2021 T&T Super League Thread

[Flex]

Rigues summons TTSL membership to elect leader.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).

For the second time in nine months, football's general membership will be called upon to decide on the way forward in local football.

First, the T&T Football Association's (TTFA) general membership was needed to chart a way forward in the midst of a heated battle between the sport's world governing body, FIFA, and the TTFA being led by William Wallace, which subsequently resulted in the TTFA bein suspended from FIFA until further notice.

Now, the membership of the T&T Super League (TTSL) is being summoned to a meeting to decide on whether Jameson Rigues, the TTSL's First vice president will be the person to take over the leadership of the organisation, following the resignation of its president Keith Look Loy on October 16. The meeting was called by Rigues, who to date, appears not to have been accepted by the Board of Directors of the TTSL, as the person to take over the reigns of the organisation.

Immediately after the submission of the resignation letter, the board took a decision to ask Look Loy to stay on until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM), which Guardian Media Sports was told is likely to be in December. However, although Look Loy, the controversial TTFA member who was caught smack in the centre of the TTFA vs FIFA dispute, rejected the call for his return, the Board appears to be making a second call for the former president to stay on.

Rigues is now pointing the membership to Article 39.7 of the Constitution that would put him in charge. A release sent out yesterday from Rigues, states: "In keeping with the TTSL Constitution, Article 39.7, in my capacity as First Vice-President, I have assumed the responsibilities of President of the TTSL with immediate effect, with the resignation of Mr. Keith Look Loy.

The TTSL Constitution, Article 39.7 - If the position of the President becomes vacant, the First Vice-President shall assume the President's responsibilities until the next General Meeting. This General Meeting shall elect a new President for the remaining period of office."

He noted further: "I wish to put on record my humble view and stated position that any such decision of recall or non-acceptance of the resignation of the President should have been brought to you the membership for any such consideration. Having accepted the duties and responsibilities of the TTSL presidency, I wish to personally invite you, each member of the TTSL to contact me directly with any and all matters you consider important to your Organization and the TTSL which I shall properly review."

One Board member who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday said he is unsure of what the problem is with Rigues, since he is currently holding the position of interim president. The member, from of the top eight TTSL club, said he is unsure whether the Board could have opted to call on Look Loy to return when instead of following exactly what the constitution says, but he believes they should. He made it clear however that the membership will have the final say.

He told Guardian Media Sports that Rigues was among the Board meeting which decided on a recall of Look Loy.

Rigues said in spite of the constitutional breach he will not consider legal action, as T&T football needs to take a break from court matters now, in light of the recent legal battle between the TTFA and the FIFA.

However, he is promising members that if he is elected president at the AGM he will be president for all of the TTSL and not some. "I also intend for the organisation to be transparent always, the organisation must be a democratic and unbiased organisation. I personally would like to work to ensure the organisation is more advanced and more competitive," Rigues said.

[Tallman]

Morris to challenge Rigues for Super League president
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)

A hotly contested race for the presidency of the T&T Super League has developed.

Interim president Jameson Rigues, who took over from former president Keith Look Loy following his resignation on October 16, is set to face challenges from former Strike Squad captain Clayton Morris for the leadership position.

Morris, 58, confirmed that he will be contesting the presidency, and will continue to advocate for total support to the players, who he considers the most important stakeholders. There have also been rumours that board member Colin Murray has signalled his intention to contest the position.

However, Murray said on Wednesday that he will not be contesting the TTSL election, insisting while he is comfortable on the board, he does not want any part of leading the organisation.

Morris, on the other hand, advanced his case in an interview with Guardian Media Sports, "It's not a matter of who I am up against, the thing is that I am putting up myself to give the delegates an option in one that, if you go back to my comments from ever since I have been a player, I have always been one to vouch for players, for respect for players, respect for coaches, so that administrations can understand that players are the main stakeholders in the sport," Morris said.

Morris, a 1989 Strike Squad standout, who has been the coach of the University of the T&T (UTT) for the past seven years, said he wants to join the fight to lift the country from the lowest position the sport is at presently, as well as go back to the drawing board to help the players get the necessary training, etc.

Morris, who was solid central defender, who was Inducted into Trinidad and Tobago's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, has conducted a development programme at the nation's prisons and has worked in the Corporate Communication's Department where he says he has garnered sufficient experience to contest the position of president at the elections.

It means Rigues will face a stiff contest for the top post in the Super League. A former manager at two-time Super League champions Guaya United, Rigues, the League's first vice president, was put under pressure in his attempts to make a smooth take-over of the leadership of the league by the Board members who had called on Look Loy to hold on to the post until the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is now set for November 29.

Rigues had called on the board to adhere to the constitution which allows the first vice president the power to assume the interim president position in the event of the resignation of the standing president.

He told Guardian Media Sports on Wednesday that he is aware he has no support from the board.

"I sit as the top person in the board at the moment and I don't feel that I have the support of the members, however, there are members of the TTSL who have indicated otherwise, that they are interested in myself continuing in that role. I believe the membership is the supreme body and my intention has always been and will always be to listen to the membership. So if the membership feels that Clayton Morris or Colin Murray, or any Board member for that part is best suited for the job, then that is fine by me, I would accept that," Rigues explained.

However, he said, that it should never be a situation where the board should decide on who the next president should be, saying that ought to be a matter for the clubs.

He admitted that though he has had differing views to that of the former president in the past, there should be no hard feelings towards him, as he has always believed in expressing his views, which on many occasions were justified.

The Guaya manager said while there might be the fear that he may have a different agenda to the members of the Super League, he believes that they should all want the best for the organisation.

[Tallman]

Hagley calls for one-club, one-vote in T&T Football
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)

Randy Hagley, the Guaya United owner, and managing director is calling for a one-club one-vote system to be introduced into football managed under the T&T Football Association (TTFA) administration as he believes it will solve many of the problems affecting the sport.

Hagley said this should be a priority for the soon-to-be-reinstalled Normalisation Committee, which will be led by businessman Robert Hadad of the HADCO Group of Companies.

Hagley who controls a club that truly epitomizes the community team and spirit that is being sought after he told Guardian Media Sports that the one-club one-vote system will stamp out corruption which is usually derived from the delegate system.

The Guaya United boss said on Friday: "I have been clamouring for this for a little while now, you see with all this Pro League, T&T Super League, and all those other Leagues, that delegation vote is a conspiracy theory. Take for instance me in the Super League, Guaya is the biggest team in the Super League, and at the last TTSL AGM, only four clubs or five clubs voted for Guaya and Petit Valley and these are two clubs that have following."

He noted further: "These men and dem who are presidents and whoever, does cook up dey panchayat to make sure their team vote for who, and that is wrong. So I say, let us cut out all that kind of foolishness. Once you are a member of the T&TFA and you've reached the required standard that TTFA wants with regards to the club license standard which all clubs around the world is supposed to follow as it is a FIFA guideline, once you meet that, your club is a member of the TTFA, you have one vote. In that way, you can vote for whoever you want. Nobody can't buy you and feel you're doing somebody a favour."

With the delegate system currently, clubs are represented by one or two chosen persons who may or may not represent the views of the clubs individually. Last year at the T&T Football Association Election at the Home of Football in Balmain Couva, the Super League was represented by eight delegates though the League comprises more than 21 clubs, Hagley said.

"Trinidad is too small for that. When you look at the population of T&T of 1.3 million, I am sure that the people who follow football are not half a million people and we cannot get it right. This is because everybody wants to be in charge."

At present the T&T Pro League clubs each have a vote at TTFA general meetings while all the other member association and zones are represented by delegates.

Hagley said the one-club one-vote system should be applied to the Pro League, Super League, the six Regional Associations- Northern FA, Southern FA, Eastern FA, Central FA, Tobago FA, and the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU) as well as for the parent football association (T&TFA) elections.

The Guaya United boss is also calling on the TTFA to take over the administration of all the tournaments, thereby doing away with the Regional Associations, Super League, and Pro League, and replace them with Divisions.

He said local football should now comprise of a First, second, Third, and Fourth Divisions.

Meanwhile, Hagley has called for total support for Jameson Rigues for the president of the TTSL, saying he has not received the support of the Board of Directors of the TTSL because he is from the countryside.

[Deeks]

Hagley has called for total support for Jameson Rigues for the president of the TTSL, saying he has not received the support of the Board of Directors of the TTSL because he is from the countryside.

I don't think being a 'country bookie' has anything with him not getting support. The board member just has more confidence in Keith running league. But in all honesty, I feel Riques should be given the opportunity to run the league.

[Flex]

Rigues, TTSL board members clash on format.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

TTSL Election showdown as.....

This year's T&T Super League (TTSL) annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers, scheduled for November 29, could either be heading to the local court or it will be postponed to allow changes to the constitution that will enable the election to take place.

Guardian Media Sports was informed that four out of the five members of the Board of Directors of the TTSL have agreed for the elections and AGM to take place virtually next Sunday, while interim president Jameson Rigues, insists that the organisation's constitution, its electoral code and its by-laws, do not give permission for this to take place, particularly as elections are to be done via secret ballot.

The board comprises of Rigues, Colin Murray, Terry Joseph, Anderson Veronique who replaced Clayton Morris recently, and Eddison Dean. Both Veronique, the Prison Service member and Phoenix's George Joseph have said the election will go on as planned, considering the abnormal circumstances caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On Sunday, TTSL secretary Peter Thomas sent out letters to the membership informing them of the AGM and election but Rigues was not on his mailing list and found out from other colleagues.

Veronique said as far as he is aware, the constitution has made allowances for the election to take place and urged members to read the constitution carefully.

"The constitution says electronic voting can take place, so it's a matter of being factual and clear of what it says," said Veronique, pointing out that virtual sessions have been taking place around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it is the way to go.

Joseph, on the other hand, said he could see no logical-thinking person objecting to the election and AGM being held, considering the "unusual times we are existing in".

He gave the assurance that while the voting may not be 100 per cent secret, he is guaranteeing that "it will be 99.999 per cent secret on the day".

"The only difference is that you will not see the people who are voting," said Joseph adding that if the membership had a problem with the election to date, they would have said something by now, but none has said anything so far.

Meanwhile, Rigues believes the position being taken could lead to legal wranglings which he does not want at this time. Moments after officially submitting his nomination documents which were seconded by Petit Valley/Diego Martin United on Saturday, Rigues said he spoke to the members of the board about the breach of the constitution by attempting to have the elections virtually.

"I don't care too much about winning but rather doing the right thing," Rigues said.

According to Article 26- Elections: "1 Election shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot. 2 Elections of the TTSL shall be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Code of TTSL drawn up by the Board and adopted by the General Meeting."

In the TTSL By-Laws, Article 30- Elections state: "1 Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot. 2 Elections of TTSL shall be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Code of TTSL drawn up by the Board of Management and adopted by the General Meeting."

According to Rigues, if the election cannot be held in accordance with the constitution then a meeting of the general membership should be called before the election to make amendments to the constitution, noting he did not mind if the AGM and elections are postponed for that purpose.

He is proposing that if amendments are not made to the constitution, then a suitable venue where all COVID-19 protocols, regarding sanitisation, social distancing etc can be observed, should be sought after, telling Guardian Media Sports, he is already on the look-out for the facility where this can be achieved.

"I prefer to take the time and do the right thing. There should be no rush for the election to be held, so even if it means the election has to be postponed, I do not mind. I just want to ensure that members feel comfortable that they have done the right thing and voted the right way," Rigues said, noting that time has been given in the constitution if the AGM cannot take place by December 31 this year, the deadline to hold AGM and elections, saying the membership can decide on another date.

Rigues, who was nominated by Guaya United, said in an email after submitting his documents: "It is my humble view that all TTSL members deserve fair and unbiased leadership. It is a time for a new generation of leadership - new men to cope with new problems and new opportunities."

[Flex]

Rigues: Suspended members must vote.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

FIFA to be called in for TTSL constitution breach

Just days after FIFA agreed to reaccept the T&T Football Association (TTFA) as a Member Association after a violation of FIFA Statutes led to a suspension on September 24, the football's world governing body could again be called in for a breach of the constitution in the T&T Super League (TTSL).

Jameson Rigues, interim president of the Super League gave this assurance in the wake of a desire by the Board of the TTSL to hold the League's annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers virtually on November 29, a decision that Rigues claimed will not honour the process of a secret ballot, which is a requirement in the election of officers. He also said he will attempt to ensure that suspended clubs, which have served their suspension, should be allowed to vote.

Rigues, the former Guaya United manager, will be contesting the presidency with former Strike Squad captain and national coach Clayton Morris, his only opponent.  

Rigues was out-numbered 4-1 as a board member in deciding whether the election should be held or not, with the other members being Eddison Dean, Colin Murray, George Joseph and Anderson Veronique. The quartet is insisting that the election can take place by enforcing article 58 of the bylaws, which allows for force majeure, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Yesterday, however, Rigues said: "All of our principles and documents as it relates to the functioning of the TTSL states that the election of a president must be done by secret ballot and we haven't found anywhere as yet where that could take place, where secret ballot can be done effectively via any of the virtual platforms. While the virtual platform may attempt to have some kind of mechanism where the voting can take place, it is not 100 per cent secret."

The TTSL boss made it clear even with the force majeure clause that is being suggested by the board members, it will infringe on the membership, saying why should they attempt to take away the right of the members to a secret ballot.

Contacted yesterday Rigues, when asked the distance he was prepared to go, said: "It is a matter of what our bylaws, our constitution and the electoral code state. So the distance, I intend to go is to follow these documents, and for instance, the electoral code is very strict in terms of what it is outlining.

"The electoral code also states that failure by the TTSL to apply by the principles of the electoral code can be considered a serious violation of the provisions of article 13 of the FIFA Statutes. And this shall lead to consequences and these consequences we are talking about are disciplinary measures. The TTFA just faced a suspension based on its decision to divert from the FIFA Statutes and this is provided for by the FIFA."

The TTSL boss said that they are running a great risk of going against the electoral code which also means going against the FIFA Statutes, noting that when it is asked the distance he was willing to go, the matter could reach as far as FIFA.

He made it clear as the legal representative of the TTSL he has to do anything in his power to ensure that the TTSL operates legally, even though being opposed to the views and opinions of the members of the board, he has to take a legal stance, saying: "The process is that in the case of any breach, then FIFA or TTFA or whoever should be allowed to come in and do what's necessary, then so be it."

Meanwhile, Kieron Edwards, the Eastern Football Association (EFA) president who was the driving force behind the TTFA membership taking action against William Wallace and the United TTFA, said he will ensure that TTSL members who were suspended back in 2018, would be allowed to vote at the coming elections, even if it means having the elections postponed.

Edwards was called on by the seven suspended clubs- Central 500, Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, Marabella Family Crisis Centre, Tobago Phoenix, WASA and the Youth Stars to find out the current status. The clubs were suspended for either being non-compliant with the TTFA/CONCACAF/FIFA or they were unable to pay the registration fee to gain entry into the League.

Edwards submitted a letter to president Rigues that contained the signatures of the seven clubs, saying when he went through it, he realised that most of it were for late payments.

"We found out that the membership never had a meeting to ratify the suspension, so this AGM will be the right opportunity to have this addressed. In order for it to carry, the membership needs a two-thirds majority to continue the suspension, according to the board so they are hoping that is aired at the meeting and they can know their fate on whether they will be reinstated into the Super League with full voting rights and any payment they have to make they are willing to clear it up."

It is understood the Super League's former president proposed to have the clubs suspended a third time, on the basis of not competing in activities of the League for two consecutive years.

In the letter to Rigues the clubs stated that its suspension was up by December 15, last year. And the embattled president said he will ensure that all clubs are treated fairly, noting that a press conference will be called soon to ensure:  1. The election must be postponed until the post-COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and in keeping with the TTSL Constitution; 2. The Board Directors are now runaway individuals whose sole interest is not the TTSL but Keith Look Loy; 3. The press conference will call for all TTSL member/shareholders to have eligibility to participate in the election.

The clubs' letter to Rigues state:  

I hereby advise you of the decision taken by the TTSL Board to suspend your membership in the League due to your club's failure to participate in TTSL competition for two years - 2018 and 2019.

At the General Meeting of March 3, 2018, the following Board proposal on TTSL membership was unanimously approved: a) A club which did not participate in 2017 TTSL competitions and which does not register for 2018 competition will lose its TTSL membership and will be refunded its TTD $1,000 share capital. b) A club which participated in 2017 TTSL competitions but does not participate in 2018 competition due to its being declared non-compliant by TTFA will retain its TTSL membership for one (1) year (2018) during which time it must secure TTFA compliant status or lose its TTSL membership. c) A TTFA non-compliant club which retains its TTSL membership for one (1) year (2018) will exercise all TTSL membership rights except the right to vote in meetings.

However, the president stated that, on review, under TTFA’s Constitution a suspended member loses all membership rights until reinstated. Accordingly, if a TTSL member is declared non-compliant by TTFA after March 31, 2018, that member must also lose all rights within TTSL until it secures compliant status.

Further to this, at the General Meeting of April 7, 2018, the following motion was unanimously approved: “A club which did not participate in 2017 TTSL competitions and which does not register for 2018 competition will lose its TTSL membership and will be refunded its TTD $1,000 share capital and in the case of a new TTSL club/member, its TTD $5,000 caution fee”.

[Tallman]

It’s our right
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)

SEVEN suspended Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) football clubs have written the league’s general secretary, Peter Thomas, seeking reinstation in time to vote at the TTSL proposed AGM.

Super League vice-president, Jameson Rigues, and UTT representative, Clayton Morris, are both vying to assume the position of president, following the October 17, resignation of Keith Look Loy.

The League is due to have its annual general meeting (AGM) on Sunday, although there is dispute as to whether voting should take place via a virtual platform or in person.

On Saturday, clubs which had been suspended from the Super League last season, for various reasons, asserted their right to vote.

“We refer to your correspondence dated 22nd September, 2019 and 27th January, 2020, regarding the suspension of the membership rights for the following clubs of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League Ltd; Central 500 FC, Defence Force FC, Harlem Strikers FC, Marabella FCC, 1976 Phoenix, WASA FC, Youth Stars,” the suspended clubs stated via letter.

“We wish to remind you that the period of suspension of the aforementioned clubs has since elapsed since 15th December, 2019, as stated in your letter of 27th January, 2020,” the communique further stating, “Therefore, we stand ready to resume our full rights as Trinidad and Tobago Super League Ltd members and we are willing to pay any and all outstanding membership dues.”

The letter to Thomas bore the signatures of Kermit Dick (Central 500 FC), Ryan Ottley (Defence Force FC), Gregory McSween (Harlem Strikers FC), Terrence Boissiere (Marabella FCC), Terry Williams (1976 Phoenix), and Learie Tobias (Youth Stars).

The correspondence added, “As such we look forward to a favourable response from you, but you should be cautioned that should you attempt to disenfranchise the undersigned clubs, we will demand that this dispute be referred to, arbitration as described in Section 40 ‘Arbitration’ of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League Limited by Laws, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and eventually the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).”

Look Loy, who resigned last month from all football posts—following his role as United TTFA activist in the battle between former TTFA executives and FIFA—had stated in his resignation letter: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve Trinidad and Tobago football these many decades, and as Super League president for just over three years. I make way for those who wish to assume the leadership of the Super League, and who believe they could do better.”

[Flex]

Super League seeks Police approval to host AGM
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith has be approached by the T&T Super League (TTSL) for approval so that it can hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Election of Officers to be held at a venue that will facilitate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic protocols as outlined by the Ministry of Health to the general public.

Guardian Media Sports was informed of this development by two members of the Board of Directors of the TTSL on Tuesday, ahead of Sunday's planned meeting in which former national standout Clayton Morris will challenge interim president Jameson Rigues for the League's presidency.

The interim TTSL boss who took over following the resignation of Keith Look Loy on October 16, has been at odds with the other four board members- Anderson Veronique, Eddison Dean, Colin Murray, and George Joseph over a decision to have the AGM and election held virtually on Sunday, saying, that while the AGM can go on, the election required a process of a secret ballot which is stated in the the League's constitution and it is not possible via the virtual platform.

The quartet has been planning to use the force majeure clause highlighted in article 58 of the bylaws, which they believe will be applicable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rigues, the former Guaya United manager and Super League's first vice president who was elevated to the position of president a day after Look Loy's exit, believes the use of the clause will be an infringement on the rights of the membership.

Rigues, told Guardian Media Sports two weeks ago, that he suggested to the board that a neutral venue be used and that he was going in search of that venue.

However, this was followed up by a letter to Griffith, seeking permission for a venue that is COVID-19-capable of holding the election.

Rigues said yesterday that he was unaware of whether approval was given for the meeting to take place, but was confident it would have been given.

Meanwhile, attempts to reach Griffith on Tuesday for a response on the request proved futile as calls to his phone went unanswered.

Apart from the Super League, the Commissioner of Police was also to act on a similar request from the membership of the Northern Football Association (NFA) who are desperate to remove the existing executive that was led by their former president Anthony Harford, who has now also resigned.

According to the TTSL constitution, elections are to be held before December 31st this year, which means Rigues could be looking for a postponement or they will be using an unknown facility.

Apart from the election being held face-to-face, Rigues will also be seeking to address a situation in which seven clubs suspended since 2018, were done so with the approval of the board.

The clubs- Central 500, Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, Marabella Family Crisis Centre, Phoenix, WASA FC, and the Youth Stars from Tobago, were suspended for either being non-compliant with the T&T Football Association/FIFA/CONCACAF, or because of failure to register in time for competition in 2018 or 2019.

Rigues said after doing his investigation he realised that there were no minutes to show that the suspension went before the board for approval, saying: "So as far as I am concerned the clubs were not suspended. This could only mean that the former president instructed the secretary to write letters to the clubs saying they were suspended."

According to Rigues: "According to the suspension letter that was issued to those seven clubs on January 27, that letter stated that the board suspended those members, however, there are no minutes whatsoever, nothing in the minutes to state that that was an agenda item to show that it was discussed at that level."

He added: "When I look at the minutes of January 20th, which were the minutes prior to that suspension letter, there was nothing in the minutes, no discussion whatsoever related to the suspension of those members. So the board couldn't have made a decision to suspend those members, so it's very strange to me who suspended those members. The League secretary would have sent out a notification to these members related to the suspension. I assume he had been acting on behalf of the instruction of the former president, however that was not brought to the board for a decision to be made. Because I for one would have been against that decision. It would have had to go to a vote and the vote would have been 5-4 and one against because Jameson Rigues would have always been against that decision."

Should Rigues have his way, the suspension of the clubs will be an agenda item at the AGM whenever it is held. It could see the clubs being reinstated immediately and being allowed to vote at the elections.

Meanwhile, Joseph, the Bethel United manager who is one of five members on the board, said: "Yes there was a board meeting where that suspension came up and the board decide too, as the rule says, suspended them temporarily and then the general meeting will make the decision if to uphold the suspension or reverse it at the next general meeting."

According to Joseph: "The next general meeting did come up in the early part of 2019 but members felt that it was not the end of the season or the end of the two-year cycle for most of the teams, because when you miss two consecutive years according to the TTFA rule you are automatically expelled, but they said they will defer it. So there was a decision to defer the decision until the end of the season, which would have been finished in December. Subsequent to that we had no meeting between that period, so the matter could not have come up for discussion."

[Tallman]

Super League president post to be contested post covid-19
T&T Guardian

Jameson Rigues, interim president of the T&T Super League will remain in his post until the post coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, while other members and issues will be undertaken at today’s annual general meeting (AGM) which will take place virtually.

The highlight of today’s AGM was expected to be the contesting of the post of President between Rigues and former national football team captain Clayton Morris.

However, yesterday Rigues in his position of interim T&TSL president wrote to the membership the following letter.

RE: Trinidad and Tobago Super League AGM - Election of President

I write to you in my capacity as First Vice President - TTSL, now Interim President, according to the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) and wish to confirm the having taken all necessary precautions well within my mandate and responsibilities to ensure the strict and proper operation of the TTSL within the Constitution and Bye-Laws, Statutes and Codes of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League with particular reference to our TTSL AGM 2020.

As you are aware, the Members of the Board of the TTSL have set November 29th 2020 as the date to host the TTSL AGM 2020 and the members of the Board have also stated that the AGM will be hosted virtually and you have been provided with the Agenda.

Having received the expressed major concern of certain members of the TTSL with respect to the fact that the ‘Election of President’ is listed on the Agenda, which is in contravention with the directions of the TTSL Constitution, Article 26.1 that states; “Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot” and the TTSL Bye-Laws, Article 30.1, which also states; “Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot” I dispatched two letters in this regard to seek the best manner of ensuring the strict and proper operation of the TTSL.

The first letter dated November 13th 2020, was sent to the Commissioner of Police for hosting the TTSL AGM at a venue that would provide for live assembly within the COVID-19 restrictions of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The second letter dated November 23rd 2020, was sent to the Normalization Committee to enquire whether an “Election for President” was considered acceptable to the TTFA and by extension FIFA.

This missive was sent in keeping with the TTSL Statutes and the TTSL Electoral Code Article 27.2 which clearly states; “TTFA has the right to intervene in the electoral process of the TTSL at any time to monitor its integrity and check that this Code and the statutes and regulations of TTFA are being applied.” As well as in accordance with Article 27.3 of the Code also warns that; “TTFA may likewise suspend or invalidate the electoral process and/or appoint a provisional administration for TTSL, as the case may be.”

The TTFA’s letter of response dated November 25th 2020, from the Nominalization Committee Chairman Robert Hadad, with respect to “Hosting of Elections Virtually” has stated: “the TTFA strongly recommends that the Election of Member Associations not be conducted via virtual (online) platforms to protect the integrity of the electoral process and system. The hosting of elections requires an increased level sensitivity as mandated by the secret ballot model which may not be readily available or completely infallible via online platforms.”

In this regard and in conformity with the strong recommendations of the TTFA, as Interim President of the TTSL, I wish to confirm the TTSL AGM shall proceed as planned on Sunday 29th November 2020, however, the Agenda items will be entertained except for Election of President which shall be held post COVID-19 restrictions and in keeping with the TTSL Constitution, Bye-Laws and the TTFA statement of recognition of condition for Elections.”

I look forward to an enjoyable, productive, peaceful AGM 2020, devoid of acrimony and trust my sober directions will be respected in light of the turbulent time of Trinidad and Tobago football with the recently lifted FIFA suspension and to have the proper conduct of the business of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League, to ensure all the rights of the membership are respected and guaranteed within the TTFA Family.

Meanwhile, Rigues, who took over the helm of the organisation following the resignation of Look Loy on October 16, three days after Justice Carol Gobin ruled FIFA’s decision to appoint a normalisation committee to run T&T football as “illegal”, the former TTFA technical committee chairman Look Loy told his membership that he has run his race. Look Loy, 67, had played a pivotal role in the TTFA failed legal fight against FIFA from March 17 after FIFA removed the elected executive.

[asylumseeker]

Even if Rigues is correct, his petulance does not suggest any likelihood of quality leadership coming from him. How does he foresee delivering effective leadership when he is squandering goodwill? Perhaps the interest here is leading at any and all costs.

[Tallman]

Super League AGM ends in chaos, no election
T&T Guardian

Jameson Rigues, reign of interim president of the T&T Super League will continue for the foreseeable future after the annual general meeting (AGM) which had on its agenda the elections of a new leader was halted due to disturbances by the membership on Sunday.

The highlight of AGM which was held virtually was expected to be the contesting of the post of President of T&TSL between Rigues and former national football team captain Clayton Morris.

Rigues, the manager of Guaya FC manager and Morris, coach of the University of T&T (UTT) were the only candidates for the position of President.

At the nomination, Rigues was nominated by his club and seconded by Petit Valley/Diego Martin United while Morris was nominated by Club Sando and seconded by Bethel United, but the meeting never get past that stage.

Contacted for comment, former T&T Football Association (TTFA) board member Boris Punch, the current chairman of the TTSL Elections Committee confirmed the elections was called to a halt without the post of President being acted upon.

The outcome of today’s AGM may well be accepted by Rigues for the time being as last week he told Guardian Media Sports that he felt the that he should be at the helm as Interim President until post coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which will allow for elections to be held in person or until the Public Health guidelines from the Ministry of Health are as such that the elections can be held.

While Rigues was against the holding of the AGM, the other existing board members, Second Vice President Eddison Dean, and elected members Colin Murray, Terry Joseph and Anderson Veronique, were all in favour of the elections taking place.

However, in a release to the media on Sunday Rigues, the TTSL Interim President stated that he had to close the TTSL AGM 2020 due to deliberate disruptive actions of certain elements to usurp the proper conduct of the Meeting.

Rigues pointed out that there were attempts by the TTSL League Secretary, Peter Thomas and accomplices to usurp the TTSL AGM 2020 with their deliberate disruptive actions and despite his exercising an abundance of patience he had no choice but to call the meeting which was convened at 11:30 am to a close at 1:42 pm.

Rigues lamented the fact that despite the darkness of the turbulent time for Trinidad and Tobago football during the past nine-month period, there are those within the ranks of the football fraternity bent on being obstructionists at every opportunity.

Rigues stated, “I have requested a report of the AGM based on the recording of the virtual meeting and despite the disruptive actions today, I wish to confirm my intention to have the proper conduct of the business of the T&T Super League to ensure the rights of the entire membership are respected and guaranteed in keeping with the TTSL Constitution and Bye-Laws, all within the TTFA Family.” November 29th 2020 Interim President, TTSL

On Saturday, Rigues in another letter to the media attempted to have the election of President left vacant by Keith Look Loy postponed as he felt it would have served the body better to hold the AGM in person than via a virtual forum.

Rigues noted that according to the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) he had taken all necessary precautions well within his mandate and responsibilities to ensure the strict and proper operation of the TTSL within the Constitution and Bye-Laws, Statutes and Codes of the T&T Super League with particular reference to our TTSL AGM 2020.

He added, “As you are aware, the Members of the Board of the TTSL have set November 29th 2020 as the date to host the TTSL AGM 2020 and the members of the Board have also stated that the AGM will be hosted virtually and you have been provided with the Agenda.

However, he noted that having received the expressed major concern of certain members of the TTSL concerning the fact that the ‘Election of President’ is listed on the Agenda, which is in contravention with the directions of the TTSL Constitution, Article 26.1 that states; “Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot” and the TTSL Bye-Laws, Article 30.1, which also states; “Elections shall be conducted by position and shall be conducted by secret ballot” I dispatched two letters in this regard to seek the best manner of ensuring the strict and proper operation of the TTSL.

Based on those observations Rigues who had written to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith on November 13, for permission to host the TTSL AGM at a venue that would provide for live assembly within the COVID-19 restrictions of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and also rote to Robert Hadad, the head of the Fifa installed Normalization Committee on November 23 to enquire whether an “Election for President” was considered acceptable to the TTFA and by extension FIFA was against the staging of the elections.

[Flex]

TTSL Board meeting tonight to determine aborted AGM
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the T&T Super League will be held at 6 pm tonight to decide on if and when last Sunday's aborted AGM and Elections will take place.

Board member Eddison Dean said on Monday that since the membership wants the continuation of the AGM, he is sure that at least four out of the five members will vote in favour of continuing the meeting at a date and time to be decided, except the interim president Jameson Rigues, saying Rigues will be out-voted 4-1.

On Sunday Rigues called off the AGM with the election of officers set to be the next item on the agenda, citing disruption. Rigues, the interim president is being challenged by former Strike Squad defender and captain Clayton Morris for the top position that would replace then-president Keith Look Loy who resigned on October 16.

Dean told Guardian Media Sports on Monday the problem stemmed from a decision by Rigues to send out a different link for the meeting on Sunday than the one for the original meeting, thereby causing some clubs to experience difficulty in getting on.

However, Guaya United and Petit Valley Diego Martin United, two clubs that have publicly supported Rigues, contacted Guardian Media Sports to complain about the difficulty in getting in. Derek Edwards, the Petit Valley manager has since called for members of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee to be observers at the meeting.

Dean, in giving his account of what had transpired on Sunday said: "First of all the board had decided to make the secretary- Peter Thomas the host of the meeting and Jameson would have been the chairperson, but he insisted he would be the host and the chair and that went on for nearly an hour until the members got fed up and said to let him co-host so the meeting could go on. While the meeting was going on members were putting their hands up to have a say and he did not acknowledge the members. The meeting was terrible."

He noted: "The Board made a decision to have the AGM on Sunday but he sent out a notice for his own AGM with a different link to the members, and when he realised the members did not come to his meeting, he came to the real AGM meeting."

Dean lashed out at Rigues for aborting the meeting on his own, without consulting with the members, a move he described as illegal. Rigues too in a release on Sunday described the meeting as disruptive, which was why he signed out.

At the AGM Rigues had hoped to discuss the issue of suspended clubs being re-instated on the day, as well as being allowed to vote at the election. However, while the election was on the agenda it was carded to take place after the election of officers, thereby preventing the clubs from voting.

Dean later dismissed a notion that election could not take place via the virtual settings, saying Rigues has been misleading the public where that is concerned. He said you can amend the constitution on the day of the AGM which could have allowed the voting virtually. This appeared to have been attempted Dean said, like his club, Club Sando submitted a letter for the amendment to take place. It was seconded by Bethel.

Dean said they have also positively tested a way in which virtual election could take place via zoom, and it should take place.

[Flex]

Super League board slams Rigues after 'aborted' AGM
By Narissa Fraser (Newsday).

The TT Super League (TTSL) board believes its interim president, Jamieson Rigues, has put the league into “national and international disrepute.”

This stance, the board said, comes one day after the TTSL’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was “unilaterally aborted” by Rigues.

The purpose of AGMs is mainly to elect a new executive board. Rigues, then first vice-president, became interim president in October following the resignation of former head Keith Look Loy. And former Strike Squad captain Clayton Morris is his sole competitor for the position of president.

But according to media reports, Rigues said the election will only happen “post-covid19.”

In a release on Monday, the board said Rigues has embarked on a “sad and destructive path that undermines football democracy and the rule of law according to the TTSL” since Look Loy’s resignation.

“Mr Rigues has refused to recognise and accept the collective authority and decision making of the TTSL board and has repeatedly undertaken unilateral actions that disregard the league’s bylaws and the TTSL board

“He has issued statements on behalf of the league that have not been discussed and/or sanctioned by the TTSL Board. All of this (was done) on ‘TTSL stationery’ which should be sent out by the league secretary.”

The board said Rigues has given “completely fallacious verbal and written statements” to local and international media to purport the belief that the league is in “chaos".

“He has abused the authority of the chair at the TTSL 2020 AGM held on November 29, culminating in him unilaterally aborting the meeting

“Rigues left a WhatsApp group chat that he created for the TTSL Board on 15th November 2020 and called a meeting on November 24 without at least 24 hours’ notice to board members. Board members indicated they could not attend but he never rescheduled the meeting.”

The board will meet again on Tuesday at 7 pm “to decide on a course of action for the continuation of the ongoing TTSL 2020 AGM.”

Newsday contacted Look Loy for a comment but he said he had none to give.

Editor's note: A story published on December 1 titled "Super League secretary slams Rigues after 'aborted' AGM" attributed statements from a TT Super League press release to its secretary Peter Thomas, who signed the document. The statements were in fact from the Super League board of directors.

[Flex]

Rigues proposes Dec 20 at Cascadia as permission granted.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

TTSL aborted AGM/Elections on Sunday but...

The continuation of last Sunday's aborted annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers of the T&T Super League (TTSL) are set to take place on Sunday virtually, but interim president Jameson Rigues has another date set for the meeting.

The meeting which was held virtually on Sunday last to elect either Rigues or Clayton Morris, the former T&T Strike Squad defender and captain, as the replacement for former president Keith Look Loy, had to be called off due to disruptions, both Rigues and board member Eddison Dean have said.

Rigues has been against the staging of the elections virtually as he says it violates the process of secret-ballot that is required by the TTSL constitution.

On Tuesday, however, all four board members - Dean, Anderson Veronique, Colin Murray and Terry Joseph voted unanimously to have the continuation of the meeting held this Sunday. Rigues, who told Guardian Media Sports that he was not attending the meeting because it was not legitimately called, was true to his word, failing to sign at the 6 pm start.

The TTSL boss said yesterday he was in possession of a letter from the relevant authorities that gave permission to the Super League membership to have a face-to-face election, as required by the constitution of the TTSL. The meeting is to be held at a venue where all the COVID-19 restrictions can be adhered to.

The former Guaya United manager did not say who granted permission for the meeting to be held but noted that with the letter, he intends to propose a December 20 date for the election to be held at the Cascadia Hotel in St Ann's.

Rigues said he will call a meeting of the board and the membership today to lobby for the election to be held on December 20 at the St Ann's facility. Only recently, the membership of the Northern Football Association (NFA) received permission from Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to stage their AGM and elections at the same venue on December 12.

Sunday's meeting is expected to begin with the election of a president and it could be without the seven suspended clubs - Central 500, Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, Marabella Family Crisis Centre, Tobago Phoenix, WASA and the Youth Stars - all eager to find out about their current status, as well as get voting rights.

The clubs were suspended for either being non-compliant with the TTFA/CONCACAF/FIFA or they were unable to pay the registration fee to gain entry into the League. Rigues said he also intends to pursue the situation with the suspended clubs so that no member will be left out of the decision making at the AGM/elections.

He called on the board of the TTSL to stop rushing to have an election that will constitute a breach of the FIFA Statutes and Constitution, saying once you violate a TTFA constitution, you automatically violate a FIFA law.

"The code for election does not give permission for virtual election, so why do they want to rush and do the wrong thing. The constitution has not even been amended to accept virtual voting," Rigues explained.

Attempts to reach Dean for a comment proved futile. 

[asylumseeker]

If there is to be an in-person meeting, that meeting should be held on a date that is most consistent with the previously viable schedule. The December 20 date does not satisfy that concern - barring some especially acute consideration of which there is no mention. Dates of availability of the Cascadia are not "enough" to satisfy the immediacy of finalizing the matter, as there are other venues that could be sourced to achieve the objective.

Of course, there is the prospect of the three week delay being a delaying action intended to serve Rigues and not football.

[Bianconeri]

Rigues aka Ferguson Jr.?

DJW Protege?

What a joke this fella turning into....

sad yes

[Tallman]

Chaos reign in Super League: Rigues, Thomas clash over AGM status
T&T Guardian

Interim president of the T&T Super League (TTSL), Jameson Rigues, has called a virtual Emergency General Meeting with three items on the agenda, starting at 10 am on Saturday, a day before the Board’s scheduled resumption of its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually after, according to a release signed by league secretary Peter Thomas, the meeting was illegally aborted by Rigues on Sunday.

Late yesterday, Rigues in a release, advised that he came to the decision to have the meeting after receiving letters from an official of the TTSL and several of its members.

According to Rigues. he received correspondence from the secretary of a Board meeting held on Monday with a proposal to reconvene the TTSL annual general meeting (AGM) and from “certain TTSL members with requests to have Peter Thomas removed from the office of TTSL secretary”.

“For the record, I wish to confirm I was forced to bring the TTSL AGM 2020 to a close at 1.42 pm on November 29, 2020, while discussion was in progress on Agenda Item - h) Presentation and approval of the budget. This was done in my capacity as chairman of the AGM, first vice president, now interim president, according to the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the TTSL.

“Let me state, all reports of that Board meeting of December 1, as stated by the secretary, relate to discussions on reconvening an adjourned TTSL AGM 2020.

“For the sake of good order, I wish to reiterate the fact that as chairman of the TTSL AGM 2020 held on November 29, 2020, I called the meeting to a close. In short, the TTSL AGM 2020 is over, closed, not adjourned,” said Rigues in the release.

It was reported that on Sunday, the virtual AGM of the TTSL which was held to elect either Rigues or former T&T Strike Squad captain and defender Clayton Morris, as the replacement for former president Keith Look Loy who resigned in October, ended prematurely due to disruptions.

However, the release from the league secretary contradicts the above as it stated: “The TTSL is alarmed by the claim of interim president, Jameson Rigues that he has received permission from an unnamed person for the League to continue its AGM, including the by-election for the position of league president, at Cascadia Hotel.

“The Board notes the following: the 2020 AGM is already underway. The Board has already decided to resume the meeting virtually on Sunday, December 6, 2020 after it was illegally aborted by Mr Rigues on Sunday November 29.

“Cascadia hotel is being used by the Ministry of Health as a COVID-19 facility and it would be the height of irresponsibility to expose members to the attendant health risk by hosting a meeting there.

“Mr Rigues continues to operate unilaterally and refuses to accept the collective authority and decision making of the TTSL Board. We assure the public that Super League business being properly conducted by its membership and that the AGM will continue as scheduled.”

Meanwhile, Rigues who has objected to the staging of the elections virtually as he states it violates the process of secret-ballot that is required by the TTSL constitution, added in his release that he is awaiting the report of the AGM in keeping with the recording of the virtual AGM.

He said: “Those who so desire may wish to proceed to the Court of Arbitration to have an AGM that was closed, reconvened. Additionally, I am uncertain as to why the Board is adamant that a decision such the presidency of the TTSL should be made by a few members and not allow the good order of democracy to prevail.

“This, for me, is a sad attempt to manipulate the decision-making process. The TTSL was inaugurated with 24 members strong, who are shareholders of the organisation.

“At this turbulent time in T&T football, we should embrace all and encourage inclusiveness. The TTSL must never turn our backs on our own.”

In an effort to resolved the issues that the TTSL is facing Rigues has listed three items on the agenda including the membership status of all TTSL clubs; the removal and replacement of the secretary; and discussion on hosting the election of president as per the dictates of the TTSL Statutes.

Rigues, who reiterated in the release his commitment to have the proper conduct of TTSL’s business and bring transparency to its membership, advised that the Zoom link to the meeting will be forwarded to all members.

[Tallman]

Super League AGM continues Sunday; Rigues: I will not be attending
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)

The membership of the T&T Super League (TTSL) will decide whether the continuation of last Sunday's AGM and Election of Officers will go on virtually as planned today.  

Interim president Jameson Rigues, who is set to be contested by former national defender and captain Clayton Morris for the position of president, has said he will not be attending the election because of the illegality of it, citing a clear violation of the TTSL constitution, its bye-laws and election code to have the election held without a secret-ballot process.

Second vice president Eddison Dean said a letter has been put to the general membership for the elections to take place virtually. He noted, the proposal was made by Club Sando and seconded by Bethel, and once the membership votes for it, then there will be an election.

"If the membership does not vote for it then there will be no elections. Only the membership will decide," Dean said on Saturday.

Four out of five members of the board of directors of the TTSL - Dean, Colin Murray, Anderson Veronique, and Terry Joseph - have agreed to allow the membership to decide on the voting process, as Dean assured there is a provision in the bye-laws for virtual election to take place.

Dean has assured also that constitutional expert Osmond Downer has been invited to be an observer, along with Norris Ferguson, an ex-football administrator, with Borris Punch as the man conducting the elections, saying anyone who has a problem with the constitution can ask Downer.

It is unsure if the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee will play any part in the election, though the committee's chairman Robert Hadad said last week. they will attempt to provide assistance in observing and mediation.  

Last Sunday, the AGM and election were called off due to disruption and on Tuesday the board, minus Rigues, took a decision to continue it today.  

According to Dean: "We are guided by our bye-laws and our bye-laws say what we're doing is correct. The Super League board called the AGM. Tomorrow (Sunday), there is a letter inside and I am repeating myself, but if you read the bye-laws, it will guide you. There is a letter inside to amend the constitution so we can have the elections done virtually.

"Once the members vote in favour of that, elections will happen. If the members say they're not in favour, there will be no elections, and only the membership can decide. Neither the president, the vice president, the secretary, nobody but the voting members, and there are 14 of them."

Rigues held an Emergency General Meeting of the membership yesterday at which he attempted to convince them to support a face-to-face election on December 20 at the Cascadia Hotel in St Ann's.

The TTSL president said: "The meeting went ahead, there was a quorum and we made several decisions concerning the notice of suspension that went out to seven clubs, and also the conduct of the League secretary, and the election of a president, and also the delegates that have to be chosen for the TTFA."

Rigues is against having discussions for the suspended clubs after the election, believing that the suspended clubs should be re-instated and given voting rights immediately to vote at the elections.

Dean told Guardian Media Sports that discussion on the suspended clubs was always set to take place after the election of officers.

Disappointed by the turn of events, Rigues has promised to stay away from the elections today, as he does not want to condone the violation of the constitution.  

"As the legal representative for the TTSL, if I attend that meeting, that would mean that I will be condoning the breaking and the ignoring of the TTSL Statutes and the electoral code. I stand firm to the view that we should have that particular agenda item hosted face-to-face, which is the right thing to do."

Rigues noted that last week's board meeting to decide on the continuation of the AGM/Elections in its entirety was not called by the processes of the TTSL but was rather called by certain members who have ulterior motives.

The super boss also lashed out at secretary Peter Thomas for acting outside of his scope of work, without consultation with his supervisor which is the president.

EGM LETTER:

Rigues in, an official release yesterday, stated: "The Emergency General Meeting of the TTSL summoned by the interim president of the TTSL was convened this morning at 10 am. Eleven (11) of the 21 TTSL member clubs attended which constituted a quorum. The interim president called the meeting to order and the membership elected a secretary for the meeting.

The three Agenda Items: Item 1) the membership status of all TTSL clubs. Item 2) the removal and replacement of the Secretary. Item 3) discussion on hosting the election of president as per the dictates of the TTSL Statutes. After wide-ranging contributions and discussions on each Agenda Item, motions were moved and seconded, followed by a vote.

The meeting unanimously voted on each of the following motions:

1) The removal of any suspension notices and the TTSL to recognise the full rights of the seven members that were issued suspension notices by the League Secretary.

2) The immediate removal and replacement of Mr Peter Thomas as League secretary of the TTSL

3) The election of president and the selection of TTSL delegates to the TTFA to be held on December 20, 2020, at a venue under conditions approved by the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 guidelines. The meeting also took decisions with respect to the actions of the board and the secretary and directed the interim president to forward two letters to the board members and to the secretary.

The decisions of the meeting were: a) In keeping with Article 17.3 of the By-Laws, which states; “Only the president may propose the appointment or dismissal of the League secretary.”

Communicate to the board in writing and propose the removal and replacement of Peter Thomas from the position of League secretary with immediate effect.

b) Give notice to the League secretary, Mr Peter Thomas that he shall not issue any correspondence in the name of the TTSL without the approval of the interim president. Article 18.4, subsection (a) of the TTSL By-Laws states, “He shall be responsible for implementing decisions passed by the general meeting and board of management in compliance with the president’s directives.”

[Tallman]

Former Strike Squad captain Clayton Morris is the new TTSL president
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)

Former national defender and captain Clayton Morris is the new president of the T&T Super League (TTSL).

At a historic virtual election yesterday, he got the better of Jameson Rigues 8-0 with one abstention, for the right to replace former president Keith Look Loy until August 2021 when elections will be held again to signal the end of Look Loy's term.

Upon winning, Morris said it was a really good feeling, comparing it to when he was given the captaincy of the national team.

"I played football for all these years, captained Rangers for all these years from all the different levels, from Under-13, all the way up to U-19, but when I got the captaincy of the national team it was a whole different feeling. So this brought me back to that feeling," Morris, who captained T&T's now infamous 'Strike Squad', said yesterday afternoon.

Rigues, who had held the position of interim president at the time, and did not attend yesterday's election because he considered it to have been illegally called, was on the beach when the results were tabulated. He told Guardian Media Sports, Morris might as well warm up the seat for him when a legitimate election is held among the full membership, next year.

Before the election could take place among nine clubs - Club Sando, Bethel United, Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC), San Fernando Giants, Matura Re-United, Prisons, RSSR, and the University of T&T (UTT), seven teams voted in support of a recommendation to have the virtual election at the annual general meeting (AGM) for the first time.

Constitutional expert Osmond Downer was on hand to guide the day's legal proceedings as controversy brewed over the decision to have the election minus the secret-ballot process. And Downer did make his presence felt as he was called upon to declare that Saturday's Emergency General Meeting (EGM) held by Rigues, was considered illegal.

Downer, the man who played a pivotal role in drafting the T&T Football Association (TTFA) constitution which is aligned to that of FIFA's, had also explained that four of the seven suspended clubs- Tobago Phoenix, Youth Stars, Central 500 and WASA FC - could not be re-instated by the TTSL since their suspension for non-compliance was handed down by the parent TTFA, meaning the TTSL could do nothing about it.

The other three clubs, however, Harlem Strikers, Defence Force, and Marabella Family Crisis Centre were ordered to remain on suspension for the next six months and take the opportunity to put things in order for their re-entry into football next year.

Eddison Dean, the League's second vice president said the membership also decided that if the three clubs (Defence Force, Harlem Strikers, and Marabella FCC) are not ready to be re-instated after the six-month grace period, then they will be suspended indefinitely until they are ready.

Morris told Guardian Media Sports soon after, that his election to the top post in the Super League, doesn't mean that football will be well served but it will begin the wheel of change.

"I can't say football will be well served, but what I would like to see because everything takes time, is a little drop in the bucket and eventually we will get there.

"Given the chance to be at this level, at the administration level where it will have an impact on this level, with respect to, being on the TTFA board, it is something we lacked for many years, getting somebody who really came through the trenches, who understands what it is to be out on the field, who understands the emotions that players feel, the sacrifices that they make. So given that opportunity now, I can share that with the other people with all the other expertise, to bring a balance."   

The new TTSL football boss said since football clubs are some of the richest organisations in the world, he will seek to ensure that they are structured properly, they are compliant and licensed, and they are properly well organised to bring them in line with international football clubs at that level, noting that while it may seem impossible now, once structured properly, you can go to corporate T&T to get financial assistance.

Yesterday, a few clubs stayed away from the election as a show of support for Rigues against what they considered to be a breach of the constitution to have the election virtually. Some of them include Guaya United, a two-time winner of the TTSL, Petit Valley Diego Martin United and Cunupia FC, among others.

Rigues said the result means that there are people who are hell-bent on breaking the constitution for their gain, saying he will lose now but will win in the end.

"As for me and my team, we could accept losing to win, because the greater picture will be in August 2021. I don't know how a meeting could make a decision today with a minority of clubs and not the majority."

The former Guaya United manager also took offence to the decision of the suspended clubs, saying the TTFA has itself struggled with its own compliance issues and some clubs were waiting on the TTFA to find out about the status of their compliance.

RELATED NEWS

New TTSL president wants T&T to rise in football rankings.
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday).

CLAYTON Morris is the new TT Super League (TTSL) president.

Morris, the former Strike Squad captain, was voted in as the new president after the TTSL Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held virtually, on Sunday.

Former TTSL president Keith Look Loy resigned in October and since then Jameson Rigues has held the position as interim president.

TTSL board member Colin Murray confirmed the results. Murray told Newsday there was enough to have a quorum as nine of the 14 Super League clubs attended the AGM.

Of the nine clubs that attended eight voted for Morris and one chose not to vote.

“That is enough for a quorum. We had Mr Osmond Downer there as the constitutional advisor…everything was above board, we had Boris Punch who was the electoral commissioner,” Murray said.

Morris does not see the result on Sunday as a victory for him, but an opportunity to continue contributing to T&T football.

“It’s a nice feeling to know that I am in a position in administration where I could help make my input for the betterment of football in T&T…it is not so much about a victory, but it is good to be in a position where I could at least make a contribution.”

Morris added, “Going back I contributed as a youth Under-19 player then I went on to the senior team and then captain and now I also coach both football and futsal.”

Morris is determined to see T&T football rise in the football rankings as the national men’s senior team is now ranked outside of the top 100.

“We are at 104 or 105 now which is heart-rending to see where we were to see where we are. There is need for proper development with respect to the talent coming forward, so I want to focus on at least helping the youth coaches or the coaches who are responsible to make sure that they have the proper training so that they can execute the proper training to the young talent coming (up).”

The new TTSL president wants to ensure that clubs have the structure in place to operate at a high level. “(I also want) to assist the clubs, help the clubs develop their structure…some of the clubs still struggling so that is an area I will like to assist.”

Morris said proper systems in place will lead to sponsors coming on board to support clubs.

The former national captain said once the players in T&T are developed they will be in high demand which will generate income for both clubs and players. “The players are the assets of the club. You see how much money it costs when a club player is transferred because of the talent? Then the other aspect is the club. Once you are structured you could go to seek sponsorship.”

Morris also wants to use football as an avenue to encourage young people to refrain from a life of crime.

On Saturday, Rigues attempted to have a special meeting to delay the AGM. That meeting was not approved by the board.

Morris said he will not become distracted. “I want to focus on the football…we as the people who came through the sport know how important it is to stay focused…all those other things are distractions.”

[Flex]

Suspended TTSL clubs challenge extended suspension.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).

A letter, on behalf of seven suspended clubs in the T&T Super League (TTSL), will be sent to the League's executive soon, challenging the decisions made at last Sunday's annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers to keep them suspended for differing reasons.

Following the election of former Strike Squad captain and defender Clayton Morris as president of the TTSL, seven clubs suspended since April 2018, which were hoping to be re-instated as legitimate members, had their hopes dashed when they were told they all had to remain on suspension.

Four of the seven clubs - Tobago Phoenix, Youth Stars, Central 500, and WASA FC - were told that since they were suspended by the parent body the T&T Football Association (TTFA) for non-compliance in 2018, the Super League could not reinstate them.

Constitutional expert Osmond Downer said the clubs would have to consult the chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee Robert Hadad for a meeting of the general membership for their suspension to be lifted.

In the case of the other three clubs, however, Defence Force, Marabella Family Crisis Centre, and central club Harlem Strikers were ordered to stay on suspension for the next six months, during which time, they were to sort out all the issues that prevented them from being left out of the League, including compliance and registration fees.

These decisions did not sit well with Keiron Edwards, president of the Eastern Football Association (EFA) who said due process was not followed in the decision-making process and called for the seven clubs to be re-instated immediately.

Edwards, who says he has studied the constitutions of various football organisations in-depth, stated when administrators take decisions to suspend clubs, they must first be confirmed by a two-thirds majority at the following AGM, before the suspensions can be carried out.

According to Edwards, "Right now, according to the constitution, they should be re-instated into the Super League. The Super League's bye-laws say in article nine (Suspension) that if the Board of Management suspends anyone, it must come to the next general meeting, which was the AGM held on Sunday, for confirmation, and the only way it can be confirmed as stated in article 9 (2) is that it must have two-thirds of the votes cast confirming the suspension and that did not happen.

"There was a vote of four to three (4-3), where four were in favour of the suspension being carried and three in favour of the clubs being re-instated. The board did not get the required votes to continue to suspend the clubs and all was supposed to be re-instated into the Super League."

Nine clubs voted on Sunday- Bethel United FC, Club Sando, FC Santa Rosa, Matura Re-United, Prisons FC, Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC), RSSR, San Fernando Giants, and the University of T&T (UTT), while some others such as Cunupia FC, Guaya United and Petit Valley Diego Martin United, stayed away from the elections in protest of a breach of the constitution, by forcing the virtual voting.

Strangely though, acting upon a request by Club Sando and seconded by Bethel, for a vote to taken to decide on whether the election should take place virtually, there were seven votes for and none against it, with two abstentions.

Edwards believes that a suspension by the parent TTFA does not debar clubs from taking part in a competition, saying: "The four clubs suspended by the TTFA need to get their house in order, to play tournaments, competition football with the Super League, which is a totally different matter, but as they are suspended currently, they have no voting rights.

"So while persons might be talking about they have a suspension by TTFA, that has nothing to do with Super League having them suspended. You can be suspended by TTFA and not be suspended by whatever association you're affiliated with."

Since the suspension of the clubs back in 2018, Sunday's AGM was the only opportunity for the suspensions to be confirmed, Edwards said, noting that the non-confirmation means that the clubs should be allowed to vote and sort out all their issues concerning compliance.

Edwards made it clear that the clubs will go through the respective channels to be re-instated: "They would write to the Super League, of which the bye-laws say there is arbitration so they can write to the newly installed president, informing him of the what had happened and for them to be fully re-instated into the Super League."

[Flex]

Rigues calls on Hadad to investigate 7 clubs suspension.
T&T Guardian Reports.

Five days after former “Strike Squad” captain Clayton “JB” Morris was elected the new president of the T&T Super League (TTSL), defeating Jameson Rigues for the post on December 5 at a reconvened annual general meeting (AGM), Rigues has penned a letter of protest to the Robert Hadad, the chairman of the TTFA normalisation committee.

Morris, who is the head coach of TTSL team University of T&T (UTT) FC, replaces inaugural president Keith Look Loy—who resigned in October— and Rigues, who was interim president and has since returned to his substantive role as first vice-president.

The reconvened meeting was attended by five out of 14 Super League clubs: Matura Re-United FC, Erin FC, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United (PVDMU), Guaya United FC and Cunupia FC.

However, Rigues' letter dated December 11, 2020, has called on Hadad to look into three matter of concerns which he outlined as the unconstitutional suspension of members; the Super League AGM which took place on November 29, 2020 and the convening of a closed AGM to elect a president.

With regards to the suspension of the clubs, Rigues explained that two letters of suspension were sent out by the League secretary. The first letter was issued on September 22, 2019, to six members - Central 500 FC, Harlem Strikers FC, Marabella FCC, 1976 Phoenix FC, WASA FC and Youth Stars FC. The suspension letters sent out by the League secretary outlined a decision by the Board to suspend their membership in the League due to the club’s failure to participate in TTSL competition for two years – 2018 and 2019.

He further stated that: "Subsequent to the issuing of the letters of suspension to the six clubs at an EGM held on September 28, 2019, a member, FC Santa Rosa (the club belonging to the former president, Keith Look Loy) moved a motion:'To prolong the suspension of TTSL clubs for non-participation in TTSL competition for two years (2018-2019) until the end of the season on December 15, 2019.'

"The motion was passed by the meeting. Furthermore, there is nothing stated in the TTSL By-Laws or Constitution that suspensions could be prolonged. It says, in Article 10.2 of the By-Laws: 'A suspension shall be confirmed at the next General Meeting by two thirds (2/3) of the members present and eligible to vote. If it is not confirmed, the suspension is automatically lifted.'

"Article 14.2 of the Constitution is identical. After December 15, 2019, and on January 27, 2020, a new letter of suspension was issued by the League Secretary to the six clubs, with the inclusion of a seventh member, Defence Force. This letter titled 'Suspension of Members' stated 'Subsequent to the correspondence issued to your clubs dated September 22, 2019, I hereby advise you of the decision taken by the TTSL Board to suspend your membership in the League due to your club’s failure to participate in TTSL competition for two years 2018-2019.'

"The letter went on to quote the motion that was passed at the EGM on September 28, 2019. It is unclear as to who the League secretary acted on behalf of because there are no Board minutes to show that this discussion took place at the Board level and that the Board reached a decision at a Board meeting, to suspend the members until the next General Meeting. Therefore, the question arises; how could the League secretary, allegedly acting under the directive of the former president, Keith Look Loy, issue letters of suspension in the name of the Board, when there was no discussion and decision by the Board? Those actions were unethical."

Rigues has asked Hadad to clarify, that the TTFA has in fact suspended - Defence Force, Harlem Strikers,  Central 500, 1976 Phoenix, Youth Stars, Marabella FCC and WASA FC - for compliance issues, while looking into the other two matters raised. 

[Flex]

Morris targets June kick-off for Super League.
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian).

Providing his executive is given the all-clear by the Ministry of Health concerning health protocols being implemented and adhere too, Clayton Morris, the recently elected T&T Super League (T&TSL) president is targeting a June 2021 start.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a legal issues between the executive of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) and the world governing body for the sport FIFA, no football was played during the 2020 season.

However, having replaced FC Santa Rosa owner, Keith Look Loy as president of the T&TSL after a hotly contested election late last year, Morris, the current coach of University of T&T (UTT) said looking ahead to 2021, a lot of the players are out there and they are just raring to go.

Morris, captain of the infamous 1989 “Strike Squad” national team which came within a point of qualifying to the 1990 Italy World Cup said from the meeting he had with his executive the immediate goal or plan was to get in touch with all the clubs.

Speaking to Guardian Media Sports on Wednesday, he said, “I called via telephone the respective clubs, the membership I should say and I got in touch with 18 of them from the 22nd to the 28th.

“I made those calls to get that feeling from me as the president to the general membership because you all know there was a lot of infighting going on concerning the body (TTSL) and as of everything else when I was given the responsibility I remember even going back to my days on the national team and even when given the responsibility to coach a national team I wanted every member to feel a part of the organization and this is the same thing.

He added, “I touched base with the 18 members of the respective Super League clubs and we basically want to wish them a Merry Christmas and that they all have a safe covid-free season.

Asked what he wished for from the clubs, a humble Morris he hoped that they can work together to make the Super League better than it is now and that they can take T&T football to the heights that it suppose to be.

“Also we want to continue to provide that platform for the players to continue deterring them from a life of crime.

Asked if the way forward for the Super League and his conversations over the Christmas Holidays included the suspended clubs, Morris, said, “If you check the membership you will see that its 21 clubs and 18 from that 21 I was able to contact.

“The only club I was not able to communicate with was WASA so that tell you, as WASA was one of the suspended clubs, which means I communicated with six of the suspended clubs and they were all excited and they appreciated the call and hope that we can work together and that can get back on board.

”I also let the suspended clubs know that there are rules and regulations that the league is governed by, the bye-laws and as much as possible I extended that olive branch to them to come back on board. We must follow the rules and regulations.

In terms of the smooth running of the T&TSL after a somewhat turbulent end to 2020 mainly because of the hotly contested elections, Morris said he wants to bring back the love to the game.

“When I came into the position I stepped into the role with a sort of confidence that the members feel that’s its something new and they want to invest in.

Describing his approach to doing things openly and taking his executive views seriously, Morris noted that he got a courtesy call on the December 21 from Robert Hadad, the Normalisation Committee chairman for a meeting on that day.

“It (the meeting) lasted about 15 minutes and it was basically and he (Hadad) sharing his idea about having a T&T Football League.

He said, it’s not the real name of the league, but he will call it that for now, and I think that is replacing the T-League that the past administration was trying to bring on board.

And I told him I couldn’t make any decision without the rest of the board and that I would be having my first meeting with the rest of the board on January 29.

"So proceeding that meeting I will give him an answer on what is the Super League take on it, basically he wants to know what we feel about the league and what contribution we can make.

Asked what his thoughts were on a merged national football league, Morris replied, “Well I told him I was all excited about something like that, but again I couldn’t make the decision but coming out of the board meeting one of the members asked what is the structure and to be honest Mr Hadad didn’t give any structure, he outlined the sponsors, and what they expect from the league.

So coming out of the board meeting, one of the members said yes we support the idea, but we need to have the structure so that we can have something to take back to the membership so that we can give our full take and support on it if so.

Asked if he was confident that the idea of the league will not fall by the wayside as that of previous administrators who tried unsuccessfully to merge the T&T Pro League and T&T Super League despite the assistant of Uefa, Concacaf and Fifa officials making a grand effort to assist with its formation, by getting rid of the established Pro League Morris said: “From my understanding, the league will be two tiers, with the Pro League making up the first tier and the Super League, the second tier, so I don’t understand why one would think they are throwing out the Pro League.

"As Hadad said, there will be relegation and promotion and what he said the Pro teams will be making up the bulk of the tier one and the Super League the tier two, and it's still optional for the clubs in the Super League if they want the promotion to go up to the Pro League.

Concerning how soon the season will get going Morris said one of his three objectives was that to get back out on the field of play.

“What I was told is that we have to put a proposal in place to the Ministry of Health and in turn, they will give the policy towards resuming training.

"So that is one of my main objectives to get back out on the field and play pre-competition and in-competition.

Because the Super League normally starts June so despite the T&T League as Hadad calls it scheduled to start in March we are preparing to have the normal Super League kick-off in June.

"But as I said, we have to put this proposal in place to the Ministry of Health so that we can be guided accordingly.

With regards to trying to amend some of the requirements by the Ministry of Health needed to have the league as some other sporting bodies are doing to jump-start their season, Morris noted that coming out of our board meeting one of our members from Tobago outlined that there is a stipulated form that the Ministry of Health has and he has access to it.

So he took the responsibility to fill it out and then we will take it from there, " stated Morris.

RELATED NEWS

Morris rolls out TTSL agenda.
By Garth Wattley (T&T Express).

Clayton Morris has wasted little time getting down to business as the new president of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) and has already taken steps to address the re-starting of the League in 2021 and getting all clubs compliant.

Morris was elected TTSL president last month following a protracted Annual General Meeting held over two weekends after it was abruptly ended on the first occasion by then acting president Jameson Rigues.

That same month, Morris issued an eight-point plan for the TTSL, and he has already addressed two of the first three items—having individual meetings via telephone with the membership and staging a board meeting. He was able to make contact with 18 of the Super League’s 21 clubs.

“That went very well,” Morris told the Express yesterday. “I hope that we can work together to make the Super League better and by extension Trinidad and Tobago football and further, to continue to provide opportunities for our players to deter them from a life of crime.”

He added:”The feedback from them was that they appreciated the call and they extended the greetings back to me. My feeling was that they felt that we could make this thing work.”

Morris also reported positive feedback from the board meeting. “That was excellent,” he said. “I got the opportunity to outline that I need the love and support of the members, meaning putting love into what we do and to refocus on the TTSL’s objective —to make the Super League the best league in the country. It’s one of the Associations that has money in the account right now...It runs on time.” And Morris noted that, “the support is there. I am sharing the responsibility. I don’t want to micro-manage.”

Morris is also keen to have all teams become compliant, including the seven currently suspended ones who were not allowed to vote in last month’s elections. “My vision is to get the clubs totally organised...We want to make sure all the clubs are compliant. If you want people to invest, you have to have your house in order,” he said.

And despite the current Government restrictions that prevent competition in contact sports like football, Morris still hopes the League can fulfil the second item in his eight-point plan and resume at its usual time in June. To this end, the TTSL is attempting to set up a pre-competition and in-competition Covid-19 policy.

“From feedback, we have to get a standard form that must be filled out. One of the board members from Tobago has taken the initiative to fill out the form. That form will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health and they in turn will give us the Covid policy to follow,” Morris said.

And despite the difficulty the League has had in attracting sponsorship prior to the advent of Covid-19, Morris said: “We still have to keep trying...to show them (sponsors) this is something that can keep the players active.”

The TTSL president will settle for limited, targeted sponsorship. “If you can assist with two or three players in a club that would help.”

[Deeks]

"As Hadad said, there will be relegation and promotion and what he said the Pro teams will be making up the bulk of the tier one and the Super League the tier two, and it's still optional for the clubs in the Super League if they want the promotion to go up to the Pro League.

I hope this is cleared up. If a pro-league side end up last, will they opt not to be demoted ?

[asylumseeker]

"As Hadad said, there will be relegation and promotion and what he said the Pro teams will be making up the bulk of the tier one and the Super League the tier two, and it's still optional for the clubs in the Super League if they want the promotion to go up to the Pro League.

I hope this is cleared up. If a pro-league side end up last, will they opt not to be demoted ?

It is a flawed proposition.

[Tiresais]

Optional relegation isn't relegation...

[asylumseeker]

Let's be frank, money is at the center of a team's decision not to accept promotion and it's also at the center of advocating for fake relegation (by teams with foundational claims within the Pro League).

However, perhaps instead of decision-makers acceding to that as the preferred status quo, teams that wish to preserve Tier 1 status should be mandated to field a team in Tier 2.

The proposed arrangement, as it stands, imposes a cost for the benefit they want, without offering any consideration in return. Having a team in Tier 2 offers something tangible for the benefit they seek.

At the moment, what is on offer is the prospect of future/delayed bacchanal and controversy without lines that clearly benefit the total body of interested stakeholders or national football.

[Deeks]

Let's be frank, money is at the center of a team's decision not to accept promotion and it's also at the center of advocating for fake relegation (by teams with foundational claims within the Pro League).

However, perhaps instead of decision-makers acceding to that as the preferred status quo, teams that wish to preserve Tier 1 status should be mandated to field a team in Tier 2.

The proposed arrangement, as it stands, imposes a cost for the benefit they want, without offering any consideration in return. Having a team in Tier 2 offers something tangible for the benefit they seek.

At the moment, what is on offer is the prospect of future/delayed bacchanal and controversy without lines that clearly benefit the total body of interested stakeholders or national football.

Breds, this a joke. Then they should stay as is. The other option is to have a champion of champion between the two leagues at the end of the season. The champions of both leagues play for the champions of TT. Or have the 1st and 2nd placed teams of both leagues battle for the champions of TT. You are quite right, that the foundation members of the pro-league will never relinquish the hold because of their initial investment in the proleague.

Another option is the proleague and superleague stay as is, but play each other once. As time goes by, they may up to play each other twice and leave it at that. Right now the pro league has the "best" players. There is some competition among the teams. But the bottom placed teams have no incentive to play to win when they will not be demoted. Basically the proleague is MLS lite.

[Tiresais]

Yup, if you want to honour their initial investment then give them 10 or 20 years voting rights in the TT pro league and/or equity in the private company, but the current model has led and can only lead to stagnation

[asylumseeker]

Independent review of the proposal(s) should occur. Exclusive reliance on insider concerns and interests is not advisable.

[Bianconeri]

Having promo/relegaton and clubs refusing it is really a joke lol

Pro league needs to be scrapped
it is anything but Professional unfortunately