Dear Editor: John-Williams’ gala Home of Football opening is just a cheap political trick

“Lo and behold, the TTFA elections are due in less than two weeks and out of the blue we read of the FIFA President and the Prime Minister of T&T will attend the gala opening.

“This to me has nothing to do with football, but is a politically motivated move by David John-Williams to again fool the football loving people of T&T and to buy cheap votes in a desperate attempt to hold onto power.”

The following Letter to the Editor on TTFA president David John-Williams’ opening of the Home of Football was submitted to Wired868 by 2006 World Cup team manager and former Royal Bank HR director and QPCC president, Bruce Aanensen:

Photo: FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) and TTFA president David John-Williams at a press conference at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 10 April 2017.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)

I write to you as a long term football supporter. I read about a gala opening of the Home of Football which has been shrouded in controversy, lack of transparency and has been built apparently by the TTFA President with FIFA grants and with no inclusion of the Board of Directors.

It has been sitting idle, from reports I have read, and no attempt has been made to have an official opening. Lo and behold, the TTFA elections are due in less than two weeks and out of the blue we read of the FIFA President and the Prime Minister of T&T will attend the gala opening.

This to me has nothing to do with football, but is a politically motivated move by David John-Williams to again fool the football loving people of T&T and to buy cheap votes in a desperate attempt to hold onto power.

Who knows what goodies the PM will ‘promise’ to football at the opening or what wonderful words of wisdom will spout from the mouth of the FIFA President. We will no doubt hear of the great contribution being made by John-Williams to football in T&T, Concacaf and FIFA.

As we know from experience FIFA is a boys club, once you are in you are protected by your brothers. I find this move repulsive. Designed purely to continue to mislead the people and to solicit votes.

And who pays for this??? Players are owed, coaches also, and the bills are mounting.

Let us hope that those with voting power do not fall for this cheap trick by the sitting TTFA President.

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2 comments

  1. If “those with the voting power” do in fact fall for this “cheap political trick,” then perhaps national football deserves no better than David John-Williams.
    He would not be a wolf, is another William’s (Shakespeare) germane comment on this battle between the namesakes, but that he saw the Romans were but sheep.

  2. Key words: Fool, Politics, Protected, Buy, Power, Cheap, Trick

    There are 47 delegates that represent the entire population of T&T and charge with selecting the best leaders for our football.
    Our football starts with the little children that still kick the empty milk cans in the streets for they have nothing better too used as a ball.

    A few articles back it was suggested that success in TTFA hinges on how high the corruption can go….The key words in this article suggest corruption by all accounts.

    Our delegates can make a choice vote for the people they represent, vote for the footballing organization they represent.

    If they are voting for there own self interest, then we the people if we don’t like it, get rids of the delegates….Or is this also a protected group..where you have to pay your way in.

    I hope that we would do the right thing and vote the right way.

    Finger pointing time is over…we own our decisions and choices these last few days until elections. On Election Day vote for the people!!! Not the man…..

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