Nearly 17 months since the normalisation committee was given a two-year tenure to fix the finances of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, some TTFA members are demanding answers to a number of questions, including the kit deal with Miami-based sports apparel company BOL.
In a 30-page document addressed to normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad and copied to FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura on July 20, six TTFA members—acting TT Pro League chairman Brent Sancho, Richard Ferguson, owner of La Horquetta Rangers and organiser of the Ascension tournament, Kieron Edwards of the Eastern FA, Ian Pritchard of Eastern Counties, Ross Russell of the Northern Football Association and Referees Association president Osmond Downer—complain about receiving unsatisfactory answers to concerns raised in an earlier letter dated May 1, 2021.
Downer said that a members/stakeholders meeting about a month ago, ”it was decided that it is the duty of the members to make an input.”
In writing to Hadad, the members stated: “It is generally believed by the membership that your response was unresponsive, indifferent, and it left the membership with questions still unanswered although every opportunity was afforded to you to explain your actions.”
And among the queries raised in their latest correspondence is one about the details of the arrangement with BOL, agreed to in April of this year, which currently outfits national teams.
In particular, the members wanted to know what were the tendering procedures followed by the TTFA, “in order to determine the competencies of BOL—a company incorporated approximately 11 months ago, to retain their services for a two-year contract period, especially when this two-year period far exceeds the normalisation committee’s tenure at the TTFA?
The six also asked in their letter: “Do you or any other member of the normalisation committee have any connection past or present with BOL?”
In announcing its partnership with BOL, the TTFA had said via a release that: “BOL will equally incentivise Trinidad and Tobago for the performance achievements of both the Men’s and Women’s national teams in order to recognise TTFA’s efforts and vision for the future of all. An extensive annual product collection will be provided au gratis and the deal will also include a revenue sharing programme for team branded products sold around the world.”
Referring in their letter to that revenue sharing programme, the six members wanted Hadad to clarify exactly what the programme entailed and “the nature of this extensive bonus scheme.”
The members also raised questions about the status of the TTFA’s debt repayment plan. Calls made to Hadad’s cell phone went unanswered, neither did he respond to questions via Whatsapp on Sunday.
SOURCE: T&T Express