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The Ministry of Sport and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) seem set to end a two month long financial impasse after a high powered meeting between the two bodies this morning.
(Courtesy CONCACAF)
Sport Minister Brent Sancho ordered the ministry to halt all funding to the local football body in April, after the TTFA failed to meet a deadline to submit audited accounts.
However, a TTFA press release, which was presented as a ‘joint statement,’ has paved the way for a resumption of funding for the local football body.
“The meeting yielded productive discussions, after which Minister Sancho was presented with draft financial statements for the period 2008-09,” stated the release, “from the TTFA as well as a schedule for the delivery of draft financial statements for the period 2010-2014.
“The discussions were open and frank with a view to determining an approach that would allow the Ministry to fulfil its mandates of effective reporting and monitoring and adherence to all compliance measures required of the state entity.”
Sancho and TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee were not available for comment while Kevin Harrison, the advisor to the Sport Minister, was tightlipped about details.
Sancho is a former World Cup 2006 player and CEO of local Pro League club, Central FC.
(Courtesy SPORTT)
“(The meeting) was very cordial,” said Kevin Harrison, who is Sancho’s advisor. “I think we have reached common ground on a lot of things. I believe there will be a joint statement next week.”
Notably, the Women’s Professional League (WPL) was on the cards today.
On Monday, Tim Kee, arguably, played a card of his own when he revealed that the TTFA would delay its endorsement of the Women’s Professional League (WPL) until it was satisfied with the Sport Ministry’s plans.
“This isn’t a simple domestic league or a family thing in the back yard,” Tim Kee told Wired868. “I don’t see a problem because anything to do with the upliftment of football, I support it. It is just that things have to be done in a certain way…
“Everything must be predicated in transparency and accountability; and we want to strictly adhere to those processes in everything we do.”
Both parties had something to lose today and, it would appear, the two hands decided to clap.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
“Other positive outcomes from the meeting included the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL),” stated the release, “and the FIFA Goal project initiative being undertaken by the TTFA. Other footballing matters including the National Teams were also discussed.
“A comprehensive portfolio on the way forward on all issues discussed will be presented to the media on Tuesday 26 May 2015.”
The WPL is the brainchild of the Sport Minister and will eclipse the Women’s League Football (WOLF) as Trinidad and Tobago’s premier domestic women’s football competition.
Sancho initially suggested that the WPL would start in late-May although he since said that mid-June was more likely.
If the Sport Ministry and TTFA declare a truce, it would be a relief for dozens of National Football Team technical member staff members who have not been paid in the interim.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
It would also be a welcomed boost to a host of national teams who have competitive action this year in a range of tournaments, including the Russia 2018 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifying campaigns.
It is uncertain how the news would go down with football fans and stakeholders who were happy to support, in principle, greater transparency from the local football body.
The Sport Ministry is likely to argue that it merely gave the TTFA a stay of execution to get its accounts in order. However, almost three months after the initial deadline between the two bodies, the TTFA still has not provided the relevant accounts or even offered a new completion date.
The two bodies promised to say more next week.
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I’ve been writing for almost two decades. If Jack Warner–a multi-millionaire FIFA VP–couldn’t buy me out, then who can?
Savitri Maharaj ah wonder if Mr. Live Wire was also presented with a suitcase full with US monies eh, if he will stand firm with his integrity and don’t sell out like some people that we know eh?Them really good yes. 🙂
Buh A A leh meh give meh uncle Tim Kee a call and buss some files with him eh ….police to police thing nah ah wonder if he will pay me for meh files? Them really good yes.
My concern here is about thee implications of the language used here. The word truce very effectively describes the situation between the TTFA and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, specifically between Tim Kee and Sancho.
How is the sport of football going to develop if the personalities behind the two bodies responsible for it are forever engaged in an unending game of Betty Goatee with each other?
Yes Gordon, I notice Tim Kee talking to Mr Live Wire plenty these days, they monitoring well
Two man rat in the same hole.
Hmmm i hear u Mrs Debbie Espinal!! Taking that into consideration as well
But sure u c how Tim kee get brave when he hear we bussing mark about the WPL and realize it have wrong things so he could use it as leverage!!
Don’t call them brain dead puppets. Everyone has a right to decide what they like and what works for them. And remember central are the champs. So they must be doing something right.
Don’t want talk here to go overboard.
The man done show allyuh he living and doing business with snakes just look who is head coach is as I always say your never see a corbeaux and a parrot liming snake does lime with snake and thief does lime with thief so let his central fc fan club brain dead puppets come out and defend him now I am waiting
My fear is by the time you buss your files Gordon Pierre it will be too late for all of us. The way they’re clamping down on everybody left, right and center their dictatorship is no longer creeping but already here.
….Isn’t it amazing how people with power or in influential positions feel that they can say anything…do anything and pass down anything to the rest of the population and expect them to just swallow it?…they are really of the view that the ordinary (seemingly) citizen doesn’t have a clue what is going on?…In this day and age with various means of communication..Who Don’t Know…Really Doesn’t Want to Know…It’s time we let them know that we are Aware and they Cannot continue to give us S%$T and call it Ice Cream….STOP THE MADNESS
LMAO
…If they good again Uncle Earl Mango Pierre…and I agree with Debbie Espinal…buss it now…let the chips fall where they may
hahahahahs Preach, preach, yuh preaching really good my nephew Gordon Pierre. Them really good yes.
I talk about organise to revolutionise , my brother Jamaal Shabazz jump talk about revolution and disappear! All the while FIFA election is monthend we in football aint know who ttfa supporting, TTFA election due with no set date, minister play big boy Tim kee pat him down in public ( all the newspapers say it was watershed meeting so we see how the minister will be operating) WPL to kick off where millions will be passed not to the persons who worked in the vineyards but to persons imported from overseas yet the football lovers, fans, and major stakeholders stay on the bench!! A word to the wise is sufficient!!!
Did you guys expect anything else would have happen as Gordon said when a man have you by the balls its not much you can do but to either surrender or to turn around and take it up your Uranus anybody knows that no govt can run a professional league the local governing football body is the only entity that can authorise and snaction such a league so all the big boy talk he was talking at the end of the day he had 2 humble stick his tail between his legs and give in so he and chez whitney can book their summer holidays with their families and Eat Ah Food
Mrs Espinal i know u can not wait but if the files buss too early they will recover u know they spin doctors!! Is plenty files so is wetting after wetting as the boi does say!! Lol
I really wish somebody would buss th files insyead of just tickling us.
Oh gawd! Allyuh meh heart cyar take it eh
U mean Sept 31 Mark Anthony Scott?
Smh. When will taxpayers stop financing this slush fund?!
…I want theses files to buss before September 30 Uncle Earl Mango Pierre
It’s long time ago I knew the Minister of Sports cannot be trusted and so does Dion Sosa and Leslie Fitzpatrick and more files will continue to buss as time goes on and I done talk. Them really good yes
I tell all that would hear!! Just did not post it!! He had tim kee by the neck but tim kee had him by the balls!! He decide money over his dignity!! Lets hear what he will say now!!
….Uncle Earl Mango Pierre…you see…you see how you can’t trust them?
Gordon Pierre yuh shudda tell them before this is happening now yes because you know that the Minister of Sports was going and sell out. Them really good yes
Uncle Earl Mango Pierre u hear the latest? U see how our high principle minister back pedal when tim kee decide to stop his cash cow?? I wonder how all was backing his principle stand feel now? Folks wait i will tell u what they holding over him!!
Sancho cyar win a latrine seat
Deryck Balchan I heard it’s one of the Toco seats
This just means half ass accounting from TTFA and half ass league from Sancho. Sancho just hurry to get going because he knows he has little time left.
Ah wonder what area Sancho contesting for general elections?
You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I wonder what else they holding over Sanko head
Steups. Politricks and sports.
“However, almost three months after the initial deadline between the two bodies, the TTFA still has not provided the relevant accounts or even offered a new completion date.”
How could you say they still haven’t provided relevant accounts or a new completion date when Tim Kee said in an earlier article that the final accounts would be presented “by June.” That and the fact that accounts were presented today for 2008-9?
“The meeting yielded productive discussions, after which Minister Sancho was presented with draft financial statements for the period 2008-09,” stated the release, “from the TTFA as well as a schedule for the delivery of draft financial statements for the period 2010-2014.
According to both Harrison and Sancho no specific years were requested, Sancho himself said he’ll take “anything”… so it is incorrect to assert that they TTFA hasn’t complied with the request to date.
“The WPL is the brainchild of the Sport Minister and will eclipse the Women’s League Football (WOLF) as Trinidad and Tobago’s premier domestic women’s football competition.
You sure about that? There will be a lot of disappointment for those expecting anything similar to, let alone surpassing WoLF.
Finally good news. Hopefully they can work together because this will help the football head into a positive direction. Lasana can you confirm if the warriors will be playing vs Jordan, Croatia & Haiti next month? It seems like there has been some confusion in who we will play before the Gold Cup.