The General Council of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association at meeting earlier today took a decision to bring to the attention of the various stakeholders in the football community to the risk to which the TTFF continues to expose the game in Trinidad and Tobago.
FIFA, in April 2010, adopted into its statutes new regulations to govern the organization of refereeing in all Member Associations within the international body. After a grace period of one year to facilitate compliance, all Member Associations were required to comply with the regulations from 1st April 2011.
To date the TTFF has not established its Refereeing Department as required by the regulations. While it has established a Referees Committee as required by the regulations, that Committee has not been meeting to take the decisions in keeping with its responsibilities since 29th July 2011.
The persisting failure of the TTFF to implement the regulations for the organization of refereeing exposes the TTFF to disciplinary sanction by FIFA.
Such non-compliance can result in Trinidad and Tobago being banned from engaging in international competition, both teams and FIFA match officials.
Such a turn of events will affect national teams (Senior Men and Women, Olympic Men and Women, U-20 Men and Women, U-17 Men and Women) and TT Pro League teams which contend for Championship League qualification.
In light of the clear and present risk to which the TTFF continues to expose the game in Trinidad and Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association calls on all stakeholders to exert all necessary pressure on the TTFF so that corrective action be taken to remove this risk.
The TTFF having made the required changes to its constitution to accommodate the regulations has fallen short in implementing the regulations. The TTFF therefore is continuing to act in a manner contrary to its own constitution.
As a member Association of the TTFF, the TTFRA urges the TTFF to act in a responsible manner and observe and adhere to the provisions of its own constitution which embraces many democratic principles but the TTFF is increasingly showing a tendency to act inimical to the interest of the majority of the stakeholders in football in Trinidad and Tobago.
Let us all beware!
Issued on behalf of the TTFRA. - First Vice-President: Joseph Taylor: Second Vice-President: Ashworth Mc Kenzie: Third Vice-President: Bevon Spencer; Public Relations Officer: Wayne Caesar, Assistant Sec/Finance: Ronald Geoffroy Assistant Sec/Operations: Lyndon Burton, Assistant Secretary Administration: Julien Drayton.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO FOOTBALL REFEREES ASSOCIATION
Founded in: 1982.
President: Gary Andrews.
Secretary: Boni Bishop.
The referees have amended the original statement (above) to include a reference to the EFA impasse, which is another small victory for EFA.
Revised Statement.
The General Council of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association at its meeting on 9th October 2011took a decision to bring to the attention of the various stakeholders in the football community the risk to which the TTFF continues to expose the game in Trinidad and Tobago.
FIFA, in April 2010, adopted into its statutes new regulations to govern the organization of refereeing in all Member Associations within the international body. After a grace period of one year to facilitate compliance, all Member Associations were required to comply with the regulations from 1st April 2011.
To date the TTFF has not established its Refereeing Department as required by the regulations. While it has established a Referees Committee as required by the regulations, that Committee has not been meeting to take the decisions in keeping with its responsibilities since 29th July 2011.
This Committee is therefore non-functional. The persisting failure of the TTFF to implement the regulations for the organization of refereeing exposes the TTFF to disciplinary sanction by FIFA.
Such non-compliance can result in Trinidad and Tobago being banned from engaging in international competition, both teams and FIFA match officials. Such a turn of events will affect national teams (Senior Men and Women, Olympic Men and Women, U20 Men and Women, U17 Men and Women) and TT Pro League teams which contend for Championship League qualification.
In light of the clear and present risk to which the TTFF continues to expose the game in Trinidad and Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association calls on all stakeholders to exert all necessary pressure on the TTFF so that corrective action be taken to remove this risk.
The TTFF having made the required changes to its constitution to accommodate the regulations has fallen short in implementing the regulations. The TTFF therefore is continuing to act in a manner contrary to its own constitution.
As a member Association of the TTFF, the TTFRA urges the TTFF to act in a responsible manner and observe and adhere to the provisions of its own constitution. We have been concerned that as a member of the organization, the TTFF has refused to allow the TTFRA to participate fully in decisions which affect
us directly.
We have also taken note of the situation developing within another member organization of the TTFF where basic electoral tenets are not being observed as is expected in any democratic organization. The TTFF is apparently supporting counter-democratic actions by some of its members in order to preserve entrenched interests within its fold.
The TTFF’s failure to comply with FIFA regulations coupled with an unwillingness to work harmoniously constituent members, while supporting the breaking of democratic rules by preferred members is setting up the stage for fasttracking the end of football in Trinidad and Tobago as controlled by the present
administrators.
Let us all beware!
This statement is issued on behalf of the TTFRA