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The administrators of T&T football, the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee which is headed by its chairman Robert Hadad and comprises retired banker Nigel Romano and Attorney Judy Daniel, could be bracing for the backlash if the Avec Sports deal is not honoured.

The four-year TT$25 million contracts with the English sportswear suppliers was signed in January with the TTFA and is scheduled to officially take effect on June 1 with the first batch of uniforms set to arrive in T&T.

However, so far, the deal has fallen through because the normalization committee appears reluctant to fulfil the agreement.

In a Guardian Media Sports story a week ago, it was revealed that the uniforms which are to outfit all the country's national teams, from youth to senior level are expected in T&T on Monday 1 June, but the Normalisation Committee acting on the advice of the world governing body for the sport- the FIFA, may not accept it.

FIFA is in a legal battle with the former T&T Football Association members — former president William Wallace and his three vice presidents Clynt Taylor, Joseph Sam Phillip and Susan Joseph-Warrick for its decision to appoint a normalization committee to replace them as the administrators of local football on March 17.

On Monday Wallace and his team took their fight to the High Court in Port-of-Spain after they felt the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), the only avenue for Member Associations of the FIFA to receive justice, appeared to have been biased in its handlings of the arbitral proceedings between the parties. Wallace's team of lawyers Dr Emir Crowne and Matthew Gayle in a six-page document on Monday said that CAS showed blatant bias by going against the mandatory procedure of the arbitration process by asking them (the ousted TTFA executive) to pay the entire costs ($40,000 Swiss Francs or TT$277, 000) for parties.

Both Wallace and Ramesh Ramdhan, the current TTFA general secretary who signed the Avec contract, refused comment on the deal when contacted. However, Guardian Media Sports understands that the English supplier has already produced the uniforms for its arrival time in T&T.

It is unsure of the amount spend by Avec for the uniforms but Guardian Media attempted to contact According to a source who is close to the development and who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity on Friday said, “Avec would want to retrieve the monies it put out on the production of the uniforms and they would want to be paid. They have already made contact with us.”

The source said, "It is understood that Hadad has concerns about the contract and has been seeking ways to get out of the contract. He already has his hands filled with other TTFA courts matters such as former coach Stephen Hart, and a judgement by the court to pay former technical director Kendall Walkes which has led to the liquidation of the TTFA accounts. The Committee also has to deal with outstanding payments of salaries for the last two months and May is also coming to an end, as well as securing the football association's accounts to conduct business transactions."

From the Avec Sports deal the T&TFA will receive some US$1.4 million in uniforms, but first will be required to sell £125,000 pounds (an estimated TT$1.25 million or sell 7,500 replica shirts and other gear for the English company. The profits from the sales will be shared 80 to 20 per cent respectively to the TTFA and its distributors Sports & Games.

Hadad yesterday, did not respond to a Whatsapp, asking for a comment on the Avec deal.


SOURCE: T&T Guardian

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