Justice Gobin to rule on TTFA challenge on Tuesday

JUSTICE Carol Gobin is expected to issue her ruling on the legal challenge by the TT Football Association (TTFA) of FIFA’s decision to disband the elected local governing body on March 17 and appoint a normalisation committee.

Gobin will give her decision on Tuesday, by e-mail, at 3 pm.

Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones and Crystal Paul are the legal team for the TTFA, led by ousted president William Wallace. The FIFA’s lawyers for this case are Christopher Hamel-Smith, Jonathan Walker and Cherie Gopie.

FIFA removed the Wallace executive (which includes vice-presidents Clynt Taylor and Joseph Sam Phillip) because of the TTFA’s increasing debt, which was $50 million. The TTFA began legal action against FIFA, but then withdrew the matter at 3.02 pm (TT time) on September 23, two minutes after FIFA’s final deadline.

FIFA suspended TT from international competitions (both club and country) on September 24 for grave violations of the FIFA statutes, and the TTFA, in return, decided to reignite its legal challenge against the global governing body.

Wallace, in a Newsday report on Friday, vowed to stick to his word and immediately convene an annual general meeting with the TTFA membership to chart a way forward if Gobin’s decision goes in favour of the TTFA.

Wallace was elected TTFA president on November 24, 2019.

However, if Gobin rules in favour of FIFA, then the normalisation committee, led by businessman Robert Hadad, will officially take over the reins of local football.

“If the decision goes the other way, then we (will) walk away from this,” said Wallace on Friday.