Meeting to discuss Wallace's tenure cancelled

LAWYERS have advised the United TT Football Association (TTFA) to cancel their meeting on Saturday, as the situation involving the former TTFA executive and FIFA is still in court.

United TTFA members (the former TTFA executive) Keith Look Loy, Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick, Joseph Sam Phillip and Anthony Harford distanced themselves from former TTFA president William Wallace earlier this week, who is also a member of the United TTFA.

Look Loy and company said they are disappointed that Wallace made unilateral decisions concerning contracts.

In a media release on Tuesday, signed by Look Loy, Taylor, Joseph-Warrick, Phillip and Harford, said, “We have determined to immediately call a virtual general meeting of TTFA’s membership (via Zoom), on Saturday 20 June at 2 pm.” The release said the meeting is intended to allow the members the opportunity to give their thoughts on the decisions made by Wallace during his tenure.

On Friday, Look Loy said, “No (it is off), the lawyers have said because it is in court don’t worry with that…so we following that.”

The United TTFA, including Wallace, is currently in a court battle against FIFA for taking over the affairs of the local governing body in March, claiming FIFA has no right to interfere with democratically elected officials. Matthew Gayle, Dr Emir Crowne, Jason Jones and Crystal Paul are representing the United TTFA.

Wallace was elected TTFA president in November 2019, replacing David John-Williams. Wallace and his executive led the TTFA until March 2020, before FIFA appointed a normalisation committee to run TTFA which included getting rid of the $50 million debt facing the local football body.

Eyebrows have been raised concerning some of the contracts during Wallace’s tenure.

Wallace said he will address all concerns raised during his time in office over the next week.

Wallace told Newsday on Friday, “Right now I am not speaking about anything, but I will be making a statement when I am ready…I am going to do a full disclosure on all of this in due course along with the supporting documents.”

Among the contracts that are controversial is one currently held by national men’s coach Terry Fenwick.

Englishman Fenwick, who has lived in TT for over 20 years, was hired in December 2019 to replace Dennis Lawrence as coach after the TTFA board voted 8-1 with the understanding that he would be paid US$17,500 per month with other bonuses. In the incentive package, Fenwick would start earning US$20,000 a month if the team qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, then TTFA president Wallace, general secretary Ramesh Ramdhan and Fenwick signed an agreement that meant the national coach would receive a starting salary of US$20,000 per month and it would increase to US$25,000 if the team qualified for the Gold Cup. This was not approved by the TTFA board.

It was initially reported that the additional US$2,500 per month came through sponsorship (not revealed) as Fenwick was not satisfied with his contract. The US$2,500 extra was included on the main contract instead of a separate contract.

Wallace acknowledged changing the terms of Fenwick’s contract with a 14 per cent increase but insisted that extra US$2,500 monthly would not be a burden on the TTFA, as it would be paid by a benefactor whom he declined to name.

Fenwick’s contract does not include details of any external arrangement and says only that the TTFA must pay his US$20,000 salary.

Englishman Peter Miller claimed he was the mysterious benefactor who would pay US$2,500 a month to Fenwick to make up the US$20,000 salary Fenwick was asking for.

Miller said he mediated the deal between Fenwick and the TTFA and decided to sacrifice US$2,500 of his own salary to get the deal done.

TTFA’s contract with Miller is also being questioned.

Wallace had denied that Miller was the TTFA marketing director and said the Englishman’s contract was conditional on the sponsorship he brought in.

He told online news site Wired868, “His payment was contingent on what he brings to the TTFA. It is based on the whole roll out of sponsorships with Miller who then has to pay his other people from that. If you didn’t bring anything then you have nothing to get.”

But according to the contract seen by Newsday, Miller was contracted for 24 months at US$25,000 per month, with options for two one-year extensions. The first page of the contract says Miller is “hereinafter referred to as the Marketing Director.”