Tim Kee focuses on business model
The T&T Football Association (TTFA) has received US$1 million from Fifa to assist in putting together some income generating initiatives. This was revealed to the Sunday Guardian by TTFA’s President, Raymond Tim Kee during a one-on-one interview on Thursday.
“When the TTFA realise that we were bouncing our heads with all the political involvement that came to bear on football they said to us that they will give us this money which will assist in bringing income and to take care of our expenses,” Tim Kee said.
He disclosed that already the TTFA have launched its e-commerce where the organisation is currently selling football kits. “Scarfs, shirts, shorts, socks, caps, mugs, glasses, and all the various things that we provide. We have already tied up arrangements with agencies from the credit card facilities, PayPal,” Tim Kee said.
In two weeks time, he added that the TTFA will launch a mobile store. The van is currently being wrapped with the respective banners and graphic designs. “There will also be a very modern website which will also generate a fan club where people would be able to buy membership and along with that thy will get preferences when there is a game to have tickets,” Tim Kee said.
Having to battle with lack of sponsorship over the years, Tim Kee was proud to disclose that the TTFA have regained some support from Gatorade, Blue Waters and a Medical Company, whose name he did not reveal. He added that it was imperative that the TTFA get additional sponsorship from the Government and corporate sector. “We need a kind of support from corporate T&T and of course, government.
“I was in a congress Fifa had for prime ministers and sports ministers from the Caribbean and Concacaf and the prime minister of Jamaica was the keynote speaker and I regretted that we did not have at least one representative from the TT government last year,” Tim Kee said. He added that he strongly believes that the financing towards football here in T&T is very poor.
“With their very limited financial resources Jamaica choose to inject that money in football because their prime minister spoke about how it has helped in the situation of the crime. Football is a vehicle to out crime in many constituencies and change people from that kind of life,” Tim Kee said. “We in TT seem to feel football is just another thing to do when you don't have nothing else to do and the financing is treated the same. We could change that mindset,” he added.
The TTFA president denied that he was not even thinking about throwing his hat in the election ring, as he has been busy focusing on improving the administration aspects of the organisation. “When I first came to the TTFA changes had to be made and were made. Having people there with business background and management is very critical and crucial to football,” Tim Kee said.
“Emphasises must be on transparency, accountability and good governance,” he added. “More needs to be done because in organisations there is a vey slim line about what should be exposed to the public and what should not be and if there are things to be exposed, the timing has to be right! And, in that regard I am sure that given the sort of pressures that have been made to bear on Fifa’s administration that whoever takes that seat and whoever the executive members are,
“I am sure there will be due diligence and some very pain staking selection exercises that would form the final decision who would be the compliment executive membership should be. I think more than ever before, anybody sitting in those positions would be ultra cautious to do the right things right and continue to do the right things right.”
Tim Kee said TTFA’s election was due since last November (2014), however, it was brought to a halt by Fifa, giving reason that they were in the middle of the process of restructuring the constitution that guides them.
He disclosed that Fifa officials are expected to arrive in the country at the end of this month to sit with the executive of TTFA to articulate their things for the constitution, “When we are finished with that we will have to address all six associations where we will have to go and sensitise all the associations of the new constitution which will impact how they do business and go forward. They would have to agree and then we can call an election.”