In the matter of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and the ‘blacklisted’ members of the national senior football team, we find it necessary that whereas the items at issue have the possibility to affect the teams performance at the upcoming Gold Cup, and to further unravel the great strides made with qualification for Germany 2006 and more recently the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, it is imperative that this impasse be immediately brought to an end.
The Soca Warriors Supporters Club, on behalf of the supporters of Trinidad and Tobago football who are consistently left out of the equation in these matters, demand that both the TTFF and the players agree to binding arbitration so that this issue can be quickly resolved. We all would like to see our best available players represent our country, and for this to happen, both parties need to put ego and politics aside and come to a speedy resolution. The issue of non-selection and the dispute over compensation should not be intertwined, as we believe they should be mutually exclusive. With most, if not all, of the affected players being in the country this week, this represents an ideal opportunity for the lines of communication to be re-opened so that the best interest of the country can be served.
For most of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, our national football teams have over the past two years represented a beacon of hope to our aspiring nation. We, the supporters of Trinidad and Tobago football even when the team is not in the spotlight and there are but a couple hundred supporters in the National Stadium, and indeed the youth of our beloved country, urge both parties to look at the bigger picture, and halt our descent into the footballing abyss.
For the good of the game and our country,
THE SOCA WARRIORS SUPPORTERS CLUB