Terminix La Horquetta Rangers owner Richard Ferguson has called for democracy to prevail at the T&T Football Association and in local football.
Richards in an interview following Friday’s start to the Ascension-sponsored six-team Champion of Champions Tournament at his facility in Phase 2 La Horquetta. Ferguson, a fairy godfather to local football in the midst of scarce financial resources, was high in praise for the work done by the sport’s world governing body- FIFA, CONCACAF and the FIFA-installed Normalisation Committee and its chairman Robert Hadad.
“ The issue right now is that the debt is under control. I would say, that we really need to thank FIFA and CONCACAF for appointing the Normalisation Committee to handle the debt, to manage it and to deal with it.
And particular, we need to congratulate the chairman of the normalisation committee Mr Robert Hadad, as well as the other members. I think they have done a great job.
They have now controlled the debt. The debt was in fact taken to the court, it was approved and they are now in the process of organising the financing,” Ferguson said.
He noted: “ Having said that, it is important for democracy to germinate in the TTFA again and flourish. We want to take it back to the clubs, to the vote and we want to see democracy take over. And I am certain that Mr Hadad and other members of the normalisation committee will move on to grander prospects and opportunities in FIFA because they have done such a great job.
However, we need to move on and I think with the guidance of FIFA and CONCACAF, I don’t think the same problems are going to happen again, because I think FIFA and CONCACAF will take a closer interest in T&T, and we’re very willing to listen to them and follow their guidance in the future,” Ferguson explained.
Ferguson contested the elections of the TTFA back in November 2019 but ended up on the losing end. That election was won by the William Wallace administration which was later removed by FIFA in favour of the current normalisation committee, on the basis that the sport was on the verge of financial ruin.
Ferguson has now already made it clear that he will be among the presidential candidates when the election bell is rung.
Before this can happen however, the normalisation committee has to complete the FIFA mandate of running the TTFA’S daily affairs; establishing a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA; reviewing and amending the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; as well as organising and conducting elections of a new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-year mandate.