No suspension was ever handed down to any clubs in the T&T Super League at least not by the T&T Football Association in 2018. Now president Clayton Morris is being called upon to convene an Emergency General Meeting to immediately re-install the affected clubs with full rights, inclusive of voting rights for the coming AGM and Election of Officers on September 19.
Guardian Media Sports has a copy of the 12-page minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 21, 2018, by the T&T Football Association, which followed an initial AGM on March 31, 2018, at which the Board of the TTFA was directed to suspend non-compliant clubs provisionally, and recommend their dismissal to the EGM on April 21.
However, in an about-turn, a decision was instead taken to regularize the status of the non-compliant clubs: "The President announced the purpose of the AGM as being to To ratify and clarify the status of members who were deemed non-compliant. He informed that at the previous AGM, which was convened onMarch 31, 2018, it was decided that the Board of Directors provisionally suspend and recommend the expulsion of non-compliant members.
On the morning of April 21, 2018, the Board of Directors of the TTFA met and it was recommended that the status of non-compliant members be regularized at this AGM."
Only the Coaches and Players Associations, who were among 21 non-compliant clubs/organisations at the meeting, were expelled based on their non-activity. Those organisations also failed to have representation at the meeting.
It was also agreed to hear the issues of the other organisations individually and allow them opportunities to get their houses in order. These clubs are- Barrackpore United, Cunupia FC, Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU), Edingburgh 500, Futsal T&T, Guaya United, Harlem Strikers, Matura Re-United, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United, Police FC, Players Association, Primary Schools League, 1976 Phoenix, Real Maracas, Saddle Hill, Siparia Spurs, TTWOLF, UTT, WASA FC and Youth Stars- all of which failed to submit some or all of the following- their constitutions, Bye-Laws Regulations, Minutes of AGM/General Meetings, Audited Financial Statements, and Declarations among other things.
Then TTSL president Keith Look Loy and his Board suspended seven clubs later that year, for either being non-compliant or for failing to meet the registration deadline for the season - namely Tobago Phoenix, Youth Stars, Central 500, WASA FC, Defence Force, Marabella Family Crisis Centre and Harlem Strikers.
However, Defence Force was the only team deemed to have met the criteria to be compliant ahead of last year's Super League AGM and election. On September 19 the Super League will again attempt to vote in a new administration with three candidates, Keiron Edwards, the EFA president, Ryan Ottley, the Defence Force manager and Lee Davis of Prisons FC, to challenge for the position of president.
Yesterday the clubs were anxiously awaiting word from the TTFA/normalisation committee on their status as TTSL members. However, three clubs- Diego Martin Petit Valley United, Youth Stars and Guaya United have called for the immediate reinstatement of the clubs in time to vote.
Anselm Robley of the Youth Stars said: "We want reinstatement but the thing is, who do we hold responsible for the four years of not playing when we were said to be non-compliant?...who is going to foot the bill for loss of exposure and earning?
All I would like is to be returned to the Super League and get that opportunity to play," Robley said. He noted also that the Super League has been a form of exposure for his club and his community.
Randy Hagley, the Guaya United owner and manager said: "Our next step is to get the president of the TTSL, who is Clayton Morris to call an EGM and reinstate these clubs immediately before that AGM and election on September 19th. We know he can do that because the law provides for that to happen. This football is a big mafia, so if you can prevent clubs from voting against you, the TTFA election would have been easy."
Edwards echoed similar sentiments, saying: "The clubs are bonafide shareholders, and should have an opportunity to participate in any meeting that is undertaken by the TTSL, even if it means they should have their voting rights and things like that. For far too long they have been debarred basically because of persons who are on the executive who has political agendas, in terms of manipulating the voting system. Petit Valley and Guaya United have always championed the cause of fairness and transparency in the TTSL and for far too long these issues have been swept under the carpet."
The Super League teams were alleged to have been suspended back in 2018, but last month (August 27) a letter by the normalisation committee's acting general secretary Amiel Mohammed, stated that the T&TFA has no documentation to show that the clubs were suspended.
Guardian Media Sports attempted to reach both Look Loy, who has resigned from the League in October last year, and secretary Peter Thomas but attempts proved futile. Look Loy did not respond to a WhatsApp message while calls to Thomas' cell phone went unanswered.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian