Joseph-Warrick resigns as WoLF president

FILE PHOTO: Susan Joseph-Warrick has resigned as TT Women's Football League president.
FILE PHOTO: Susan Joseph-Warrick has resigned as TT Women's Football League president.

SUSAN Joseph-Warrick has resigned as president of the TT Women's Football League (WoLF). She said she is "hurt, saddened and disappointed" at FIFA's decision to suspend the TTFA.

On Thursday, FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura wrote a letter to TTFA normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad, saying, “Starting on 24 September 2020, amongst other consequences, neither the TTFA’s national teams nor its clubs will be allowed to participate in any international competitions.

"The TTFA and its members will not benefit from the FIFA or Concacaf financial/development programmes.”

And a release on FIFA's website said, “The Bureau of the FIFA Council today suspended the TTFA with immediate effect due to grave violations of the FIFA statutes.”

The announcement came just one day after the United TTFA, led by William Wallace, decided to withdraw its court matter against FIFA.

United TTFA had until 3 pm on Wednesday to withdraw its case. But the affidavit of William Wallace in support of the application for permission to withdraw was sent at 3:02.03 pm, thus missing the deadline.

They initially had until September 16 to withdraw but FIFA had given an extension.

The United TTFA (comprising Wallace, his vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip, as well as Keith Look Loy and Anthony Harford) fought the decision by FIFA to remove the TTFA’s executive and appoint a normalisation committee. FIFA replaced Wallace's executive in March after just four months in charge.

In a letter on Friday morning, Joseph-Warrick said she reflected on her decision to join the TTFA in 2018, "...to fight for accountability, honesty and good governance, to fight for our young women who were always a footnote, to fight for the development of football."

She said the previous administration, led by David John-Williams, had "sunk our football into depths of despair."We won that fight...Six months ago, a new, bigger battle emerged. This time against FIFA, the rulers of world football. This was a fight for principle and justice and I felt we were well-supported in our actions by the football lovers in TT."Within recent times, it has become clear to me that we are also fighting against those that we represent; the associations, the clubs, the teams, supporters and sadly, the players."

She said while United TTFA made some "huge strides," they also made some mistakes."I believe that the end must justify the means and that our present course of actions against FIFA would not redound to the benefit of TT and to the dreams and aspirations of our present and future generations of footballers. Why these papers were filed after the 3 pm deadline is beyond me, and I am saddened and disappointed at the turn of events."Hopefully, this suspension will be short-lived as the membership, executive and normalisation committee do what is beneficial for our future generations of players, clubs, coach and administrators.

"As for me, I am done."

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"Joseph-Warrick resigns as WoLF president"

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