Good sense has prevailed

THE entire Pro League breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday afternoon after Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe revealed in Senate that Cabinet had approved $11 million to assist their operations. The 2018 season, which is set to kick off on June 1, will benefit from a $4.8 million injection – a tremendous boost to the cash-strapped local league struggling to stay afloat.

The league has been hit badly by a litany of financial woes which has seen prize monies unpaid, the exits of the league CEO Dexter Skeene and Chairman Sam Phillip, and the current champions North East Stars implementing a wage ceiling of $2,500 per month for all players.

For the immediate future, though, their problems have been addressed, with Government subventions going a long way towards paying salaries for all clubs.

Former national captain Jan-Michael Williams and Club Sando coach Angus Eve, were elated to hear the Government will be giving over $11 million to the TT Pro League, saying it will give young players an opportunity to pursue their careers. Williams, who has played for over 10 years in the Pro League club and won several titles with Central FC and W Connection, was happy to hear the news. Williams, one of the top goalkeepers locally, said a lot of people depend on the league.

“I think it is a situation where good sense and good governance prevailed, because you have a model that employs over 300 or 400 people directly and indirectly probably close to 1000 or 2000 people,” he said.

Williams, who recently ended a stint abroad in Honduras, said the league plays a key part in helping young people stay away from a life of crime.

“The people directly involved in the Professional League are young people between the ages of 16 and 30. It made a lot of sense, and you are seeing in recent times where players who were, or are involved in the Pro League, involved in some sort of crime one way or the other,” Williams said.

He noted a lot of players in the Pro League are counting on the league for survival, as they may not be academically inclined or know a trade. “A lot of these players don’t have four or five subjects — they don’t have degrees, they don’t have trade qualifications. So they will literally have to go and do manual hard labour and it is something that a lot of people do, but it is not something a professional footballer should be doing. If you are a professional player doing manual hard labour...you will struggle (playing professional football).”

Other than the help from the Government, Williams is hoping corporate TT would come forward and give more support to the local league. Eve, a former national midfielder and current Pro League coach, praised the Government for the support but is also calling on others to come on board.

“For a small country, we are blessed with a lot of natural talent and we need the funding, not just from Government. I applaud the Government for coming on board, however, I think the private sector must play a part, also corporate TT, (I ask) them to come in and support a venture which keeps young people off the streets,” Eve said.

Also an ex-national skipper, Eve said footballers in the TT Pro League are depending on it to make a living. “God has blessed all of us with an ability. Some people went to the route of their schooling and they have their education, not everybody is going to be a doctor,” he said.