If some of the major stakeholders in local football are to be believed, sustaining a professional team in Trinidad and Tobago is becoming increasingly challenging in the current financial climate.
United Petrotrin’s pull out last week from the Digicel Pro League for 2010, due to oil company Petrotrin’s financial woes, is a worrying sign for local football. The Pro League not only provides players a means to earn money and enjoy their craft, but is also one of the major avenues feeding the national football system.
Petrotrin have had the public image of financial stability and enjoyed a billion-dollar windfall in 2008, with oil prices soaring past US$100 per barrel. A subsequent crash and big fall in oil prices, and a year later, they were looking at a deficit of $200 million. United Petrotrin proved one of the first casualties in the fallout from that crash.
Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene, despite the loss of United Petrotrin, opted to be positive, describing football as still ’very healthy’ with the support from major players like international bigwig Jack Warner, owner of Joe Public FC, and W Connection’s David John-Williams and others, along with Government support and main sponsors Digicel.
The optimism is endearing and heartening, but there are indications that the ride for pro football will be a bit rough in the near future.
John-Williams admits that the challenge of professional football is ’very difficult’, while Warner paints a grim picture for football’s immediate future, and former Petrotrin coach Brian Williams said it is hard to sustain a pro team.
But they all agree on one thing-the current financial deficiencies the Pro League and its clubs face can be reversed.
’(Sustaining a Pro League club) is indeed very difficult, especially with the absence of major sponsorship, and the absence of the crowds in League games. It is extremely difficult,’ John-Williams told the Express yesterday. ’Clubs in T&T depend on the sale of foreign players to balance the books. The world of football is going through a difficult time with that as well.’
Warner, in his customary outspoken manner, also used the D-word (difficult) and criticised Government’s involvement, or lack thereof.
’It is extremely difficult,’ the FIFA vice-president said. ’I have come close many times to calling it a day, because it is a financial haemorrhage. I don’t know how people could keep it up. There is no support from Government, nothing to even encourage the few sponsors that are supporting.’
John-Williams explains that it is the sale of foreign players and, in part, successes in the League that have kept his team afloat.
’We have won a significant amount of prize money. Having said that, it still doesn’t satisfy our needs.’
Warner added: ’These clubs need help. If even they were getting gate receipts, it is still not enough (to keep them going). Nobody wants to help and it has become a haemorrhage. I don’t know how long even I can keep it up If Petrotrin can’t do it and they are an oil company, tell me how long (the other Pro League teams) can do it.’
Williams suggested that the League needs to look at ways of increasing their prize money, by decreasing the number of Cup competitions so that more sponsors can pool their resources.
John-Williams feels football needs to return to the communities, so teams will have greater support and fans will return.
Warner surprised few as he again knocked the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) over floundering financial support for the League.
’The Sport Company’s doing everything instead of the right thing. We (spend) a lot of money on national flags and administration and so on, but where the money should be spent, it is not being spent. I’m losing millions.
’Prize money is the old way. Football (proceeds) is now from gate receipts, TV rights and so on. There has to be sponsorship.’
Warner added that he does not see a bright future for professional football in its current environment.
Through all the speculation, the one constant fact is that any negative impact on the Pro League will no doubt affect national football and the ability to produce national players in the future.
In the unforgiving world of football, international success hinges on the ability to churn out quality players quickly and consistently.
Only time will tell whether T&T’s professional football league can manage the required level of sustainability.