Normalisation committee to address Trinidad and Tobago Football Association members' concerns

TTFA normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad -
TTFA normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad -

OVER THE next week, the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee will address a plethora of issues raised by several members of the TT Football Association (TTFA), who accuse the Robert Hadad-led board of mismanagement and further debt accumulation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the committee said they understood the concerns of the TTFA membership but has always been guided by the sport’s global governing body and Concacaf.

The committee’s statement came in response to a 13-page letter issued by eight TTFA members to Hadad, which highlighted an array of questionable administrative decisions.

The letter was signed off by acting TT Pro League chairman Brent Sancho, Central FA president Shymdeo Gosine, Eastern FA president Kieron Edwards, Eastern Counties Football Union vice-president Ian Pritchard, Northern FA president Ross Russell, Southern FA president Richard Quan Chan, TT Football Referees Association president Osmond Downer and Secondary Schools Football League president Merere Gonzales.

In reply to their complaints, the normalisation committee stated, “The normalisation process was fully allowed to function as of November 2020 and the process for any member association is difficult and challenging.

“FIFA and CONCACAF continue to guide this process as we work towards resurrecting football out of its doldrums, which has been made more complicated by the covid19 pandemic.”

The committee noted that many details outlined in the document they received were inaccurate and based on assumptions.

“We will endeavour to improve on the communication channels between the TTFA and its membership so that the members are provided with accurate sources of information on these matters, with the aim of fostering a stronger relationship between all parties,” the committee’s statement read.

The Hadad-led team, however, said that it was unfortunate that the members’ letter, which was sent internally, found its way into the public domain.

The committee’s statement concluded, “Trust between the TTFA and its membership is paramount to developing this strong relationship and we believe that by working together earnestly, it can be achieved.”

Meanwhile, the letter penned to Hadad by the troubled members took to task both the actions and inactions of his team during their stint at the helm of TT football.

Hadad was chosen by FIFA to run the affairs of TT football, in March 2020, after the world governing body disbanded the then executive led by former president William Wallace.

FIFA removed Wallace and his administrators after an independent auditor stated the TTFA “faced a very risk of insolvency and illiquidity” owing to “financial mismanagement and massive debt”.

Hadad’s mandate, by FIFA, was to run the TTFA’s daily affairs and to establish a debt repayment plan implementable by the TTFA.

He was also required to review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) to ensure their compliance with FIFA’s Statutes and requirements. Additionally, he was tasked to organise and to conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate.

However, according to the letter, undersigned by eight TTFA members, they believe that neither of the above mentioned objectives was ever addressed by the committee.

They also questioned several decisions made by the normalisation committee to delay the TTFA’s annual general meeting, its non-appointment of audits, external auditors, compliance and technical committees and the absence of standing committee members.

Coaches’ salaries (both owed and overpaid), TTFA’s debt repayment plans, its Statutes and even its inability to secure the March 25 World Cup qualifier against Guyana on local soil were also among the many issues raised in the letter to Hadad.

Comments

"Normalisation committee to address Trinidad and Tobago Football Association members’ concerns"

More in this section