FIFA agrees to mediation with TTFA

FIFA agreed, on Monday, to settle its dispute with the former TT Football Association (TTFA) executive led by ousted president William Wallace out of court.

Wallace and his executive (deputies Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip), as well as United TTFA members Keith Look Loy and Anthony Harford, are challenging FIFA’s decision on March 17 to remove the TTFA executive and implement a normalisation committee (comprising head Robert Hadad, Judy Daniel and Nigel Romano).

On May 18, the former TTFA executive decided to take the matter to the TT High Court, instead of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), since they felt they would not get a fair hearing at the Switzerland-based CAS.

FIFA challenged the ousted TTFA executive’s move to have the case heard at the High Court, and the court set a date of July 29 to decide on the matter.

But Look Loy said, “On June 22, our lawyers (Matthew Gayle, Dr Emir Crowne, Jason Jones and Crystal Paul) wrote to theirs (Christopher Hamel-Smith, Jonathan Walker and Cherie Gopie) proposing mediation.

He said on the fourth approach, on Monday, the other side agreed.

Look Loy said, “This is a potentially positive development. It implicitly offers recognition by FIFA of the democratically elected TTFA leadership, and it potentially opens the way for productive talks between equals.

“The lawyers will thrash out the mechanics of the process over the next (few) days, and we very much anticipate the talks themselves.”