular football, has for addressing the ills in many communities”.

Two petitions from the membership were signed and delivered to the chairman of the FIFA appointed Normalisation Committee businessman Robert Hadad on Monday. This was confirmed by Kieron Edwards, president of Eastern Football Association (EFA) on Thursday. He told Guardian Media Sports on Thursday that, “The membership is not in support of the action of the former president Mr William Wallace and his team. The Petitions will show that 34 Members clubs, Zones and Affiliates are not in support of the Court matter with FIFA and (24) out of a maximum 47 delegates are calling for an Emergency General Meeting.”

The petitions according to Edwards, the chief campaigner, are to force former president William Wallace and his three vice presidents - Clynt Taylor, Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip, to drop their legal battle against football’s world governing body FIFA. FIFA has given the United TTFA team until September 16 to withdraw the matter for the T&T courts and go back to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) which is based in Switzerland, since that is the jurisdiction for settling the dispute between the parties according to FIFA statutes, or face sanctions.

However, Look Loy, a former national coach and FIFA Development Officer described the stakeholders' meeting as a lynching or a set-up. He told Guardian Media Sports yesterday that the petition which was aimed at securing an Emergency General Meeting of the TTFA membership to remove the United TTFA battle with football's world governing body over the appointment of a Normalisation Committee to govern T&T football, from the High Court in Trinidad and Tobago included non-approved signatures.

However, Edwards said, "Look Loy is anticipating who are the signatories and he can only go by what some members may have told him. The petitions are with the Normalisation committee with legitimate signatories."

On August 13 the T&T High Court Judge Carol Gobin ruled that the dispute between the FIFA and the TTFA could be heard in T&T, a direct violation of the FIFA Statutes, which point to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland as the jurisdiction for all disputes by Member Associations.

FIFA has since appealed the ruling on August 20, but warned the TTFA in a letter from its general secretary Fatma Samoura on August 26 and addressed to Hadad, warning that the TTFA face sanctions if it did not withdraw the matter out of the T&T High Court by September 16, two days before FIFA holds its Congress.

Both FIFA and the TTFA will head back to the Court of Appeal on October 19 under a panel of judges. This hearing will determine how the entire TTFA vs FIFA matter will proceed.

According to Look Loy, the former chairman of the TTFA Technical Committee, "What will happen there is, that if we lose, then we will either drop the case or go to the Privy Council. Similarly, if FIFA loses, it will drop or go to the Privy Council. If we do return to the High Court for the hearing of our request for a permanent injunction against FIFA and its normalisation committee this will have an impact on FIFA, because once the High Court rules in our favour, then Wallace and his team will manage the sport."

Look Loy, the President of the T&T Super League said that their legal team has been totally astonished by the actions of the FIFA, for saying it does not recognise the local courts while attending hearings and even appealing a decision. "If FIFA does not show up for their own Court of Appeal claim then the matter can be thrown out," Look Loy said.

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #639 on: September 04, 2020, 03:17:00 AM »
Wallace emails Fifa members for support from ‘oppressive’ leadership; Hadad slams ‘misinformation’
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William Wallace: “[…] We believe the imposition of the normalisation committee as punishment for our revelation of the previous administration’s financial impropriety, which was ignored by Fifa…”

Robert Hadad: “[…] Your letter is an example of the campaign of misinformation and disinformation that you and a number of your colleagues from the removed TTFA Executive Committee, have undertaken from the inception of not only the normalisation process, but as evidenced from the first day you were in office…”

The following is an ‘appeal’ for support by Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president William Wallace, which was emailed to Fifa’s 210 member associations; and the response from Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad:

27 August 2020,
Dear Fellow Presidents,


On 24 November 2019, in a free and fair elections supervised by Concacaf and Fifa, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) consisting of 46 delegates elected myself and my team to lead the TTFA by a vote of 26 to 20. Defeated candidates immediately spoke publicly of normalisation by Fifa.

It is the norm for Fifa and Concacaf to provide funding for its member associations in January of each year. No funding came to the TTFA and on enquiring, the persons at Fifa’s Finance Department could not provide any clear answers as to why, like all other MAs we the TTFA did not receive funding.

I was eventuality instructed to speak to Mr Véron Mosengo-Omba who indicated to me that Fifa would be sending a delegation to Trinidad and Tobago before we receive any funding.

We nonetheless continued to conduct the business of the TTFA and were able to accomplish many things under the challenging conditions we inherited, without the funding. We were able to start attracting international and local sponsors. Noteworthy is that among the international sponsors, we were able to sign an MOU with one of them which spoke to the paying off of the TTFA $50M debt.

Importantly also was the setting up of the Finance Committee and examination of the internal financial environment of TTFA. This exercise generated a comprehensive report, which identified the absence of any internal control and clear structures in the financial operations of the TTFA.

This unfortunate situation would have existed for four years under the previous administration. It was also unfortunate that Fifa’s annual audit over that period did not make this discovery and if it did, made no demands that the administration put these structures in place.

We also discovered financial impropriety committed by the previous administration, which we revealed. It was against this background that the Fifa/Concacaf mission arrived in Trinidad & Tobago on 26 February 2020.

Incidentally, part of the mandate of the mission was to examine the internal financial structures of the TTFA. We took the opportunity to present them with our findings and the response to the document was, and I quote: ‘This is 50% of our work completed’.

The other area of concern raised by the mission was our approach in dealing with the historic debt. We were able to present to the team a comprehensive MOU signed between ourselves and a business entity out of the UK that outlined a clear initiative to deal with the USD 7 million debt that we inherited.

On 17 March we learnt via the Fifa website that a normalisation committee was set up to run Trinidad and Tobago football.

The disturbing facts about all of this were:

1. TTFA never received a report from the Fifa/ Concacaf visit.

2. As a new executive we were never engaged by Fifa or Concacaf in any meaningful way to discuss the issues of the TTFA.

3. The two reasons stated in Fifa’s subsequent official communication for setting up the normalisation committee are:

• ‘the absence of internal financial systems in the TTFA’ (Curiously the report that was generated by the new executive and handed to the mission was sent back verbatim to support this reason).

• ‘the historic debt’

It must also be noted that it was the first time that any executive presented a plan to deal with the historic debt and yet that plan was never given a chance to materialise. We believe the imposition of the normalisation committee as punishment for our revelation of the previous administration’s financial impropriety, which was ignored by Fifa.

On 7 April 2020 we filed an appeal against Fifa’s decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. We subsequently withdrew the appeal when Fifa refused to pay its share of the Court fee, while, in our view, CAS itself demonstrated clear bias in favour of Fifa.

On 18 May we filed a complaint with the Trinidad and Tobago High Court seeking a permanent injunction against Fifa’s action and its normalisation committee. Fifa responded by filing a complaint challenging the jurisdiction of the local court.

On 13 August 2020 the local High Court decided in favour of TTFA, clearing the way for the Court to hear the substantive case regarding the normalisation committee.

Fifa has appealed this decision but on 26 August threatened suspension of TTFA unless the case in the local Court is withdrawn. The intention is clearly to place TTFA before the Congress on 18 September.

We do not understand how FIFA could remove the persons elected in November 2019, who they continually refer to as ‘former officers’, yet threaten to suspend the Association [if] these ‘former officers’ do not end their legal action.

We have written seven times to Fifa seeking mediation of this matter, without success. We have always been prepared to work with Fifa to resolve TTFA’s financial issues but Fifa must recognise the Association’s elected officers.

We view Fifa’s action as undemocratic, untimely and oppressive, given the fact that the newly elected administration elected had held office for less than four months. We insist, under the law of natural justice, on our right to be heard at the 18 September Congress.

We hereby appeal to all fair-minded Member Associations of Fifa to investigate Fifa’s decision in an effort to protect football democracy and fair play, since just like you we are members under the FIFA umbrella.

Yours sincerely
William Wallace,
TTFA president


Port of Spain, 31 August 2020
Dear Mr Wallace,


I am in receipt of a copy of a letter you have sent to the international football family. Your letter is a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

As stated in writing on numerous occasions by Fifa, you Mr Wallace, are not recognised as the Trinidad & Tobago Football Association (TTFA) President. The TTFA normalisation committee which I chair has been appointed by Fifa and is the only legitimate body entrusted to manage/run the affairs of the TTFA as recognised by Fifa, Concacaf and Fifa’s 211 Member Associations.

Furthermore, you are not authorised to use the TTFA letterhead or any other marking for any communication or representation.

Similar to all your correspondence and media interviews, your letter is an example of the campaign of misinformation and disinformation that you and a number of your colleagues from the removed TTFA Executive Committee, have undertaken from the inception of not only the normalisation process, but as evidenced from the first day you were in office.

You have completely ignored the truth and your membership.

You have had every opportunity within the Fifa system to make a case and put forward your position, however you have voluntarily chosen not to do so and even went so far as withdrawing the matter from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

You know very well that it is a requirement of Fifa, Concacaf and TTFA Statutes that such disputes be managed through CAS, and you know very well the potential consequences for those who ignore important FIFA rules and regulations.

The tone and content of your letter is offensive, not only to the normalisation committee, but to the people of Trinidad and Tobago who are working extremely hard for the betterment of football in the country.

In recent weeks the players of our Senior Men’s National Team, our membership at large and other stakeholders have spoken out to you and your cohorts to request that you do the right thing and put Trinidad and Tobago football first. You have also ignored your own government who gave you the opportunity to speak.

Mr Wallace, the Fifa and Concacaf position on this matter is clear and unequivocal. You know very well the risks you are taking and, quite frankly, the time for your campaign of misinformation is over.

The choice is very clear: do the right thing prior to the deadline of September 16th established by Fifa or continue down your path and jeopardise the futures and opportunities for our national team players and coaches, and for football as a whole in our country.

Yours Respectfully,
Robert Hadad
Chairman
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association


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Offline kounty

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #640 on: September 04, 2020, 06:09:33 AM »
I like Wallace Action here. (Just the position I thought he was setting up all along). If he is true this will turn out fine and a real moral boost for T&T football. Pride on the field. Dey must be paying Hadad good money to take on all this extra writing...or DJW and them musbe have some dirt on him.

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #641 on: September 04, 2020, 08:17:52 AM »
I like Wallace Action here. (Just the position I thought he was setting up all along). If he is true this will turn out fine and a real moral boost for T&T football. Pride on the field. Dey must be paying Hadad good money to take on all this extra writing...or DJW and them musbe have some dirt on him.

Like yuh deliberately inviting Contro to ride your way.  ;D

Offline pull stones

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #642 on: September 04, 2020, 09:03:00 AM »
You know what’s the main thing that everyone fails to discuss? All this is david John Williams doing.

It was him who didn’t want to respect the process and go away quietly, he could have told his friend infantino to allow the democratic process to continue and took his losses like a big man, but instead he stoked the fire causing FIFA to come down on the United ttfa, and if he had any love for country or football he would have told his buddy to ease up, but instead he sits quietly hoping for his return to the throne.

I just can’t believe some people could be so selfish and dastardly. how could you love your country or football for that matter and allow this to happen after you brought the federation to its knees by your own doing. this man is absolutely unbelievably wicked and selfish.

Offline gawd on pitch

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #643 on: September 04, 2020, 09:39:41 AM »
You know what’s the main thing that everyone fails to discuss? All this is david John Williams doing.

It was him who didn’t want to respect the process and go away quietly, he could have told his friend infantino to allow the democratic process to continue and took his losses like a big man, but instead he stoked the fire causing FIFA to come down on the United ttfa, and if he had any love for country or football he would have told his buddy to ease up, but instead he sits quietly hoping for his return to the throne.

I just can’t believe some people could be so selfish and dastardly. how could you love your country or football for that matter and allow this to happen after you brought the federation to its knees by your own doing. this man is absolutely unbelievably wicked and selfish.

AMEN!

His name needs to be brought up. Him and Infantino had a great relationship while he was president. Infantino did not have any concerns about how the TTFA was operating. This only came up after djw was dethroned. He's behind all of this.

Wallace's letter was a good move. I'm sure there are a few other MAs that are ready to call FIFA out on their sh*t.

This might be a fetch, but a possible good outcome. If FIFA loses the appeal in the high court, then the United TTFA might have a leg to stand on if they take the case to the CAS. The CAS might not want to side with FIFA after a judge has ruled against them on two occasions. And if they do, it can possibly expose the bias the CAS has with FIFA.

Overall I think the implementation of the NC is to  prevent information about the psst dealings of djw from coming out. Also to protect Infantino. As he would have some knowledge about djws dealings and he turned a blind eye. We'll see

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FIFA: Fair play or fear play? Spotlight on TTFA and FIFA
« Reply #644 on: September 06, 2020, 10:50:13 AM »
FIFA: Fair play or fear play? Spotlight on TTFA and FIFA
By Ricardo Williams and J Tyrone Marcus (T&T Express)


The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) recently published fixtures for the preliminary round of the prestigious Concacaf Gold Cup in 2021. Outside of the FIFA World Cup, the Gold Cup is the biggest tournament for national teams in this geographical region, including our beloved “Soca Warriors”. Well, let’s prepare to watch the next edition of this tournament with our team right here next to us, not because of closed borders but because of the potential ­embarrassment of a ban from international football.

Fourteen years ago, we were all filled with indescribable pride as we watched Yorke, Latapy, Hislop, Theobald, Birchall, and others grace the fields of Germany, grabbing an unexpected point against Sweden with only ten men in the second half and losing narrowly to England and Paraguay in the other group games. Now, instead of building steadily since the glory of the 2006 World Cup, we’re fighting again. It seems as though there’s always some bacchanal with Trinidad and Tobago’s football.

Many of those historic players from 2006 ended up in court against the Oliver Camps-led Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF, now reverted to TTFA) for unpaid bonuses arising from the Germany World Cup. Since that time, the national governing body for football would see lawsuits brought by people like Keith Look Loy and Kendall Walkes while even the local Futsal Association sought legal redress against the TTFA.

Now, we have the somewhat rare scenario where the TTFA is the aggrieved party, what we lawyers call the Claimant. But, here’s the catch: the source of the grief seems to be FIFA!

Even those of our citizens who are not football fans know that something big is happening in the sport and, because of Covid-19, they know that it’s not on the field of play. FIFA, in short, has relied on its constitution, the FIFA Statutes, and effectively, is trying to storm the national stadium, grab the football, the nets, and the goalposts, and jump on a jet back to Switzerland. This is exactly what Madame Justice Gobin hoped would not happen when she gave her historic judgment a few weeks ago on August 13, 2020. There is still time to delay the flight back to Zurich, though, if the TTFA withdraws the current High Court action against its world governing body. The country is looking on.

Replaced by the now-controversial Normalisation Committee headed by businessman Robert Hadad, the ousted TTFA president William Wallace has dug-in his heels and pretty much said: “Not so fast Mr Infantino.” The FIFA president, interestingly, is a lawyer by profession. Wallace, his former executive committee members, and their legal team have held their ground, stating that the TTFA was created by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (Incorporation) Act of 1982) and that national law supersedes football law.

FIFA, on the other hand, is invoking its statutes, firmly believing that it had every right to establish the Normalisation Committee as its constitution allows. Further, as a parent body, FIFA has said to its child, the TTFA: “You agreed to play by my rules since 1964 when I accepted you into my family. What are you complaining about now?”

Parent and child, sadly, have gone to court. Over 200 other children are watching to see if their tiny bold-faced sibling from the Caribbean will getaway. The infighting is complicated by the fact that they cannot agree on how to settle this dispute. They started in Switzerland, before the reputable Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but that did not go well because FIFA refused to pay its advance share of arbitration fees and the TTFA accused CAS of bias in favour of FIFA. We’ll see if that comes back to bite them, if the Court of Appeal decides that Justice Gobin got it wrong. Clarity may also be offered after the appeal on other related legal issues like judicial review, parliamentary supremacy, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

Once the TTFA decided to move away from CAS’ jurisdiction and served legal documents on FIFA to defend the claim on local shores, the temperature started to rise. FIFA Statutes essentially prohibit any member association from accessing ordinary courts of law. If there’s a dispute, you go to CAS, not to court. You could even approach a local arbitral body approved by the respective national football federation, but you simply do not go to court.

Justice Gobin disagreed. She effectively said to FIFA: “This is my country and my national federation, so I have jurisdiction to hear this case. It stays with me.”

FIFA will soon be making its response known. They are likely to say something like this: “No problem, my lady. This is your country. Well, guess what? This is my sport. If the players want to play my sport, then they play by my rules. If you don’t like it, fine. Start your own federation.” Perhaps this may not happen given the detailed appeal filed by FIFA. Who knows, but for now the score stands at TTFA: 1 FIFA: 0.

Come September 18, 2020, we will get a better idea as to whether FIFA has indeed taken the ball, nets, and posts back to Switzerland, together with the TTFA membership. It’s up to you to decide whether this is FIFA Fair Play or FIFA Fear Play. We’ll tell you what we think in Part Two.

—J Tyrone Marcus and Ricardo Williams serve as the current president and vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Association for Sport and Law.
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #645 on: September 06, 2020, 03:10:43 PM »
Membership wants to quiz Wallace at EGM.
By Keith Clement (Guardian).


The controversy and concerns are growing in the local football fraternity as FIFA's deadline of September 16 draws closer, the petitions gain momentum and the October 19 court date also nears, all relating to the United T&T Football Association (TTFA) team legal battle with FIFA, the world's governing body for the sport.

Guardian Media Sports has seen the five-page letter dated August 28 with the two petitions and the signatories, which is addressed to Robert Hadad, the chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC).

In the first instance, the delegates are asking the NC to convene a meeting under Article 29 of the TTFA constitution with two items with several subsections on the agenda.

The delegates want to recognise the NC as the executive body of the TTFA from March 17 and according to FIFA Statutes Article 8 and the second item, is to have the legal challenge against FIFA by the United TTFA team of being withdrawn forthwith. One petition also listed how the TTFA will be at a setback if the legal matter is not withdrawn.

Concerns have been raised in the football fraternity that the signatories on the petitions are not a true reflection of the membership and the delegates and that some clubs were not informed.

Among some of the clubs and delegates that have signed the petitions seen by Guardian Media Sports are - La Horquetta Rangers, Central FC, Police, San Juan Jabloteh, AC Port-of-Spain, W Connection, Morvant Caledonia FC, the Southern, Eastern and Central Football Associations, Eastern Counties Football Union, T&T Women's Football League (WoLF), the Futsal Association of T&T, T&T Beach Soccer Association and the Veterans Football Foundation.

Kieron Edwards, president of Eastern Football Association (EFA), one of the local football bodies that fall under the umbrella of the embattled TTFA, who delivered the petitions, said that there are people out there who are just making mischief because their egos are more important than T&T football and the future of T&T footballers.

He said, "All who are questioning the signatures on the petition should say whose signature they are challenging."

Guardian Media Sports has also seen a letter from Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) which reads in part: "The club is asking the United TTFA to withdraw the action taken against FIFA with immediate effect."

Edwards said, "That the petitions represent the first aspect which is 34 signatures from member clubs, zones and affiliates and the other is for the calling of an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) which requires 51 per cent of the delegates. We have 25 signatures out of a maximum of 47 delegates. And we're still getting signatures.”

The petitions, according to Edwards, the chief campaigner, are to force former president William Wallace and his three vice presidents - Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip, as well as Keith Look Loy and Anthony Harford to drop their legal battle against FIFA here in T&T and go back to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) which is based in Switzerland according to both FIFA Statutes and the TTFA constitution.

On August 26, general secretary of FIFA Fatma Samoura wrote Hadad, warning that TTFA would face sanctions if it did not withdraw the matter out of the T&T High Court by September 16, which is two days before FIFA holds its Congress.

Edwards said, "Football in T&T will be the big loser if the membership sits on the sidelines and not do anything before the September 16 deadline set by FIFA for the court matter to be withdrawn or faced sanction."

Edwards, speaking as the president of the East Zone and on behalf of other zones that supported the petition, pointed out that there are some clear takeaways that they are seeking to resolve from the meeting:

"1. That Mr William Wallace informs the TTFA membership why they took this route, the pros and cons of this course of action taken; 2. How do they intend to run football in T&T, if we are sanctioned or expelled?; 3. We would like to find out from Wallace and company if they know the step-by-step path to re-enter FIFA if we are sanctioned; 4. Will they accept the pathway to be reinstated into FIFA via normalization or does FIFA now need to make an exception for TTFA to not have to go through the normalisation in order to re-enter FIFA (seeing that they are unwilling to accept normalisation); 5. We would like to know the cost of the legal action being fought on behalf of the TTFA as persons have been mentioning that they are paying this cost out of pocket. Is this cost a loan or a gift to TTFA to fund this action? If it's a loan, what is the interest to be applied to the loan and who are the persons providing this loan and to what exact amount?"

Edwards said, "Most members that I have spoken to today (yesterday) on the matter of the meeting are expressing concern that Mr Look Loy is saying that he as well as other persons affiliated with him will not be attending the EGM. We are hoping that Mr Wallace and his team would attend the meeting and give the members the opportunity to have the much-needed dialogue for the future of T&T football.

"A no show by Mr Wallace and his team will be none other than a slap in the face to TTFA's membership as well as he will be jeopardising the democracy of the institution and constitution that he is claiming to defend and its sovereignty."

RELATED NEWS

EFATT: ‘A Wallace no-show for TTFA EGM would be slap in face of membership’
Wired868.com.


“[…] Most members that I have spoken to today on the matter of the meeting are expressing concern that Mr Keith Look Loy said that he as well as persons affiliated to him will not be attending the EGM.

“We are hoping that Mr [William] Wallace and his team would attend the meeting and give the members the opportunity to have the much needed dialogue for the future of Trinidad and Tobago football…”

The following Letter to the Editor on the Fifa/TTFA legal impasse and an upcoming EGM was submitted by Eastern Football Association (EFATT) president Kieron Edwards:

Speaking as the president of the East Zone and on behalf of other zones that supported the petition, there are some clear take aways that we seek to resolve from the meeting:

1. That Mr William Wallace inform the TTFA membership why they took this route, the pros and cons of this course of action taken;

2. How do they intend to run football in T&T if we are sanctioned or expelled;

3. We would like to find out from Mr William Wallace and company if they know the step by step path to re-enter Fifa if we are sanctioned;

4. Will they accept the pathway to be reinstated into Fifa via normalisation or does Fifa now need to make an exception for TTFA to not have to go through the normalisation in order to re-enter the Fifa fold—seeing that they are unwilling to accept normalisation;

5. We will like to know the cost of the legal action being fought on behalf of the TTFA as persons have been mentioning that they are paying this cost out of pocket. Is this cost a loan or a gift to TTFA to fund this action? If it’s a loan, what is the interest to be applied to the loan and who are the persons providing this loan and to what exact amount?

Most members that I have spoken to today on the matter of the meeting are expressing concern that Mr Keith Look Loy said that he as well as persons affiliated to him will not be attending the EGM.

We are hoping that Mr Wallace and his team would attend the meeting and give the members the opportunity to have the much needed dialogue for the future of Trinidad and Tobago football.

A no show by Mr Wallace and his team will be none other than a slap in the face to TTFA’s membership as well as he will be jeopardising the democracy of the institution and constitution that he is claiming to defend.

« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 12:27:02 AM by Flex »
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #646 on: September 07, 2020, 12:44:12 AM »
Members defend their TTFA status.
By Keith Clement (Guardian).


...ECFU, VFOTT, Beach Football, SFA are members of TTFA

As the petitions for the September 15 Emergency General Meeting (EGM) gains momentum, questions are being asked about the status of some of the associations who have signed as members and as delegates.

The latest news from Kieron Edwards, president of Eastern Football Association (EFA) who delivered the petitions said yesterday, more members and delegates have signed on for the meeting to take place.

The FIFA deadline is just nine days away for the former T&T Football Association (TTFA) president William Wallace and his team which comprises vice presidents - Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip, together with Keith Look Loy, the president of the T&T Super League and Anthony Harford, the president of the Northern Football Association (NFA), to drop their legal battle against FIFA here in T&T High court and go back to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) which is based in Zurich, Switzerland, according to both FIFA Statutes and the TTFA constitution, or face sanctions.

In response to the petitioners called for the EGM, Look Loy, the former chairman of the TTFA technical committee, posted on his Facebook page recently that: "The fact is that, Beach, Futsal, ECFU (Eastern Counties Football Union), SFA and VFFOTT (Veterans Football Foundation of T&T) don't even have ten members among them. These are PAPER organisations that speak for people that hold office in them, but collectively have ten delegates among them. Jokes I ain't attending ANY meeting they called via a mocking pretender."

In response, one of the delegates for ECFU, Ian Prichard said, "I can state categorically that the ECFU is fully functional. As a matter of fact, we not only participated in the last TTFA election of November 24, 2019 but also had active competition as up to the 2019 football season."

He continued, "It is the belief of the ECFU Executive that the United TTFA should attend the meeting not merely to answer questions of the membership but to clear the air on any ambiguity surrounding pertinent national football issues that are unclear and in the public domain. We believe that it is important for the United TTFA to share with the membership the reason for their present course of action based on the fact that it seems to have been made on behalf of the association."

Pritchard, a former Ministry of Sports official added, "The greatest concern of the ECFU regarding possible FIFA sanctions is the negative consequences it may have on the young footballers in our region. Those young footballers from as far North as Toco and Environs and as far South East as Rio Claro that play this beautiful game who may not now be able to participate in any local, regional or international FIFA approved competitions.

"If these sanctions occur it definitely shatters the dreams of every young ECFU footballer striving to represent our region and those who may go on to represent our twin-island republic or desirous of making a career from football."

In the first instance, the delegates, some 30 of them to date out of a maximum of 47 delegates, were successful in having the Normalisation Committee which is headed by businessman Robert Hadad, convened a meeting under Article 29 of the TTFA constitution with two items with several subsections on the agenda.

The delegates want to recognise the Normalisation Committee as the executive body of the TTFA from March 17 and according to FIFA Statutes article 8 and the second item, is to have the legal challenge against FIFA by the United TTFA team to be withdrawn forthwith. The petition has listed how the TTFA will be at a setback if the legal matter is not withdrawn.

Lennox Sirjuesingh, a former FIFA referee and instructor and the public relations officer of VFFOTT, told Guardian Media Sports on Sunday: "VFFOTT has been a member of the TTFA in good standing since 2015, after advocating for a change of the Onemanism in governance and its members worked on the new TTFA constitution which was ratified on July 12, 2015."

He added, "The organisation has remained a member in good standing and had both its delegate and board member attend the last AGM held on November 24, 2019. Maybe the Look Loy-United TTFA expelled members from the TTFA. I know they have never held a general meeting of the membership since the AGM on November 24, 2019, not even to thank those who voted for them."

Checks by Guardian Media Sports through various sources stated that Beach Football, Futsal, the ECFU, the Southern FA and VFFOTT, all participated with full membership rights including the rights to vote at the 2019 TTFA annual general meeting (AGM ) election. Since then, there has been no question about their membership status nor has any meeting been called since to discuss such issues.

The TTFA constitution makes provisions for 49 delegates, however, at the last AGM, the Players Association and the Coaches Association were deemed non-functional.

With regards to the T&T Women's Football (WolF) support for the petition, Christine Rose, the organisation treasurer told Guardian Media Sports yesterday: "An emergency meeting was called by the president Susan Joseph-Warrick on Thursday and the outcome of this meeting resulted in the entire executive, inclusive of the president, voting unanimously against the TTFA to be banned by FIFA."

She said, "In our meeting, we further discussed the implications of the impasse between United TTFA and FIFA. We believe that the case should be withdrawn from the local court and moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We believe that United TTFA team should meet or attend the EGM which has been called by the membership. So that they can listen to the different views of their membership as well as give their views behind the impasse between United TTFA and FIFA."

"In my humble opinion, I am worried that TTFA could be facing sanctions/ban from FIFA. Such a decision can adversely affect the footballing population of T&T. It would crush the dreams of the young aspiring footballers as they will not be able to represent any national team at the various levels, as well as those aspiring to become professional footballers. Sports Tourism would also be affected because we would not be able to participate in any international football, whether it be friendly or competitive. Unfortunately, this can ultimately lead young people to a life of crime."

Meanwhile, among some of the clubs and delegates that have signed the petitions seen by Guardian Media Sports are - La Horquatta Rangers, Central FC, Police, San Juan Jabloteh, AC Port-of-Spain, W Connection, Morvant Caledonia FC, Club Sando, Defence Force, Queen's Park Cricket Club, the Southern, Eastern and Central Football Associations; ECFU; WolF; the Futsal Association of T&T; T&T Beach Soccer Association and the VFFOTT.

On August 26, general secretary of FIFA Fatma Samoura wrote Hadad, warning that TTFA would face sanctions if it did not withdraw the matter out of the T&T High Court by September 16, which is two days before FIFA holds its Congress.

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #647 on: September 07, 2020, 12:47:14 AM »
United TTFA not attending 'illegal' Sept 15 meeting.
By Jelani Beckles (Newsday).


UNITED TT Football Association (TTFA) members, including former TTFA president William Wallace and spokesperson Keith Look Loy, will not attend an "illegal" September 15 extraordinary meeting called by TTFA membership, according to Keith Look Loy. The virtual meeting, convened by TTFA members and facilitated by the Robert Hadad-led normalisation committee, will address the United TTFA's court battle against FIFA and whether it should continue in the High Court. TTFA members will get the opportunity to vote on the matter via Zoom at 6 pm.

On March 17, FIFA removed former TTFA president Wallace and his executive from office (deputies Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip) who were elected in November 2019. FIFA appointed a normalisation committee to run local football for two years, saying the decision was made because of the association’s financial woes and massive debt.

In April, the ousted executive made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, saying the decision was a breach of the TTFA’s constitution. However, Wallace and his team felt they would not get a “fair hearing” from CAS and appealed to the local High Court on May 18.

On August 13, Justice Carol Gobin said that the matter must be resolved in TT but days later, FIFA insisted that CAS was the sole authority to handle FIFA disputes with its member associations.

Look Loy, who is president of the TT Super League, told Newsday on Sunday that the United TTFA members will not be present at the meeting.

Look Loy said, "Under the constitution of the TTFA, which has not been suspended by anyone, the only body that could change or suspend the constitution of the TTFA is the general membership. The constitution is in effect and under the constitution, Hadad and his normalisation committee are not recognised...so he cannot call any meeting, that is an illegal meeting and I and other members of TTFA will not be attending that meeting."

Look Loy said attendance would legitimise the gathering.

"We are not going to, by way of our participation in that meeting, legitimise something that is illegal."

However, some members of the TTFA are grateful for the meeting to discuss the matter which has grave consequences for the TTFA. FIFA recently issued an ultimatum, giving the TTFA until September 16 to withdraw the matter from the local court or face expulsion from FIFA.

President of the Eastern Football Association Kieron Edwards said a meeting of TTFA members will clarify a way forward.

He said, "If they voted and said they don't want the court matter the only legal thing for the lawyers to do is pull the matter out of court, so we are hoping that decision is made on the 15th. Either we keeping it or we removing it (from court) and justice will prevail and good sense will prevail."

TTFA members who are hoping for the court matter to be stopped will need the majority of votes.

"That is the democracy that we are in based on our constitution and we need to follow the rule of law...and the democracy of the organisation that we serve," Edwards said.

TTFA board member Brent Sancho said it a foregone conclusion which way TTFA members will vote.

He said, "I think the decision by the membership has already been made. The request for the meeting clearly stated that the membership supported a resolution to stop the court proceedings by United TTFA. All of the members have maintained firstly, the United TTFA have never sought consultation of any of the membership and they have not even sought consultation by the most important stakeholders – the players and the coaches."

Sancho said fighting FIFA in court will destroy T&T football. "I strongly believe that if we are suspended or banned, that will be it. I think we will go into extinction simply because there is no one within the United TTFA could pay $50 million in debt, especially with FIFA not helping anymore and the Government saying that they not helping anymore. Where is the money going to come from?"

RELATED NEWS

TTFA members call EGM to ‘withdraw’ Fifa case; Look Loy vows to boycott ‘illegal event’
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting on 15 September for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) 47 member delegates, in the first significant response by local stakeholders to the impasse between the TTFA’s elected officers and Fifa.

Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura vowed, last month, to initiate the process for sanctions against the TTFA, if besieged president William Wallace—who Fifa insists was replaced by its normalisation committee in March—does not withdraw a High Court case against his removal by 16 September.

On 13 August, High Court Judge Carol Gobin ruled that Wallace remains the recognised head of the TTFA and dismissed Fifa’s request for his case to be dismissed or moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa is challenging Justice Gobin’s decision, with the appeal date set for 19 October. However, the global football body, headed by president Gianni Infantino, wants Wallace to fall on his own sword, despite the High Court ruling, and threatened action against the TTFA in the interim—even as the two bodies remain locked in court.

The EGM appears to be a last ditch effort by some local football delegates to convince Wallace to respect Infantino’s wishes.

The TTFA Constitution allows for members to suspend its president via an accord by two-thirds of its members at an EGM, convened by its board of directors. Fifa replaced the TTFA board with a normalisation committee in March, although it is a decision without legal effect outside of Zurich, Switzerland.

Either way, an EGM for the purpose of suspending or expelling the TTFA’s elected officers requires at least 30 days’ notice. So, members opposed to the court action decided to use the only option was available to them within the time frame.

“There is a specific time frame to remove a president using an EGM,” said Eastern Football Association (EFA) president Kieron Edwards, “but with this course of action, a meeting can be held within 10 days.”

The delay in the request for an EGM, according to one football delegate, was supposedly due to a misunderstanding over what was at stake in the court case.

“The membership only had an issue when, after the court ruling they realised the matter could lead to the TTFA being banned,” said one delegate, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “[…] All the time William Wallace was saying the matter was between him and Fifa and he would stand the consequences; and now we are understanding it is the TTFA versus Fifa and it is the country that will stand the consequences.

“And that is when we [decided to] act.”

Nine of the 10 Pro League Clubs, the largest voting bloc within the TTFA, supported the EGM, with Point Fortin Civic as the only absentee. There was support from all three representatives from the EFA and Eastern Counties bodies too, along with the T&T Beach Soccer Association and Veterans Football Foundation.

However, there were no signatures from the Tobago Football Association (TFA), Northern Football Association (NFA), T&T Football Referees Association (TTFRA), Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), Primary Schools Association or TTAYSO.

From nine Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) delegates, there were three signatures: RSSR FC, Club Sando FC and QPCC.

TTSL president Keith Look Loy, who is a member of the United TTFA slate that successfully contested the last election and is behind the Fifa court case, said neither he nor his club, FC Santa Rosa, will attend an ‘illegal event’.

“Under the constitution of the TTFA, which has not been suspended, Hadad and the normalisation committee do not exist and Hadad has no authority to call any meeting in TTFA,” Look Loy told Wired868. “Moreover, they called on the normalisation committee to call a meeting to recognise the normalisation committee. Does that make sense?

“Additionally, at least one signatory to that petition was unauthorised. I speak for FC Santa Rosa when I say that the club will not legalise this illegal event by participating.”

Look Loy said he was informed that Christine Rose was not authorised to vote on behalf of WoLF, while QPCC’s signatory, Matthew Leach, did not understand what he signed. That was partially correct, at best.

WoLF president Susan Joseph-Warrick, who is a TTFA vice-president and party to the legal matter against Fifa, said Rose was authorised to sign on behalf of the body. However, she criticised Rose, the WoLF treasurer, for failing to ‘consult’ with her colleagues.

“We need to consult with our membership for serious matters like this,” said Joseph-Warrick. “And this is something I am hearing through the back door. As far as I know, this was not discussed at membership or executive level.”

Leach’s view is that QPCC does not consider itself to be against Wallace. However, the ‘Parkites’ are certainly against the risk of Fifa suspension.

“Queen’s Park’s only position is that we would like to discontinue any litigation against Fifa,” said Leach. “And if the only way is to have an EGM to facilitate a conversation with the United TTFA, then that is our course of action.”

Wired868 asked Look Loy if he would still boycott the EGM, if the signatures were deemed valid. He said he would.

“FC Santa Rosa and others who will speak for themselves will not attend this illegal event,” said Look Loy.

Wallace is keeping his own options open.

“I have no issue with membership exercising their right as per the constitution,” said Wallace. “Whether I attend or not would be decided in due course.”

On 27 August, Wallace failed to show at a stakeholders meeting chaired by Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe and, a day after the meeting, informed the Ministry of Sport that: ‘based on legal advice, unfortunately, it would be inappropriate for us to meet with the minister at this point in time to have any discussions pertaining to a matter presently before our honourable courts’.

It is uncertain whether Wallace would use the same reasoning to skip the EGM, although the court case carries obvious ramifications for the football body that he still heads; or how members will respond to his next move.

The TTFA Constitution lists the president as its ‘legal officer’, which allows Wallace—like his predecessors—to unilaterally represent the football body. However, it is a controversial clause that provoked ire when used by Wallace’s predecessors without the knowledge of the board.

Of course, Wallace and his team point out that, unlike previous administrations, they are not using TTFA funds for their battle which is simply about making a principled stance against their unjust removals.

Since the 15 September EGM cannot legally remove Wallace, the only hope from concerned stakeholders is that he can be swayed through moral persuasion, magnified by their numbers.

Edwards, who said a normalisation committee is long overdue in local football to ‘fix the wrongs’ of the past, said the onus ought to be on Wallace now to show what the TTFA has to gain from the legal fight with Fifa.

“They need to state what happens next if we are banned and they are in charge,” said Edwards. “How are coaches going to be paid? How is football going to be run? How are programmes going to happen?

“The normal entry back into football after you are banned is through a normalisation committee: will we accept one then?”

Ousted TTFA boss to avoid Sept 15 meeting.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


OUSTED TTFA (TT Football Association) president William Wallace has vowed not to participate in the September 15 EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting), called by the Robert Hadad-chaired normalisation committee.

This meeting will deal with the United TTFA’s court battle against FIFA and whether the legal issue should continue in the High Court.

Wallace and his executive (vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip) were removed by FIFA and replaced by the normalisation committee on March 17 due to the TTFA’s mounting debt of $50 million.

Wallace said, on Monday, “I definitely would not be participating in the meeting.”

According to the former president of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), “As far as I’m concerned, the meeting is unconstitutional. The very issue that we’re dealing with is before the courts, in terms of the normalisation committee and whether the normalisation committee has any locus standi.

“As far as we’re concerned, no,” he continued.

“So how can they invite us to a meeting? If I go to the meeting, I’m going to legitimise the whole process.

“If members need to have a discussion, then we can find another forum.”

Some members of the TTFA have said that Wallace should attend the meeting to state emphatically if he stands for a potential ban of TT football by FIFA if the matter is not withdrawn from the local court. he should withdraw his case against FIFA.

Wallace noted, “If my position is that I do not recognise the normalisation committee, and the court (ruling by Justice Carol Gobin) indicated that, to a partial extent, how can I be invited by that same committee that I’m challenging, to go to a meeting? I’m going to legitimise the meeting and his position, and that I would not do.”

« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 12:22:23 AM by Flex »
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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #648 on: September 07, 2020, 06:09:12 PM »
Firetruck FIFA, firetruck Hadad, Infantino mudder..... :cursing: :cursing: :flamethrower: :flamethrower:
"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #649 on: September 08, 2020, 12:36:10 AM »
Downer: Why TTFA GS did not sign letter
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).


Why wasn't T&T Football Association's General Secretary Ramesh Ramdhan not asked to sign the letter of convocation for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), Osmond Downer, T&T's Football Association (TTFA) constitutional expert has asked in a letter addressed to the TTFA membership on Monday, as he sought to steer members on the right path, according to the TTFA constitution.

Downer said that he is not attempting to obstruct the convening of the EGM, but is rather trying to make sure that after a large amount of time and energy is spent to hold the meeting, that all decisions made are not declared null and void if it does not follow the constitution of the TTFA.

The petitions dated August 28 and addressed to Robert Hadad, the chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) are requesting that making - in the first instance, the delegates are asking the NC to convene a meeting under Article 29 of the TTFA constitution with two items with several subsections on the agenda.

The delegates want to recognise the NC as the executive body of the TTFA from March 17 and according to FIFA Statutes Article 8 and the second item, is to have former president William Wallace and his three vice presidents Clynt Taylor, Joseph Sam Phillip and Susan Joseph-Warrick, and associates Keith Look Loy and Anthony Harford drop their legal challenge against FIFA forthwith. One petition also listed how the TTFA will be at a setback if the legal matter is not withdrawn.

The meeting has been set for September 15 and could be followed by a 10-day period in which the TTFA quartet can be removed, said Keiron Edwards, the chief campaigner of the petition.

Downer said: "My first question is: why was the Convocation letter for this EGM not signed by the duly constitutionally appointed General Secretary of the TTFA, as has always been the accepted practice for all General Meetings held for all the past many years?

As stated in my last letter to you of August 30, FIFA, in its letters of March 17th and 27th 2020, replaced only the Executive (Board of Directors) of the TTFA by the NC. FIFA did not suspend the Constitution of the TTFA. Neither did FIFA remove the General Secretary. In fact, as stated in my August 30th letter, I understand that FIFA, on the contrary, wrote the General Secretary, after the installation of the NC, requesting him to work with and cooperate with the NC. I understand, also, that in the recent installation of an NC in neighbouring Guyana, FIFA appointed Mr Richard Groden from T&T to be the Secretary to the Guyana NC. Could this be the reason why FIFA requested our GS to work with the NC as Secretary to the Committee?"

Groden was also general secretary under the TTFA's leadership of Oliver Camps and Special Adviser Jack Warner in the 1990s.

Contacted, Ramdhan said the only way an EGM can be called, according to the constitution, is for a request to be written to him to be convened.

According to Ramdhan, he has been serving a suspension by Hadad, a decision he (Ramdhan) described as illegal. "Due process was not followed before my suspension. According to the constitution, I have not been allowed to put forward my case. A committee was also to be set up to adjudicate on my matter, but none of this ever happened. Hadad simply sends me five questions to answer and then he decided that I am suspended," explained Ramdhan.

Downer said the membership should have been informed of Ramdhan's suspension.

Downer, who is also a former FIFA referee and school principal, sought to clarify who can vote and who cannot vote as delegates under the constitution, since concerns arose over the eligibility of the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU) the Southern Football Association (SFA) and the Northern Football Association (NFA), all of which are still to have elections, as well as a member of the Women's Football League who signed the petition although she was not one of the two delegates.

"My reliable information is that only one of the Members of the TTFA has written to the TTFA Secretariat informing earlier this year about the change of Officers and Accredited Delegates to the General Meetings. That Member is the Eastern Football Association.

Article 29.2 of the TTFA Constitution requires that the persons who have signed the list requesting the EGM must be Accredited delegates to the General Meeting of the TTFA at the time the request letter was signed on or before September 3rd, 2020, 25 persons have signed the list requesting the EGM."

However, information reaching Guardian Media Limited from the NC on Monday is that "The EGM has been convened constitutionally and will take place on 15th September 2020. In our convocation, we invited Member delegates to reach out to us if they had any queries and a few have formally done so. We will be formally responding to them and clarifying any concerns they may have."

Meanwhile, delegates from the following members have signed the petitions - La Horquetta Rangers, Central FC, Police, San Juan Jabloteh, AC Port-of-Spain, W Connection, Morvant Caledonia FC, Club Sando, Defence Force, Queen's Park Cricket Club, the Southern, Eastern and Central Football Associations; ECFU; WolF; the Futsal Association of T&T; T&T Beach Soccer Association and the VFFOTT.

On August 26, general secretary of FIFA Fatma Samoura wrote Hadad, warning that TTFA would face sanctions if it did not withdraw the matter out of the T&T High Court by September 16, which is two days before FIFA holds its Congress.

RELATED NEWS

Members opposed: Sancho fires back at Downer’s ‘delegates’ claims.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


ACTING chairman of the TT Pro League and member of the TT Football Association (TTFA) Brent Sancho has fired back at TT Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer, who claims that decisions made at the September 15 EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) “may be declared null and void because of it not being convened in keeping with the constitution of the TTFA.”

Downer, in a media release issued on Monday, said, “Article 29.2 of the TTFA constitution requires that the persons who have signed the list requesting the EGM must be accredited delegates to the General Meeting of the TTFA at the time the request letter was signed on or before September 3.”

The TTFA last held a general meeting on November 24, 2019, during which William Wallace, leader of the United TTFA, defeated David John-Williams to become president of the TTFA. However, Wallace and his executive were removed by FIFA on March 17 due to the TTFA’s financial strife.

According to Downer, “based on the minutes of the 2019 AGM (Annual General Meeting), the named delegates remain the accredited delegates until they have been changed by their member associations in keeping with Article 22.3, and such changes must be communicated in writing to the secretariat of the TTFA.”

Downer said, “My information is that only one of the members of the TTFA has written to the TTFA secretariat informing earlier this year about the change of officers and accredited delegates to the general meetings. That member is the Eastern Football Association (EFA).”

In the letter requesting the EGM, there were changes for the delegates for Pro League clubs AC Port of Spain (Ryan Nunes replacing Michael Awai) and San Juan Jabloteh (Jerry Hospedales replacing Phillip Fraser) as well as Super League squad Club Sando (Derek Lange replacing Steve Gopeesingh).

Downer said, “Article 29 of the TTFA constitution is clear as to the protocol for requesting such an EGM: ‘if a majority (more than 50 per cent) of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting make such a request’. Who are ‘accredited delegates’? We see that there (is) a total of 47 delegates. So, at least 24 are required to request an EGM.”

Sancho remarked, “Why everything that Downer says is correct? He was very incorrect with the last statement he made as it relates to how the process works with regards to suspension (by FIFA to member associations), as was evident by (Caribbean Football Union president) Randy Harris.

“A suspension can still be meted out by the (FIFA) Bureau Council.”

Sancho, a former TT footballer and Minister of Sport, said, “Each member has to sign the compliance and over the course of the year, they can change their signatories.

“I find it strange that all these things are coming here to try to obstruct this meeting, which is sad.

“It clearly shows that the membership is not in support of the United TTFA. For (Downer) to continuously try to come up with these claims, it’s sad for a man who supposedly stands on solid ground.”

There may be cases where a delegate might die, or migrate, and Sancho responded, “exactly.”

Sancho said, “Any time of the year, you can write to the normalisation committee or the TTFA or whoever is in charge for that matter, and state the person who has the right to be the signatory. That’s normal practice.”

With regards to the issue between United TTFA and FIFA, Sancho said, “This is about the membership and the stakeholders of the sport. The players and the majority of the membership clearly don’t agree with the position that the United TTFA is taking. They said they were coming on transparency, accountability and working to suit T&T football.”

« Last Edit: September 08, 2020, 12:37:47 AM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #650 on: September 09, 2020, 12:23:50 AM »
Christine Rose: ‘The entire WoLF executive voted against Fifa ban…’
Wired868.com.


“[…] It was stated in the allegations that I failed to consult with my colleagues before signing on behalf of the body, and further, the matter was not discussed at membership or executive level.

“[…] This matter was in fact discussed with the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s League Football (TT WOLF) executives in an emergency meeting called by the president of the organisation, Mrs Susan Joseph-Warrick, on Thursday 27th August 2020 at 1.30pm…”

The following is a Letter to the Editor by Trinidad and Tobago Women’s League of Football (WoLF) treasurer Christine Rose, in response to an assertion by WoLF president Susan Joseph-Warrick that Rose did not consult with her colleagues before supporting the request for an EGM to discuss the current TTFA/Fifa imbroglio:

On Friday 4th September 2020, I noticed a post on Wired868 that featured my name with allegations attributed to me which were totally false. This is in reference to a post dealing with the subject of the ongoing impasse between United TTFA and FIFA.

Worst, no one from the online news source Wired868 thought it fit to ask me a question whether those allegations were true or not. Let me set the record straight.

It was stated in the allegations that I failed to consult with my colleagues before signing on behalf of the body, and further, the matter was not discussed at membership or executive level.

These are the facts.

This matter was in fact discussed with the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s League Football (TT WOLF) executives in an emergency meeting called by the president of the organisation, Mrs Susan Joseph-Warrick, on Thursday 27th August 2020 at 1.30pm.

The outcome of this meeting resulted in the entire executive, inclusive of the president Mrs Susan Joseph Warrick—all of whom unanimously voted against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to be banned by Fifa.

Also, Mrs Joseph-Warrick, along with all our other executive members were present at the said meeting. Therefore, to throw me under the bus for the fault of others is unfair.

Editor’s Note: Wired868 notes that a WoLF vote ‘against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) [being] banned by Fifa’ is not the same thing as supporting a call for an EGM. Thus far, Rose still has not offered any proof that she had the support of the WoLF executive or membership in signing up for an EGM.

On the substantive matter of whether Rose was authorised to sign for WoLF, Susan Joseph-Warrick said she was—which Wired868 published. We therefore reject outright any suggestion that there was an inaccuracy in our initial article.

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

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #651 on: September 09, 2020, 12:25:16 AM »
Dear editor: Fifa is bluffing; if it could suspend the TTFA, it would have done so already!
Wired868.com.


“[…] Normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad is being coached by Fifa, and his game is to get the the members of the TTFA into a meeting to justify his vote before the Fifa Congress (as part of the illusion), to suspend his fellow Trinidadians from the football at the behest of some unseen hand.

“The Fifa President, Council and emergency committee will have clean hands because a Trinidadian businessman with no experience in Fifa politics is eager to hold the bloody knife…”

The following is a Letter to the Editor from ‘Free Democracy’ on the legal impasse between Fifa and the elected officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA):

“Since the 15 September EGM cannot legally remove [William] Wallace,” according to Wired868’s latest report, “the only hope from concerned stakeholders is that he can be swayed through moral persuasion, magnified by their numbers.”

And pray tell, what morality is that?

Here’s the thing though: if the Fifa President, the Fifa Emergency Committee or even the Fifa Council could ban the TTFA in this case, they would have done it already. They don’t have the legal or moral authority to carry out injustice.

So their game is to posture and create the illusion that the members (national associations) of Fifa are willing to commit this injustice while their hands (the president and his council) are clean. Nice racket eh?

They need votes in the Fifa congress beforehand to carry out this bluff against Wallace and force him to give up his rights because Fifa can’t unilaterally suspend the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.

It’s just amazing to any onlooker that the Trinidadian government does not provide clarity in this situation. But ‘crabs and barrels’ are not unique to any particular nation, creed, race, political movement or class.

‘Politics has its own morality’.

Normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad is being coached by Fifa, and his game is to get the the members of the TTFA into a meeting to justify his vote before the Fifa Congress (as part of the illusion), to suspend his fellow Trinidadians from the football at the behest of some unseen hand.

The Fifa President, Council and emergency committee will have clean hands because a Trinidadian businessman with no experience in Fifa politics is eager to hold the bloody knife. Nice work if you can get it?

The other Caribbean football presidents are being used in the same way and maybe Caricom should have a say. Maybe that’s wishful thinking. Like I said: crabs and barrels…

This thing need a calypso; but it look like Wallace have to die first, or surrender his dignity, before his people can support him.

Mr Hadad, on the other hand, could spare both nation and region the trouble, with his resignation—because he is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago first. I think…

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

Offline Tallman

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What's up with ... Trinidad and Tobago's potential FIFA suspension?
« Reply #652 on: September 11, 2020, 01:51:46 PM »
What's up with ... Trinidad and Tobago's potential FIFA suspension?
By Jon Arnold (getconcacafed.substack.com)


Last month, I launched a monthly series called “What’s up with…” in which I invite an expert to explain how things are going in their country, with a situation or another topic in the area of expertise.

Lasana Liburd doesn’t want to be as much of an expert into federation drama as he is, but the long-time sportswriter in Trinidad and Tobago once again finds himself calling officials, covering court dates and, lately, trying to figure out of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is going to be suspended from FIFA.

That may happen because just months after William Wallace (yeah, freedom, lol, we’re going to have to get past that) defeated David John-Williams to become president of the TTFA, FIFA stepped in to say the federation was being financially mismanaged and named a ‘normalisation committee’ headed by Robert Hadad.

Lasana’s coverage at Wired868 is must-read for those looking to keep up with the situation daily, but I asked Lasana if he’d give us more of a macro-view of the situation and was thrilled he agreed to take his time to do so:

JA: Thanks for doing this, Lasana.

It's probably too broad of a question to simply say, "What's going on between FIFA and the TTFA" so let's go to the beginning. Tell us about the FA elections in November and why FIFA is saying it needed to get involved.

LL: If we start with the elections in November, one must note that six days before the elections (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino flew in to Trinidad to ‘open’ the Home of Football facility — although in fact the building was unfinished and uninsured for commercial use — and in that opening he praised the stewardship of incumbent president David John-Williams and described him as a ‘teammate’

The context there is, apart from arguably inserting himself into the election process of an autonomous body, Infantino, four months later, would point to the dire state of the local game as the reason for FIFA to interfere. But between his speech and the time of implementating the normalization committee, there was no separate audit statement or anything of the sort to make the new leadership culpable for the mess.

In fact, the new leadership proved that it was working to address lapses in the financial structure of the body. So how could Infantino praise the structure of the TTFA one minute and then shut down the identical structure four months later because someone else was at the head of it?

Now this is not to say the new leadership has not made its own errors. But the reason given by the bureau of the FIFA council for normalizing Trinidad and Tobago flies in the face of Infantino’s speech last November.

JA: So, just to make sure we have it straight: FIFA is saying 'The local game is in a bad state,' and the current TTFA president, William Wallace, is saying, 'Well, you have to give us time to fix it and we already started,'? Or is there more to the initial position on either side?

LL: There is a little more to it on both sides. But I think the starting position ought to be how does Infantino, as head of the bureau of the FIFA Council, justify ejecting the elected officers of the TTFA in March for a situation that was almost exactly the same the previous November when he was gushing in praise at the football body?

JA: Right, so let's move into some of the fallout. There have been lawsuits, threats, all sorts of things happening.

What's the latest on the case and, perhaps most critically, how likely do you think it is that FIFA would suspend Trinidad and Tobago?

LL: Well, only FIFA can know how serious they are about the threats. In terms of negotiating, Infantino has been abysmal.

His offer to Wallace is essentially, ‘Leave or we will victimize your entire nation’s football programme.’ So, who is the bad guy in that scenario? Some might say Wallace, but just as many would say Infantino.

And if Wallace does leave he is forgotten in a few months or just remembered as the guy who got the boot. So there is some upside to Wallace hanging on from a personal standpoint and almost none for him walking.

JA: It definitely seems like FIFA has been sort of 'all or nothing' in its position. And yet, it does have some defenders in Trinidad and Tobago, right?

I know Brent Sancho, who our audience will likely remember from his playing days and now is the Pro League chairman if I'm not mistaken, seems to support the normalization committee. Is that simply loyalty to the past administration or is there a larger faction of people in football in Trinidad and Tobago who do think Wallace should step aside?

LL: First of all, politics is about power and Sancho has been a politician for some time now. If any elected official is in trouble, there will be some whose first notion is: How can I benefit?

Sancho’s record in local football now is one of debt and false promises for his players and it’s really sad. Google: ‘Carlos Edwards’, ‘Sancho’ and ‘Wired868’ and see what his former World Cup teammate had to say. Most players here are kids trying hard to make a living and don’t have a voice like Edwards to carry their grievances. But he is facing legal action.

Now, there definitely ARE people who are not political opportunists who are also very concerned about what Wallace is doing. Footballers, and their parents, generally just want the game to play. And you have other football stakeholders who are worried about what the impact might be.

Those people generally think that Wallace is right and FIFA is wrong but believe (Wallace) should back down anyway because the price for the footballers is too great.

Infantino is banking on that faction pushing Wallace into stepping aside. It’s not like FIFA wants Trinidad and Tobago banned. Infantino was here just last November and he probably has made four or five visits here since he was elected. In fact, I think Infantino backed himself into a corner too but his sheer incompetence and lack of foresight. So now it is also a matter of pride.

JA: Is that what it's about for Infantino and FIFA? They've picked a fight and now they have to finish it? Like, they could point to the local court decision and say, 'Ah, our bad,' but it's gone too far for that?

LL: A high court judge has gave her reasoning as to why FIFA’s normalization clause contradicts its own statutes. Understand that it’s not only in violation of the TTFA constitution but FIFA’s statutes itself.

But then we should all be able to see that ourselves

The FIFA statutes say for a country to be suspended, two thirds of its 211 member nations must agree to do so. Right?

Now normalization is a similar action in that you remember a member association’s elected officers and board in one swoop. If FIFA statutes felt the removal of a member nation was so serious that over 150 member nations had to agree before it can be done, how is it that the Bureau of the FIFA Council, which is Infantino and six confederation representatives, can do it in one meeting?

What in FIFA statutes suggest that a decision that ought to be made by over 150 countries can somehow also be made by four people (which would be the majority in a seven member meeting)?

I think Infantino and FIFA need to address that. I also think that if Infantino cannot get the newly elected president of a functionally bankrupt football nation to sit across the table from him and take his advice on board, then he really doesn’t have the quality to run a billion dollar company like FIFA.

The disagreement with the TTFA never should have gotten this far. So now Infantino must choose between what his right for his organization long term, or pride.

JA: So, what’s the knock-on effect for the senior men's national team and the rest of the football teams in the country? Obviously a suspension would be disastrous but if it doesn't come to that, does this affect the Soca Warriors, the women’s national team and others or is it somewhat separate?

LL: The Soca Warriors have been in free fall for the last five years under David John-Williams, who is the president that Infantino wants for Trinidad and Tobago. Under DJW our debt rose from about $2.7 million USD to about $7 million, and the team went from 49th in the FIFA rankings to 104th.

FIFA was very happy with DJW and Infantino referred to him as his ‘teammate’ six days before the election last November. So he can’t pretend to be concerned about how well Trinidad and Tobago does as a nation. Nobody will buy that.

Wallace has absolutely cocked up his first set of business deals as TTFA president. Personally, there are very good reasons for him to be removed. But Trinidad and Tobago knows all about FIFA morality and all about FIFA’s meddling. So for many people, FIFA is the last one we want around trying to ‘help’.

After FIFA gave Jack Warner absolute authority over the Caribbean for close to three decades, all Trinidad wants now is a chance to build its own game without Zurich trying to manipulate things for its own interest.

JA: Seems totally fair to me. Hopefully the situation works out and the players and those growing the sport are the ones who truly benefit.

Thanks again to Lasana for his time. Make sure you follow him on social media and click over to his website to support his work on an important story in the region!
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #653 on: September 11, 2020, 04:13:15 PM »
Oops! Hadad blunder appears to rule TTFA EGM on Fifa court case as illegal.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad appears to have erred in his announcement of an extraordinary general meeting on 15 September, which was called to address possible Fifa sanctions against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA)—due to an ongoing legal case by the TTFA’s elected officers.

Fifa gave TTFA president William Wallace and his United TTFA slate until 16 September to withdraw its court case and members responded by requesting an extraordinary general meeting, which aims to draw a line under the matter.

The problem, according to Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer—one of the framers of the TTFA’s Constitution—is that three from the 25 signatories on the list are not accredited delegates.

“Article 29.2 of the TTFA Constitution requires that the persons who have signed the list requesting the EGM must be accredited delegates to the General Meeting of the TTFA,” stated Downer, in a letter to Hadad that was copied to the media, “at the time the request letter was signed on or before 3 September 2020…”

The last TTFA general meeting was on 24 November 2019 and the only members to properly inform the local body of a change in delegates since then was the Eastern Football Association (EFA), which replaced Brian Joseph, Dharia Nelson-Seales and Clinton Lewis with Ansil Elcock, Charley David and Keyon Edwards.

However, in the letter requesting the EGM, the delegates for Pro League teams AC Port of Spain and San Juan Jabloteh as well as Super League outfit Club Sando FC were changed—with Ryan Nunes, Jerry Hospedales and Derek Lange replacing Michael Awai, Phillip Fraser and Steve Gopeesingh respectively.

It means Hadad’s petition had 22 proper signatures, when it needed at least 24.

The TTFA Constitution mandates that members need at least 10 days notice before an EGM can be called. So, even if the clubs fix the problem, they cannot hold the meeting until 18 September at the earliest—which is two days after the Fifa deadline.

Downer chided Hadad too on his failure to inform the TTFA’s member associations of the apparent suspension of general secretary Ramesh Ramdhan.

“Fifa did not suspend the constitution of the TTFA,” stated Downer. “Neither did Fifa remove the general secretary… The word is that the TTFA GS has been suspended by the chairman of the local NC.

“If this is true then the member associations of the TTFA—the real employers of the GS—most certainly, should have been informed of such a move and the reasons for such.”

Hadad, who is employed by Fifa and has never held a recognised role within the local game, supposedly told employees that he often leans on controversial former TTFA president David John-Williams and interim Pro League chairman Brent Sancho for counsel on football matters.

Last week, national football coaches were perplexed when normalisation committee members suggested that Fifa Forward money had to be used to meet some of the association’s long-standing debts, and there may not be enough left to cover their salaries.

Committee members also expressed surprise that the coaches’ contracts—Soca Warriors head coach Terry Fenwick approved—were all board approved with minutes to support it.

Coaches had to explain to Hadad and his colleagues, who included vice-chair Judy Daniel and Nigel Romano, that Fifa Forward money could only be used to cover operating costs, which included the salaries of coaches.

Downer suggested that Hadad’s ignorance of the constitution might have cost the normalisation committee its last chance to formally address the United TTFA’s court case before Fifa’s deadline.

Hadad, as usual, could not be reached for comment.

The following is the full statement from TTFRA vice-president Osmond Downer to normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad, which was forwarded to the media:

I, as an accredited delegate to the general meeting of the TTFA, take this opportunity to accept the offer stated in the last sentence of the convocation letter for the [15 September] EGM, signed by Mr Robert Hadad, chairman of the normalisation committee (NC) instituted for the TTFA by Fifa, which invited any questions or comments from Members constituting the TTFA.

Let me make it clear from the start that I am not trying here to obstruct the convening of this EGM; but really to make sure that, after a large amount of time and energy is spent on holding this meeting, all decisions made at the meeting may not be declared null and void because of it not being convened in keeping with the constitution of the TTFA.

My first question is: why was the convocation letter for this EGM not signed by the duly constitutionally appointed general secretary of the TTFA—as has always been the accepted practice for all general meetings held for all the past very many years?

As stated in my last letter to you of 30 August, Fifa—in its letters of 17 and 27 March 2020—replaced only the executive (board of directors) of the TTFA by the NC.

Fifa did not suspend the constitution of the TTFA. Neither did Fifa remove the general secretary. In fact, as stated in my 30 August letter, I understand that Fifa, on the contrary, wrote the GS—after the installation of the NC—requesting him to work with and cooperate with the NC.

I understand also that, in the recent installation of a NC in neighbouring Guyana, Fifa appointed Mr Richard Groden from Trinidad and Tobago to be the secretary to the Guyana NC.

Could this be the reason why FIFA requested our GS to work with the NC as secretary to the committee?

The word is that the TTFA GS has been suspended by the chairman of the local NC. If this is true then the member associations of the TTFA—the real employers of the GS—most certainly, should have been informed of such a move and the reasons for such.

Now, for the request for the convening of the EGM. Article 29 of the TTFA Constitution is clear as to the protocol for requesting such an EGM: ‘… if a majority (more than 50%) of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting make such a request’.

Who are ‘accredited delegates’? We see that there are a total of 47 delegates. So, at least 24 are required to request an EGM.

Section 3 states ‘delegates must belong to the member that they represent and be appointed or elected by the appropriate body of that member’. No delegate appoints him or herself. (Note also ‘on an annual basis’.) The Oxford Dictionary’s  definition of the word delegate is ‘a person who represents others and acts according to their instructions’.

Usually the member associations of the TTFA select their delegates in time for the elective Annual General Meeting, where the members of the board of directors for the next four year term are selected.

These delegates usually remain appointed for the whole of the four year term, but delegates can be replaced for any general meeting convened during the four year term, with appropriate letters to the TTFA’s secretariat from their member associations.

Now, let us look at the situation concerning the EGM to be convened on September 15—[based on] the minutes of the 2019 AGM. The named delegates for this AGM were appointed for that elective AGM.

They remain the accredited delegates until they have been changed by their member associations in keeping with Article 22.3, and such changes must be communicated in writing in to the secretariat of the TTFA.

My reliable information is that only one of the members of the TTFA has written to the TTFA Secretariat informing earlier this year about the change of officers and accredited delegates to the general meetings. That member is the Eastern Football Association (EFATT).

Article 29.2 of the TTFA Constitution requires that the persons who have signed the list requesting the EGM must be accredited delegates to the General Meeting of the TTFA at the time the request letter was signed on or before 3 September 2020.

Twenty-five persons have signed the list requesting the EGM. My careful study of the list of persons who have requested the EGM in their letter of 3 September, and of the list of accredited delegates to the 2019 AGM, has revealed the following:

TTPL: For AC Port of Spain, Mr Ryan Nunes has replaced Mr Michael Awai; and for San Juan Jabloteh, Mr Jerry Hospedales has replaced Mr Phillip Fraser.

TTSL: For Club Sando FC, one Mr Lange has replaced Mr Steve Gopeesingh.

Finally, I would like to draw the attention of members to Article 14.4 of the constitution which states: ‘Members that do not participate in activities of TTFA (eg sporting activities) for two consecutive years shall automatically be suspended from voting at the General Meeting’.

Hoping that the above statements are treated with the seriousness that they deserve.

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

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #654 on: September 11, 2020, 05:05:06 PM »
Hadad: Changes to member delegates made in writing.
By Ian Prescott (Express).


Meeting legit

“It should be noted that at least three TTFA members communicated to the TTFA in writing, of changes to member delegates, prior to the TTFA Normalisation Committee receiving the request by the member delegates to convene the EGM.” This is according to Robert Hadad, chairman of FIFA-instituted Normalisation Committee.

Further, Hadad has concluded that these three members have legal standing and that the upcoming September 15 Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Extraordinary Meeting (EGM) is legal. However, Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer had stated otherwise in a correspondence a few days ago.

Hadad’s written communication came in response to correspondences from Defence Force Football Club (Super League) manager Ryan Ottley and Downer, dated September 5 and 6, 2020. Downer had raised concerns about the legal standing of three delegates and their eligibility to vote at the EGM.

In addressing Ottley and Downer’s correspondences, Hadad also announced that eight Trinidad and Tobago Super League delegates eligible to vote next Tuesday, remain unchanged. Among those seeking the EGM were three members of the Super League.

“The eight member delegates of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League are elected on an annual basis and remain unchanged unless changes are officially communicated by the member. Member clubs of any particular member, who are not delegates, may observe the EGM, at the discretion of the General Meeting but will have no rights to debate or vote (Article 21 (3)).”

Earlier this week, Downer had concluded that without suspended TTFA General Secretary Ramesh Ramdhan’s signature, the EGM notice is invalid. However, Hadad also countered that as chairman of the Normalisation Committee, he had the authority to sanction the meeting, in the absence of Ramdhan. FIFA appointed Hadad as chairman of its Normalisation Committee after dissolving the TTFA executive, led by president William Wallace on March 17.

“We note that in accordance with the TTFA Constitution, the chairman of the TTFA Normalisation Committee, which now acts as the executive body of the TTFA, is vested with the authority to issue correspondence,” Hadad stated via correspondence. “The TTFA general secretary, Mr Ramesh Ramdhan, has been suspended pending an enquiry into the entry of several contracts by the TTFA. We wish to make it clear that we are not imputing any dishonest motive against the general secretary.”

“The general secretary has made a request that the matter be referred to mediation for a resolution to which request we have agreed. We do not wish to comment further on this matter at this time to preserve the integrity of the process and the reputations of all concerned.”

In requesting the EGM, TTFA members were reacting to an ultimatum from FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura, who has given the former TTFA executive a September 16 deadline to withdraw a court action it brought against FIFA—in contravention of the world body’s statutes which prohibit member associations from settling disputes in local courts.

Wallace and his three vice-presidents—known as United TTFA—have challenged the decision of FIFA to dissolve the four-month-old executive and install its own management committee.

Hadad claimed that he was acting in accordance with the TTFA constitution, after the majority of voting TTFA delegates requested to have an EGM to address concerns arising out of concern that T&T face an international football ban.

“In accordance with Article 29 (2) of the TTFA Constitution, a request to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was received from more than 50 per cent of the accredited TTFA Member Delegates. In reply, the TTFA Normalisation Committee issued convocation for an EGM to be held on Tuesday 15th September, 2020.”

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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #655 on: September 11, 2020, 06:35:22 PM »
NFA clubs vote unanimously for EGM.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).


The Northern Football Association (NFA) is not in support of T&T being sanctioned by the sport's world governing body, FIFA.

At a meeting of the association's membership which was done via zoom on Thursday night, the clubs appeared to have gone against their support for the United TTFA and its members - William Wallace, Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick, Joseph Sam Phillip, Keith Look Loy and Anthony Harford, by unanimously voting 10-0 to have an Emergency General Meeting (EGM), which is being called by the TTFA membership to stop the United TTFA from taking legal actions against FIFA.

The United TTFA is challenging the decision by FIFA to appoint a Normalisation Committee on March 17 to manage local football, a decision that came three months into the United TTFA's term in office, since their victory at the polls in November, last year.

If they are able to stop the court battle by the September 16 deadline, the date given by FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura in a release last week for the United TTFA to pull the matter out of the court system and abide by the FIFA Statutes of allowing the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland to settle the dispute between the parties, the TTFA will face sanctions or be suspended.

This means that the country will be prevented from participating at World Cup Qualifiers from youth to senior levels inclusive of Girls and Women's football, preventing the country from taking part at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and CFU tournaments, preventing local clubs from going beyond the boundaries of football in T&T, preventing local referees from being scheduled for tournaments outside of T&T and blocking all international friendly matches.

NFA secretary Rayshawn Mars said the executive, in the interest of democracy and fairness, consulted with its membership to make a decision on whether to support the United TTFA, of which their president Harford is a supporter or the EGM which will ensure that the country can continue to aspire for football greatness.

From the NFA's roster of 16 clubs in the Premier Division, 10 teams - St Francois Nationals, Cultural Roots United, Trendsetter Hawks, Belmont FC, Harvard, Cantaro United, Patna River Estate, Miscellaneous Laventille United, Frontline FC and Malvern - all voted to have the EGM. The other six teams - RSSR, Morvant Elements, Combine Forces, Seekers FC, Paramin FC and North Coast FC - did not tune in to the meeting, for unknown reasons.

Mars said the clubs all receive reminders a day before the meeting. Calls were made to Harford, yesterday but they went unanswered.

The meeting was initially carded for last week Mars stated but because it failed to have a quorum, it was set to go on as planned, regardless of the turnout, on Thursday.

Mars, a former footballer himself, explained that the clubs really voted for the country not to be banned, saying otherwise they believe the actions of FIFA to remove a democratically elected executive, was a wrong one.

With the support of the NFA, the membership may feel comfortable now, after claims they have already received more than 50 per cent support to demand an EGM, as well as remove the United TTFA, which requires 70 per cent support. Robert Hadad, chairman of the Normalisation Committee has already scheduled the EGM for September 15 which the membership is eagerly awaiting.

The United TTFA has already claimed a round-one victory when Justice Carol Gobin, ruled that the matter can be settled in T&T High Court, despite it being a violation of the FIFA Statutes. The matter is now set for a show-down in the Court of Appeal on October 19.

Despite the date for the appeal-hearing, Samoura on August 26 called on TTFA to ignore the court ruling and move the case to the CAS, saying: “As you are aware, FIFA is extremely concerned regarding the decision of the claim and the arguments used to dismiss FIFA’s application. In this context, we draw your attention to article 59 of the FIFA Statutes, which expressly contains the prohibition of recourse to ordinary courts of law unless specifically provided for. FIFA takes such a principle with the utmost seriousness and therefore considers that it is the responsibility of its member associations to ensure that this principle is implemented.

"We further wish to underline that the failure to meet these obligations may, according to article 14 para 4 of the FIFA Statutes, lead to sanctions as provided for in the FIFA Statutes, including a possible suspension.”

In spite of this, Wallace and his team remain grounded in their stance and will continue to seek redress.

Meanwhile, the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) was to meet on Thursday evening as well to decided on whether to support the United TTFA or the TTFA membership. However, the meeting was postponed as its members wanted to wait until viewing the CNC3's football exposé on former TTFA president David John-Williams before a decision could have been made. The report highlighted the alleged wrongdoings of John-Williams during his tenure at the head of local football.

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

Offline ABTrini

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #656 on: September 12, 2020, 08:13:44 AM »
I amappaluaded by the treatment of individuals  who have been deemed to be coaches of our national teams.
The appointed head of this normalization committee at the least could have respectfully given them an audience, outline the plans of their employment or retention. Of services and create a positive working relationship as oppose to locking them out.

Utter disrespect

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #657 on: September 12, 2020, 09:05:24 AM »
TTFA files injunction to stop EGM.
T&T Guardian Reports.


The attorneys for former president of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) William Wallace and his team have filed an injunction on Friday to stop Tuesday's Emergency General Meeting (EGM) by the sports' general membership from taking place.

The injunction filed with the Registrar of the High Court of Justice, comes two days after questions were raised about the legitimacy of the meeting by Osmond Downer, the T&T Football Referees Association (T&TFRA) vice president, who also worked on the TTFA amended constitution in 2015, and a day after Robert Hadad, the chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation committee (NC) which also comprise attorney Judy Daniel (deputy chairman) and former banker Nigel Romano (member), wrote to the membership informing them that the meeting is on and all concerns that were raised have been resolved.

Justice Carol Gobin, who ruled in the TTFA favour on August 13, that the T&T High Court can hear the former TTFA executive officers' appeal against the implementation of a NC, will hear the application during a Case Management conference on Monday.

In its application to the T&T High Court of Justice naming the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association as the claimant and FIFA as the defendant, has asked the court for the following:

1) taking any further steps to convene and/or conduct any meeting, on the 15th September 2020 or any other date, which purports to be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Claimant;

2) instructing and/or directing any person or persons to seek to withdraw the instant claim and/or in any way, manner of fashion from interfering with or seeking to undermine, the instant proceedings, except by way of lawful representations made by the Defendant’s duly appointed Attorneys-at-Law or other lawful intervention

3) making use of and/or publication of the Claimant’s Official Logo, Letterhead, and Stamp/Seal; and 2. That the Defendant do pay the costs of this Application.

The application has listed 20 grounds for the TTFA requests, while Williams has produced an affidavit with 20 documents which comprised among others, the membership signed petition letter dated August 28, the response from Hadad dated September 4, agreeing to convene the EGM on September 15 and the August 26 letter from general secretary of FIFA Fatma Samoura, addressed to Hadad, warning that TTFA would face sanctions if it did not withdraw the matter out of the T&T High Court by September 16.

Wallace is claiming that at item 12 of his affidavit that the stakeholders meeting which the Shamfa Cudjoe, the Ministry of Sports and Community Development called on August 28, he believed was attended by Hadad, and the previous TTFA President, David John-Williams as well as other persons, was to request and convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the TTFA.

The affidavit gives a general account from the first day of FIFA's take over of T&TFA on March 17 with all relevant documents and email correspondences between parties.

Wallace and his three vice presidents Joseph Sam Phillip, Clynt Taylor and Susan Joseph-Warrick and associates Keith Look Loy, the president of the T&T Super League and Anthony Harford, the president of the Northern Football Association, have always resisted FIFA's decision to implement a Normalisation committee to manage the TTFA after it enforced Article 8.2 of the FIFA Statutes which 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.

The TTFA is represented by attorney Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Crystal Paul and Jason Jones, while FIFA's legal team is Cherie Gopie and M. Hamel-Smith & Co.

RELATED NEWS

‘Contemptuous!’ Wallace asks High Court to stop EGM and ‘restrain’ Fifa’s normalisation committee
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president William Wallace has asked the High Court to block the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee from holding an Extraordinary General Meeting on 15 September, as the two bodies continue to fight over the right to run the local game.

On 4 September, normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad announced that the ad hoc body would ‘convene’ an EGM, in keeping with the TTFA Constitution—after a request by 25 of the local football body’s 47 delegates. (There is some dispute whether three of the signatories were valid.)

The agenda of the meeting includes: ‘the recognition of the Fifa-installed normalisation committee’ and ‘consequences of initiating court matter against Fifa in local court’.

The member delegates’ request for an EGM came soon after Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura’s threat to ‘commence suspension proceedings’ against the TTFA, as a result of Wallace’s legal action against the the global body.

On 13 August, High Court Judge Carol Gobin ruled that Wallace and his vice-presidents can challenge Fifa’s attempt to remove them from their elected posts in the local courts. Fifa is appealing the decision.

Wallace and his vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip, via their attorneys, contend that the actions of Fifa and its local agent, Hadad, since then, are ‘wholly improper and/or contemptuous’ of Justice Gobin’s ruling.

Wallace and his vice-presidents, whose actions are filed as the TTFA, are represented by Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones and Crystal Paul of the New City Chambers.

Fifa is represented by attorneys Christopher Hamel-Smith SC, Jonathan Walker and Cherie Gopie from M Hamel-Smith and Co.

Today, Wallace’s legal team asked the High Court for an interim injunction to prohibit Fifa and any of its agents and/or appointees, including the normalisation committee, from:

1. Taking any further steps to convene and/or conduct any meeting, on the 15th September 2020 or any other date, which purports to be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the TTFA;

2. Instructing and/or directing any person or persons to seek to withdraw the instant claim and/or in any way, manner of fashion from interfering with or seeking to undermine, the instant proceedings, except by way of lawful representations made by Fifa’s duly appointed attorneys-at-law or other lawful intervention;

3. Making use of and/or publication of the TTFA’s official logo, letterhead, and stamp/seal.

Wallace, through an affidavit filed today, accused Fifa of trying to subvert the court.

“Notwithstanding the live proceedings before the High Court and the Court of Appeal,” stated Wallace, “Fifa has, since the ruling of the High Court on 13th August 2020, simultaneously sought to adopt and employ various unsavoury, collateral tactics seemingly aimed at subverting the adjudication of the [TTFA’s] claim before the Honourable Court.

“I am advised and I verily believe that Fifa’s conduct, since the Honourable Court’s ruling on 13th August 2020, amounts to a direct and/or indirect usurpation of the [TTFA’s] lawful authority and powers which form part of [TTFA’s] claim—yet to be fully ventilated and/or adjudicated upon, before the High Court of Justice.”

Wallace pointed to the ‘recalcitrance’ of Fifa’s public statements on 8 July and 20 July respectively, which stated that the Zurich-based body ‘will never, accept the jurisdiction of a local court in Trinidad and Tobago to decide on the legality of the appointment of the normalisation committee’; and ‘the only recognised path […] is CAS’.

“I am very concerned that if Fifa and/or its delegates and/or appointees are not restrained in the terms of this application,” stated Wallace’s application, “it will continue to take steps to: improperly and/or unlawfully interfere in the [TTFA’s] day-to-day management; misrepresent the [TTFA] through the improper and/or unlawful use of the [TTFA’s] official logo, letterhead and stamp/seal; misrepresent the [TTFA] by purporting to be acting pursuant to the [TTFA’s] powers and/or constitution; and take further steps to improperly undermine the [TTFA] proceeding with its claim before the Honourable Court.”

The TTFA’s claim noted that Hadad along with normalisation committee vice-chairperson July Daniel and ordinary member Nigel Romano, were served legal warnings of their conduct in relation to the convened AGM—but proceeded anyway.

Wallace also referenced ‘an unauthorised meeting […] convened and coordinated by the Ministry of Sport of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’.

“Coming out of this meeting which, I am informed and I verily believe was attended by Mr Hadad, the Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe, and the previous TTFA President, Mr David John-Williams as well as other persons,” stated Wallace, “is a letter dated the 28th August 2020 addressed to the FIFA appointed Mr Hadad as chairman of the ‘normalisation committee’, which purports to be a request to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the TTFA.”

Wallace repeated his previous claim that the Ministry of Sport’s invitation for him to attend the online meeting: ‘went to my junk mail’.

“Meetings of the TTFA and its affiliates are mandated by Article 17 of the constitution to take place free from external / third party influence,” stated Wallace. “This includes government involvement and/or pressure. Ironically, Article 15 of [Fifa’s Statutes] also prohibits political involvement in the operation of its members.”

Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe has made it clear that the government would drastically reduce funding to the TTFA if the local body is suspended by Fifa. However, it is uncertain if she or her ministry played any role in the call for an EGM.

Cudjoe not be reached for comment up to the time of publication.

According to article 29 of the TTFA Constitution, the board can call an EGM at any time while the board is also obliged to hold one at the written request of ‘a majority (more than 50%) of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting’.

The constitution further states that: ‘if an Extraordinary General Meeting is not convened within the indicated time, the delegates who requested it may convene the Extraordinary General Meeting themselves’.

Fifa insists that its normalisation committee has replaced the TTFA Board. However, if members insist on holding an EGM, they could feasibly redo their motion and, this time, send it to Wallace—as chairman of the TTFA board.

The TTFA president cannot lawfully refuse the will of the majority of the football body’s members. But the members cannot possibly convene such a meeting, in keeping with the time frame given by the constitution, before Fifa’s deadline for the withdrawal of the TTFA’s case from the High Court.

Ironically, Wallace’s request that the High Court block the normalisation committee from playing any role in the TTFA’s daily operations comes months after the Hadad-led party took control of the local body’s secretariat and offices.

At present, the normalisation committee is locked in talks with national football coaches regarding remuneration for contracts entered into by Wallace’s administration; and it has already paid staff salaries.

Thus far, there has been no comment from either Fifa or its normalisation committee to the football president’s latest legal manoeuvre.

Last night, CNC3 investigative journalist Mark Bassant did an hour long piece, which suggested that Fifa might have allowed—inadvertently or otherwise—former TTFA president David John-Williams to spirit away up to US$1.5 million in funding meant for the Couva Home of Football.

John-Williams’ behaviour might therefore have contributed significantly, in more ways than one, to Fifa’s attempt to remove Wallace, who was hell-bent on investigating the controversial venue.

Wallace is seeking to retain control of the local football body. And, today, he again complained to the High Court that Fifa is not fighting fair.

“Unfortunately, Fifa appears to have adopted an uncompromising posture and has resorted to a range of methods including direct threats of punitive action against the [TTFA] and/or the [TTFA’s] duly elected representatives,” stated Wallace’s affidavit, “to indirect and subversive tactics in the form of the Fifa’s Normalisation Committee’s improper efforts to convene an Extraordinary Ordinary Meeting in the name of the [TTFA].

“I believe that an injunction in the terms of this Application has become necessary to preserve the status quo, and most importantly to ensure that the instant claim can be determined meaningfully by the Honourable Court. If [Fifa] is not restrained, it has indicated an intention to attempt to unilaterally and improperly withdraw the claim from the Honourable Court.”

United TTFA wants court stop Sept 15 meeting
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (Newsday).


Attorneys representing the ousted TT Football Association (TTFA) executive have filed an injunction in the TT High Court to stop the September 15 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of TTFA members which is being facilitated by the FIFA normalisation committee, headed by Robert Hadad.

This hearing is set for Monday.

The EGM has been adjudged “illegal” by the removed administration of president William Wallace and his deputies Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip, who are members of the United TTFA team that took over the helm of the TTFA at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November 2019.

However, the executive was removed by FIFA and replaced by the normalisation committee on March 17 owing to mounting TTFA debt and "a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity."

Wallace and his executive are challenging their removal.

The September 15 meeting was called to address United TTFA's contentious High Court battle against FIFA. The world governing body insists the Court of Arbitration for Sport is the sole body authorised to handle disputes between FIFA and Member Associations.

The injunction, which was filed on Friday, seeks to prohibit FIFA and/or the normalisation committee from “taking any further steps to convene and/or conduct any meeting, on September 15, 2020 or any other date, which purports to be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the claimant (TTFA).

United TTFA also responded to an August 26 FIFA letter to the normalisation committee instructing them to warn United TTFA that the local governing body would face disciplinary proceedings if it did not withdraw the claim against FIFA in the local court by September 16.

The injunction seeks to stop the “instructing and/or directing any person or persons to seek to withdraw the instant claim and/or in any way, manner of fashion from interfering with or seeking to undermine, the instant proceedings, except by way of lawful representations made by the defendant’s (FIFA) duly appointed attorneys-at-law or other lawful intervention”.

It also seeks to stop the normalisation committee from “making use of and/or publication of the claimant’s official logo, letterhead and stamp/seal” but affirms the defendant “pay the costs of this application”.

« Last Edit: September 14, 2020, 04:42:40 PM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #658 on: September 12, 2020, 09:24:23 AM »
If you want to lead, you must read! Downer hits back at Sancho over TTFA EGM blunder.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


Interim Pro League chairman Brent Sancho and former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams both received copies of the amended TTFA Constitution on 22 September 2019.

So too did AC Port of Spain directors Ryan Nunes and Michael Awai, the San Juan Jabloteh office and Club Sando FC owner Eddison Dean.

Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer shared an email thread, 12 months ago, when then general secretary Camara David informed the TTFA’s board of directors and membership of the latest constitutional amendments.

Yesterday, Downer wrote a letter to Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad which advised him that he might have erred in calling an Extraordinary General Meeting on the strength of three signatories who were not accredited delegates—in keeping with article 29.2 of the constitution.

Sancho, believed to be an informal advisor to Hadad along with John-Williams, responded in a Newsday article by insulting Downer.

“Why everything that Downer says is correct?” said Sancho. “[…] I find it strange that all these things are coming here to try to obstruct this meeting, which is sad.

“[…] For [Downer] to continuously try to come up with these claims, it’s sad for a man who supposedly stands on solid ground.”

Downer, a former St Augustine Secondary principal, said he was perplexed by Sancho’s response. The veteran administrator, one of the framers of the TTFA Constitution, said he was only trying to help—as he always does on such matters.

“I am not an obstructionist; they should have studied the damn constitution before they made their move!” Downer told Wired868. “All through the past years, people have consulted me by phone whenever they have a problem, and I gave my free advice.

“If they had asked me, I would have told them the correct approach. I have cleared up constitutional points in previous years for a quite a few members.”

Hadad’s apparent faux pas means the request for the TTFA’s 15 September EGM had 22 valid signatures, which is two shy of the figure needed to demand a meeting.

The timing is crucial as Hadad is mandated by Fifa to compel or coerce besieged TTFA president William Wallace to drop his High Court case, which seeks to block the normalisation committee from taking control of the local football body.

Fifa’s deadline for Wallace to do so, according to a missive by secretary general Fatma Samoura, is 16 September. If Hadad corrects the apparent error now, the minimum 10 day waiting period before an EGM can be called means a new date of 18 September.

Downer, contrary to Sancho’s inference, has every intention of attending the EGM. His only hope is that it could be a legitimate one.

Article 29.2 states: ‘The Board of Directors shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, if a majority (more than 50%) of the accredited delegates to the General Meeting make such a  request in writing.’

Downer said the amendment was made because the Pro League had 12 clubs at the time but was allowed 10 delegates while the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) had nearly two dozen teams with eight delegates.

Members felt clarity was needed to ensure the right persons were representing the respective bodies, and, to make the process simple, no deadline was given for the change of delegates.

San Juan Jabloteh, Club Sando FC and AC Port of Spain could have informed the TTFA’s secretariat of their change in delegates just seconds before they sent their request for the EGM, and it would have been deemed legal.

However, there is no record of them doing so and neither Hadad nor the movers of the motion picked up on the apparent error.

If Hadad, Sancho and company put pride before precision and don’t address the mistake, it could be a wasted exercise for the TTFA’s members.

“I am not trying to prevent a meeting,” said Downer. “I am wondering if Sancho and the others consulted the constitution before they made their move—such an important move. Because the constitution is clear and I always quote constitution.

“As I said in my letter, it would not be good to call a meeting, everyone devotes time and energy to the meeting, especially someone like me, and then to find out afterwards that all the discussions and decisions are null and void.

“[…] I for one will be glad if we have a proper meeting and I will appear and give my opinion… I wouldn’t mind a meeting, I am not stopping any meeting; but call it properly. That’s all.”

Regardless of the authenticity of the signatures, Wallace and fellow United TTFA member Keith Look Loy said they will not attend the EGM.

Wallace said the fact that the normalisation committee called the EGM makes it a non-starter for him. At present, Wallace is contesting the legitimacy of the Fifa-appointed committee in court and, Fifa apart, Hadad is not recognised as being in control of the local game by either the courts or the banks.

“Put simply we are before the court to challenge the status of the normalisation committee,” said Wallace, “so it is impossible for me to go to a meeting chaired by this same committee. All things considered, we will eventually organise a meeting with membership.”

Wired868 asked Wallace when he and his vice-presidents, Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip, plan to meet the TTFA membership.

“We as a team will have some discussions on the matter over the weekend,” said Wallace.

The TTFA Constitution says its board of directors are responsible for convening an EGM. The problem is Fifa claimed to have dismantled the board on 13 March and replaced it with the normalisation committee, but via a process that is not explicitly recognised in the constitution of the local body.

So how do members call a legal meeting in those conditions?

Article 29.2 hints at a solution: ‘If an Extraordinary General Meeting is not convened within the indicated time, the delegates who requested it may convene the Extraordinary General Meeting themselves. As a last resort, the members may request assistance from Fifa and Concacaf.’

It is uncertain whether Hadad or Sancho are aware of such.

In other football news today, Concacaf announced that the preliminary round of the Qatar 2020 World Cup has been postponed until the March 2021 Fifa international match window, due to travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in some member nations.

The Soca Warriors were due to play Guyana on 8 October in their opening fixture, with both teams drawn in Group F alongside Puerto Rico, St Kitts and Nevis and Bahamas. Only the winner will advance to the next stage.

Editor’s Note: Wired868 will upload the new version of the TTFA Constitution by Wednesday 9 September.

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

Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA appoints normalisation committee for Trinidad and Tobago football
« Reply #659 on: September 14, 2020, 12:15:48 PM »
CoP Griffith questions EGM injunction.
By Ian Prescott (Express).


LISTEN TO THE MEMBERS

United TTFA headed by William Wallace is aiming to stop tomorrow’s scheduled Emergency General Meeting of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association. But Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is calling for what he describes as “good sense” to prevail.

Today, there is scheduled to be a hearing over the injunction filed by United TTFA to stop the EGM being conducted under the direction of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee. The meeting was set to take place just a day before the September 16 deadline established by the world governing body for Wallace and his executive to withdraw their challenge of the Normalisation Committee in the High Court.

In a statement yesterday, however, Commissioner Griffith said: “At a time when we are on the brink of possibly being blacklisted and banned from all International football as well as loss of all funding by FIFA, due to the decision by United TTFA to proceed via the local court in the present impasse, as I pleaded weeks ago, what is needed is not confrontation and battles in court, but dialogue and communication.”

And in particular, the CoP focused on the proposed EGM.

Saying he was pleased to hear of a “meeting with all 46 clubs to decide the direction and decision in this issue, which can make or break our football,” CoP Griffith added: “The administrators of football, be it the United TTFA, Normalisation Committee or whoever, simply represent them (membership) at boardroom meetings, and make decisions based on what they direct, and hence their views, via these delegates, should be the catalyst towards the direction of where this goes...United TTFA, Normalisation Committee or whoever, should be doing nothing other than adhere to the directive of these major stakeholders.”

He said he was disappointed to hear of the injunction, “to prevent these same members from having their views and voices heard via the planned Extraordinary General Meeting [EGM] on 15th September 2020, based on the premise that the Normalisation Committee should not have the authority to call such a meeting.”

Griffith declared: “We must serve to lead, and respect the wishes of the membership whereby over 30 of the 47 delegates have asked for such a meeting. To prevent calling such a meeting, or to delay it, can cause some to perceive that it is not the desire of those in authority to listen or adhere to the views of who they represent, and also a perception of a deliberate delay to ensure that 16th September passes...and the decision made to have us possibly suspended.”

The FIFA Congress is scheduled for Friday.

However, in stating its position last week, United TTFA remained steadfast. Via a release it stated in part: “United TTFA refuses to bow to FIFA and its discredited Normalisation Committee in its effort to remove the Wallace administration... “The chairman of the Normalisation Committee must resign immediately. FIFA must remove the Normalisation Committee and must recognise the elected TTFA officers. FIFA must begin talks with said officers to devise a joint approach to existing issues.”

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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