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T&T Under-17 men's coach Angus Eve (fourth left) speaks with fellow coaches as they gathered at the Ato Boldon Stadium, on Tuesday, to deliver a document to the TT Football Association's secretariat regarding the non-payment of salaries. - Vidya Thurab
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THE TT Football Association (TTFA) normalisation committee is denying claims it blocked national coaches from entering its offices on Tuesday. It also said it can explain the reason for the delay in staff members receiving their salaries.

A total of 21 national coaches met outside the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, on Tuesday morning to deliver a document to the TTFA secretariat.

This letter addressed their non-payment of salaries since FIFA’s installation of the normalisation committee in mid-March.

Coach Angus Eve has told Newsday the majority of coaches were prevented from entering. He said only a few, who arrived earlier, were allowed entry.

When they approached the security booth, he said, the guard said he was given instructions “by the office” to keep the gate closed.

But in a release on Thursday, the TTFA said this is untrue.

It said, “The Sports Company of TT (SPoRTT) facilities, which include the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, where the TTFA’s head office is located, remain closed in keeping with the public health measures declared by the Ministry of Health to stem the spread of covid19.

“As stated in an official SPoRTT correspondence, ‘The public is also reminded that two SPoRTT locations in Tacarigua and Couva are more heavily secured as they are being used as step-down facilities by the Ministry of Health. Consequently, restricted access is even more imperative at these locations.’”

It said the association “has not deliberately” deferred payments of salaries to any staff member.

“The TTFA is willing to engage any member of staff to explain the reason for non-payment.

“It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this situation. It is also important to note that all parties have the country’s football at heart and would like to see our nation’s ranking rise in world football.

“However, this must be preceded by the establishment of a properly governed and functioning TTFA.”

It said the normalisation committee has been “working assiduously” to find solutions to a “wide range of matters related to the organisation and its national teams.

“Most importantly, addressing the TTFA’s perilous financial situation. The TTFA’s indebtedness, which has increased since the start of the year, continues to be of grave concern.”

It thanked FIFA and Concacaf for “continued support,” adding that there is currently a rotational work system in place for staff - including a work from home policy - owing to the covid19 pandemic.

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The T&T Football Association (TTFA), which is now being administered by a FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, is denying media reports that the organisation locked out the TTFA coaches who were seeking a meeting at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva on Monday.

After FIFA disbanded the TTFA on March 17, the normalisation committee has been running the organisation's affairs since March 27 under the guidance of its chairman, businessman Robert Hadad, deputy chairman attorney Judy Daniel and former banker Nigel Romano.

According to the TTFA press statement yesterday: "The T&T Football Association (TTFA) wishes to place on record that it did not block any of the coaches or members of the national team’s coaching staff from entering the TTFA’s offices on Tuesday, August 25, 2020."

The release continued: "The Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) facilities, which include the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, where the TTFA’s head office is located, remain closed in keeping with the public health measures declared by the Ministry of Health to stem the spread of COVID-19. As stated in an official SporTT correspondence, the public is also reminded that two SporTT locations in Tacarigua and Couva are more heavily secured as they are being used as step-down facilities by the Ministry of Health. Consequently, restricted access is even more imperative at these locations."

Guardian Media Sports was present when approximately 20 coaches assembled outside the main entrance of the facility but were not allowed to enter in their attempts to deliver copies of the contracts to the TTFA office.

Former national player Angus Eve, who was one of the coaches present said that all the coaches wanted to do was deliver their contracts and appointment letters personally but the security did not allow them to do so.

More than an hour after they arrived, five coaches including Eve, were allowed on the compound to deliver all the documentation to the office.

Eve said that the coaches' action came about because they have not been paid since January and wanted to ensure that the office had copies of their contracts so that their payments can be processed.

According to the TTFA release: "The TTFA also wishes to advise that it has not intentionally deferred payment of salaries to any member of staff. The TTFA is willing to engage any member of staff to explain the reason for non-payment. It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this situation. It is also important to note that all parties have the country’s football at heart and would like to see our nation’s ranking rise in world football. However, this must be preceded by the establishment of a properly governed and functioning TTFA."

A release from the SporTT yesterday stated: "The Sports Company of T&T Limited (SporTT) advises that the company continues to comply with all public health measures as declared by the Ministry of Health. To this end, SporTT reminds its valued stakeholders that all of its managed facilities remain closed to the general public.

"The public is reminded that two SporTT locations (Tacarigua and Couva) are more heavily secured as they are being used as step-down facilities by the Ministry of Health. Consequently, restricted access is even more imperative at these locations. SporTT will continue to abide by the rules and regulations as mandated by the Ministry of Health and by extension the Government of the Republic of T&T in order to keep all persons associated with its facilities or seeking access safe from the threat of COVID-19."

Meanwhile, the TTFA release pointed out that: "The TTFA’s normalisation committee has been working assiduously to find solutions to a wide range of matters related to the organisation and its national teams. Most importantly, addressing the TTFA’s perilous financial situation. The TTFA’s indebtedness, which has increased since the start of the year, continues to be of grave concern. The normalisation committee intends to reach the best possible outcome for all parties concerned and to have a fully functional administration supporting football activities."