The Football Community in the region needs the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to put their house in order as their actions could affect all the other member associations.
This was the sentiments of veteran Sports Administrator Adrian Donovan recently.
Donovan said he has had the pleasure and sometimes the challenges with working with the likes of Jack Warner and some of the best administrators and footballers seen this part of the world.
At present the TTFA is engaged in a battle with the world governing body FIFA and, according to Donovan, it seems all the odds are stacked against the TTFA.
“Trinidad football over the years has been looked up to by all of us in the Caribbean because they presented outstanding players who stood tall above any others.
“It is a sad reflection to see the tribulations that occurred under the Jack Warner regime come back to haunt us but in a different form and fashion.”
The TTFA has engaged the services of two lawyers with the intention of taking their grievance to the court of arbitration. They have all right to as it has been proven that no international sporting federation can supersede the law of the land.
However, any exercise to challenge FIFA can be an extremely expensive undertaking. At present a number of the TTFA executive members have started a fundraising campaign hoping to raise at least a half million TT dollars to champion their cause.
Donovan cannot believe that taking into consideration what is happening with this deadly COVID-19 virus pandemic where people are suffering, that fundraising activities like this will get off the ground.
“Citizens all through the region, including Trinidad and Tobago, have lost their jobs and businesses have closed its doors. It is seemingly unheard of that with so many trials and tribulations at work in all of our countries, that people could actually come up with an idea like this one.”
T&T for years have gained so much respect for not only representing the Caribbean at a World Cup, but also for the quality of their players who can be seen playing up until recently in different leagues all over the world.
Donovan believes that the damage has already been done and the credibility of football in Trinidad should be of utmost importance for those in charge.
“With a debt of over TT$ 50 million and rising the normalization committee set up by FIFA is the best way to go as the game is bigger than any of us.”
Donovan stated that they cannot afford to let the sport come to a standstill.
The normalization committee which FIFA continues to put in place in associations that have problems have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to put their respective troubled associations on the right path.
Donovan went on to say that it cannot be business as usual and the first thing that the committee will have to do is conduct a forensic audit as the debt will continue to rise beyond imagination.
“FIFA will dictate how certain things will go and contracts and agreements may suffer terminations but at the end of it all the image of the TTFA must be restored.”
Donovan noted that a fair and democratic AGM has to be held and everyone will be given a chance to put their hat in the ring for the newly elected board.
“The Caribbean football fraternity which I am sure the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) are too will support any new TTFA that is put in place.”(CG)
SOURCE: Barbados Advocate