While their case in the T&T High Court hurtles toward trial, the United TTFA faction of administrators has penned an open letter hoping to draw FIFA to resolution discussions.
In the letter, former TTFA Predident William Wallace underscores the group's unwillingness to accept and acknowledge FIFA's Normalisation Committee calling the measure "draconian".
Guardian Media Sports now publishes this letter in its entirety.
Gianni Infantino President
FIFA
Zurich Switzerland
By email
26th August 2020
Dear Mr. Infantino,
RE: Failure of Normalisation in Trinidad and Tobago
My Vice Presidents and I were elected to lead the TTFA in November 2019. For years before that FIFA had stood-by and watched as mismanagement and cronyism caused havoc for Football in Trinidad and Tobago, provoking notable public failures, including the botched Home of Football project in Balmain, Couva.
We were elected to bring transparency and financial probity. In this vein we approached FIFA early in my tenure, and opened the books for scrutiny in a way not done before when the joint FIFA-CONCACAF mission visited in early 2020.
Normalisation is a draconian and unfair act which seeks to undermine the independence of the TTFA and ride roughshod over the will of the electorate who voted for the United TTFA slate in November 2019. Added to this, the fact is, that in all the countries that were normalized, in all instances, it is clear that the incumbent executive was in breach of FIFA statues or acted in manner that justified FIFA’s intervention. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago the two reasons given by FIFA for their intervention clearly had nothing to do with the new executive.
That being said, together with my executive, I remain willing and ready to work with FIFA to resolve the outstanding issues in the interest of Football in Trinidad and Tobago. Normalisation should not have been an option in this instance, but rather, to allow the newly elected executive to work hand in hand with FIFA for and in the best interest of the TTFA.
By refusing to work together with us, and by repeatedly refusing to engage in mediation as we have called not less than six times for FIFA to do, you run the risk of irreparably damaging football in Trinidad and Tobago.
FIFA cannot continue to ignore our calls to mediate an agreement between the TTFA and FIFA and maintain any moral authority. FIFA must recognize and work with the duly elected Executive of the TTFA. Likewise, TTFA must recognize, and does, the need for financial assistance and guidance from FIFA in resolving TTFA’s current financial malaise.
If you will not talk and if no agreement is reached, the TTFA is left with no choice but to continue on the path FIFA has forced us down through the courts.
TTFA judgment day is September 16
FIFA has given the TTFA until September 16 to withdraw its matter from the Trinidad and Tobago High Court or risk being suspended from global football. This was revealed in a letter the world governing body sent to chairman of the Normalisation Committee dated August 26.
In the letter signed by FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, FIFA insisted that the TTFA deals with the matter through the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The letter stated, "...we deem that a failure to comply with this directive would result in the commencement of suspension proceedings..."
RELATED NEWS
United TTFA gets September 16 deadline before FIFA ban.
By Narissa Fraser (Newsday).
The world governing body of football, FIFA, has issued a final warning to the ousted TT Football Association (TTFA) executive to obey its statutes. FIFA said failure to comply "would result in the commencement of suspension proceedings via the relevant FIFA bodies."
On March 17, FIFA removed TTFA president William Wallace and his executive, who were elected in November 2019, instead appointing a normalisation committee led by businessman Robert Hadad to run TTFA's affairs.
Wallace and his executive appealed their removal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. The team later indicated it did not believe CAS would give it a “fair hearing." Instead – on May 18 – they appealed to the local High Court.
Since then, the two bodies have been at loggerheads over which playing field their legal battle should kick off on. FIFA insists the matter can only and "must" be heard at CAS.
The most recent development was on August 12, when Justice Carol Gobin denied FIFA’s request to strike out the claim because its rules prevent member associations from starting proceedings against it in the local courts. FIFA has since appealed.
But in a letter to Hadad on Wednesday, FIFA reiterated the matter should be heard at CAS, adding that it is "very concerned regarding the decision of the claim and the argument used to dismiss FIFA's application.
"In this context, we draw your attention to article 58 of the FIFA statutes which expressly contains the prohibition of recourse to ordinary courts of law unless specifically provided for.
"FIFA takes such a principle with utmost seriousness and therefore considers that it is the responsibility of its member associations to ensure that this principle is implemented."
It said the ousted executive has until September 16 to withdraw its claim from the local High Court.