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Thu, Mar

Gosine stands firm as president.
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SHYMDEO GOSINE is standing firm as president of the Central Football Association (CFA), even though seven out of nine member clubs have called for his removal by noon on Monday.

According to a letter issued to Gosine by CFA general secretary Clynt Taylor, the seven clubs (Central Soccer World, Compadres FC, Family Soccer FC, Real Central FC, Arima Tigers FC, SME Titans FC and Latchu Trace Youth) all agreed, via a digital signature, for Gosine to step down.

Orange Field Firehouse SC and Harlem Strikers FC did not sign the letter.

The letter stated, “The members are demanding his resignation by noon May 25 or he will be removed by the clubs in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.”

When contacted on Monday afternoon, Gosine said, “There is a guy (Taylor) who has not been the general secretary since December, who still has the instruments that we’ve asked him to drop off at the president’s office. He never did.

“There is a letter that has some club names and it referred to something virtual. It doesn’t hold any water. It doesn’t have an (iota) of legality to it. There is nothing about it that I would be bothered (about).”

Asked if this move may be perceived as a witch-hunt against him by CFA member clubs, Gosine replied, “I have nothing against (anybody), and I’m not worried about any witch-hunt. I’m in football, not to glorify myself. I don’t need anything from football. I’m not bothered by that nonsense that they write.”

Taylor was the first vice-president of the TT Football Association (TTFA) from November 24, 2019.

But that executive, led by William Wallace, was removed by FIFA in March, due to mounting debts, and replaced by a normalisation committee headed by Robert Hadad.

Gosine also featured at the November 24, 2019 TTFA elections, under the slate of fellow businessman Richard Ferguson. But Gosine lost to Joseph Sam Phillip in the race to become the TTFA third vice-president.

Taylor said on Monday, “Mr Gosine don’t have the authority as president to fire me. I have not resigned as secretary. Under our constitution, the only way a secretary can be hired (is if) the president proposes somebody. But the board does the hiring.

“He can propose the firing of a secretary but only the board does the firing,” Taylor added. “And the board has not agreed to do that. Mr Gosine has been bitter since (his loss) in the TTFA elections. He hasn’t been speaking to (most) of his board members.”

Asked if this matter revolves around a power struggle between himself and Gosine, Taylor responded, “Not at all. I am not about power. I’m about making sure things are done right. I do not care about having a name or a title. However, (CFA) are in a mess. How can you be a president and not talk to your members, and making decisions on your own?”

Taylor pointed out that the letter was sent to him by the member clubs, who expressed their desire to have a change at the helm of the CFA.

Leroy Davis, a representative of Central Soccer World, explained his club’s decision to support the move to oust Gosine from office.

“The league has been dormant. There is a major problem with the president. We are the (leaders) of the (2020 season) and we haven’t collected any money.

“So, we just make a stand and decide we want somebody to run the league better. That’s the main reason for removing the president.”

Davis said that the jackpot for the 2020 season was $15,000.

He said, “We had an excellent season last year. This year, there has been (an) administrative problem in the league, the board has been fighting each other. I think that’s what spoilt the league this year.

“The board is split in two,” Davis continued. “The majority of the board are supporting the secretary who is Taylor. This has nothing to do with the TTFA and the normalisation committee.”