Teams confirmed for T-League

JOEL BAILEY and STEPHON NICHOLAS

A TOTAL of 24 teams have been confirmed to participate in the T-League, which is a merger of the Pro League and the TT Super League.The T-League, which brings all clubs under one umbrella, is expected to kick-off in September and will come as a relief to many locally-based footballers who have been out of match-form since both leagues ended in December last year.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Brent Sancho, who along with Jamaal Shabazz represented the Pro League on the commission formed to oversee the merger of the leagues, described it as a landmark moment for TT.

Sancho said although there have been grumblings about no football being played, it was important the commission took its time to structure the T-League properly.

"The biggest problem we had is people keep thinking we don't want to start to play football, but we only have one chance to get this right. We feel for the fact that players not playing and we have a Gold Cup around the corner but we actually trying to put something together that hopefully will never break."

He added, "The people who have been entrusted have been working overtime. The chairman of the commission, Mr Lindsay Gillette, really pushed that this come to fruition. There is a lot of infighting in football but this is something which all the clubs agreed with – which is something ain't happen in a long while. The same characters that you hear (disagreeing) – the Keith Look Loys, the David John Williams – everybody worked together, and it shows that within all that's happening people want to see the betterment of the sport."

The top tier (T1) will feature the ten Pro League clubs – W Connection, Terminix La Horquetta Rangers, Police, North East Stars, Central FC, Point Fortin Civic, Club Sando, Defence Force, Morvant Caledonia United and San Juan Jabloteh.Tier two (T2) will involve 14 clubs from the Super League – FC Santa Rosa, Queen’s Park, Prisons FC, Cunupia FC, Guaya United, Police, Matura Reunited, UTT, RSSR, San Fernando Giants, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United, Bethel United, Club Sando and Erin FC.In 2019 and 2020, one team will be promoted from Tier 2 to Tier 1, which will result in a 12-team T1 by 2021. “Meantime, normal promotion and relegation between T2 and the rest of local club football will continue in 2019,” the media release noted.According to a tripartite memorandum of agreement (for the period of three years), between the TTFA (TT Football Association), Pro League and TT Super League, the T-League will have a league commission comprising no more than seven members – two apiece from the Pro League and Super League, two independent representatives and a TTFA representative.The competition will be organised and managed by the TTFA in conjunction with the league commission, while the TTFA will provide funding for the competition for the duration of the memorandum of agreement in an amount agreed upon and approved by the TTFA.The Pro League clubs have agreed to pledge their Government subvention monies towards the budget for the next three seasons. “The league commission shall decide on the method in which this (is) done,” said the media release. “The TTFA will open a separate bank account in its own name specifically for the funding of and direct benefit of the (T-League).”However, the TTFA’s funding of the T-League may prove to be sticking point as its First Citizens bank account was frozen in March, due to a court order requested by members of the national futsal team.

The formation of the T-League follows a visit by UEFA officials in January this year to help chart a way forward for local football. UEFA officials implored the Pro League and Super League to put things in place to be able to stand on its own feet.