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Fri, Mar

John-Williams praised and censured at EGM.
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President of the T&T Football Association David John-Williams came in for praises for his genuine efforts to construct the now famous Home of Football in Balmain, Couva, but at the end of Wednesday’s reconvened Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held at the nearby National Cycling Centre (NCC), a motion was moved to censure him for his approach.

John-Williams’ passion to take the sport forward was hampered mainly by the distrust he had for Board members, some of whom publicly accused him of wrongdoings, and as such the local football boss made decisions on his own, an action that contravened the association’s constitution.

His desire for development was recognised by the 31 members that showed up for the meeting and from it, 22 members moved a motion successfully to censure him, in spite of attempts by nine other members to change the word from censure to reprimand, which would have been a wrap on the knuckles for the local football boss.

The highly contentious issue of the audited financial statement for 2016 was received and passed after John-Williams, equipped with his laptop and a 500-page binder, provided answers to all concerns raised by his members.

The president, who has promised in the past that the truth will be revealed in the work of the home of football, did just that.

But he is still to produce contracts between the TTFA and more than 10 contractors to conduct work on the Couva facility.

John-Williams listed 15 contractors currently doing work there, namely Geotechnical Consultancy Services, Aleron Limited, CPML Contractors Limited, Quintessential Design Solutions Limited, Kamal Phulsingh, Deon George Welding and Fabrication, Clophas Medina Limited, AMA Transport and Contract Services, ECOTEC EPS Construction Technologies, Trabsbrokerage Services Ltd, Ready Mix West Indies Trinidad Ltd, Trinrico Steel and Wire Products Ltd, Ramlagan General Hardware, Point Lisas Steel Products Ltd and Alescon Ready Mix.

John-Williams also attempted to shield his association from negative reports reaching the public domain by asking Board members to sign an agreement that would prevent them from sharing key info with the media. This, however, was rejected as members demanded info, saying it was his obligation to do so.

One member who spoke on condition of anonymity said the future of the sport is in safe hands under the current president, saying no other TTFA president has achieved as much as John-Williams did in just over two years.

He said it was all about lies, vendetta and personal agendas that saw certain members accuse John-Williams of wrongdoings when the FIFA accepted that work on the facility was above board.