Utd TTFA bemoans absent refs at League of Champs

THE UNITED TTFA (TT Football Association) has bemoaned the absence of referees for most of the first round matches in the TTFA’s League of Champions tournament.

The United TTFA group, led by William Wallace, are contesting the November 24 TTFA elections.

And, in a media release yesterday, “United TTFA wishes to underline the abjectly political nature and timing of the League of Champions, launched by the David John-Williams administration ahead of the elections.”

According to the United TTFA media release, the Defence Force-Laventille United match was played with three unofficial referees supplied by Defence Force, two unofficial Police assistant referees worked at the Police-Marabella Family Crisis Centre encounter and unofficial referees appointed by both teams did duties at both the Guaya United-Harlem Strikers and Matura ReUnited-Central Soccer World fixtures.

No TTFA referees turned up at any of the aforementioned games.

The game between 1976 Phoenix FC and Youth Stars FC was postponed as Phoenix are involved in the TT Pro League’s First Citizens Cup, and the match between Moruga FC and the national XI was cancelled.

According to the media release, “United TTFA understands the ‘national team’ referred to in the fixtures is the national Under-15 team. The use of 14 and 15 year olds would be a transgression of every principle of child physiological and psychological development, and every requirement for the development of young talents.”

The United TTFA blamed the current administration for demonstrating “utter disrespect for all TTFA referee bodies in not approaching them to discuss referee services and the payment for same.”