TTFA comes up with shortlist for new men's football team nickname

THE Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) appears to be inching closer to christening the Trinidad and Tobago men's football team with a new nickname, as it released a shortlist of 12 suggestions for fans to vote on via a Facebook post on July 29.

With the country's party and musical culture embedded in the shortlisted names, the TTFA post urged fans to have their say and also posted a link to accommodate votes.

"This is more than a name. It's a legacy in the making. It's what we'll carry into battle, into (the) World Cup qualifiers," the post said. "Into the hearts of future generations."

The 12 names on the shortlist are: Calypso Kings; Calypso Warriors; Carnival Kings; Kaisoca Boys/Warriors; Panorama Boys; Soca Gladiators; Soca Invaders; Soca Kings; Sunshine Boys; Trinbago Vikings; Trinbago Warriors and Trini Warriors.

"We've journeyed through the names, the meaning and the identity. Now, it all comes down to this. One more vote," the TTFA's post read.

With the men's national football team known to supporters home and abroad as the Soca Warriors for over 20 years, the TTFA has found itself in a lengthy legal joust with former sports broadcaster Selwyn Melville, who claims to have coined the name in the 1990s. In September 2022, Melville strengthened his ties to the Soca Warriors name when he received the trademark certificate for the phrase.

On July 17, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs David Nakhid mediated a meeting between the TTFA and Melville and his representatives to try and come up with a solution to keep the team's popular sobriquet, after the TTFA called on the public to assist with coming up with a new name for the team on July 9.

Melville and the TTFA both described the meeting as cordial. At the end of the meeting, two options were put forward: the possibility of Melville accepting a reasonable offer from the TTFA to part ways with the name or for the two parties to reach an agreement via a marketing plan which will be beneficial to both parties.

Almost two weeks since that meeting, it appears that Melville and TTFA are no closer to finding a middle ground to benefit both parties as there have been no further consultations since. In a brief chat with Newsday on July 30, Melville said he and his legal and marketing personnel were working on a statement which should be issued by July 31. Melville said he was advised to refrain from making public statements on the issue.

"It's not been an easy passage," Melville said. "We will organise an orchestrated response in the next 24 hours. We have no animosity towards anybody."

Melville's legal representatives are Egon Embrack and Gail Persad, with Esther Duff and Simone Ward making up his marketing team.

TTFA president Kieron Edwards and first vice-president Colin Murray, were both contacted for comment, but numerous calls went unanswered. Via WhatsApp, Edwards was asked if the TTFA had hit a brick wall in its negotiations with Melville and if the association was willing to continue negotiating with the former broadcaster. Newsday also asked what system was being used to select the final nickname for the team and when the decisive name was expected to be announced.

Up to the time of publication, there were no responses from the TTFA president.

Shortlist of nicknames for TT men's football team:

Calypso Kings

Carnival Kings

Calypso Warriors

Kaisoca Boys/Warriors

Panorama Boys

Soca Gladiators

Soca Invaders

Soca Kings

Sunshine Boys

Trinbago Vikings

Trinbago Warriors

Trini Warriors