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Kieron “Bo” Edwards is the new president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA).
Edwards, the Eastern Football Association (EFATT) president, was elected with 38 from a possible 57 votes—66 percent of the electorate—after a 100% turnout of the TTFA membership today. He will now serve a four-year term at the helm of the local game.
Photo: TTFA
Colin Wharfe, the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) CEO, managed just 19 votes.
In keeping with the amended TTFA constitution, members were only asked to cast a single vote for an entire slate.
“Our slate [did] the work and left it in the hand of the membership, and they made the decision,” said Edwards.
Edwards said he and his team members will spend Sunday relaxing with family before they meet on Monday to begin a strategic planning exercise for the local game.
The TTFA’s new executive committee comprises: president Kieron Edwards, first vice-president Colin Murray, second vice-president Osmond Downer, third vice-president Jameson Rigues, and ordinary members Alicia Austin, Inspector Andrew Boodhoo, Allan Logan, Ryan Nunes, and Shelton Williams.
Edwards now replaces Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad, who led the local game for four years—after the premature removal of William Wallace in 2020, just months after he was elected.
Wharfe, hired last year by the Hadad-led committee to run the TTPFL, promised to continue Fifa’s work on the twin island republic. It was clearly not what local football stakeholders wanted to hear.
“We at Team Transformation accept the result and will continue to work [for] football in anyway that we think possible,” said Wharfe, who commended the work done by the relevant electoral officials.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
He told reporters that he got commitment from members that did not pan out at the ballot box. For now, he hopes to continue at the helm of the TTPFL—a post he controversially refused to concede to run for the presidency.
“I will continue to do my job (as TTPFL CEO) and the new executive will make determinations in terms of what tomorrow would look like,” he said.
Edwards, a former UNC alderman, was deputy of Terminix La Horquetta Rangers managing director Richard Ferguson when the flamboyant club owner finished third to Wallace and David John-Williams in the 2019 TTFA election.
Even after his electoral defeat, Ferguson never stopped campaigning for the support of the membership.
From 2022, there was a change in approach from the Rangers colleagues, as Edwards emerged from Ferguson’s shadow to court the local membership. The swap at the head of the ticket was initially attributed to health issues by the latter man.
Whatever the reason for the shuffle, it ultimately proved to be a politically successful switch.
Ferguson cast two votes for Rangers today and he was part of a pre-election meeting held by Edwards. Time will tell what his role would be under the new leadership.
For now, Trinidad and Tobago football fans will hope to see the best of Edwards: energy and creativity.
Edwards said his executive will review the positions of all TTFA staff including that of general secretary Amiel Mohammed, who was hired by Hadad—initially as his personal assistant.
“He is the general secretary currently and I will work with him until further notice,” said Edwards.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
He offered a slightly rosier forecast for contracted national coaches.
“Coaches that are under contract, we will honour those contracts and we will work with them,” he said. “It is not a situation of moving this one (or that one), it is about giving support and enhancing what we do […] and ensuring that we do qualify for tournaments and we do well in tournaments. That is the objective of the next executive going forward.”
He was gracious too to outgoing normalisation committee of Hadad, Nigel Romano and Trevor Nicholas Gomez, as well as members of Wharfe’s slate.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
“It is one TTFA and we will work together with all members and your voice will be heard,” he said. “[…] It is about inclusion… The normalisation committee played a crucial role; […] we need to acknowledge the service they did for Trinidad and Tobago.”
To local football fans, Edwards stressed that his team’s focus is on reasserting the Soca Warriors as a force within Concacaf.
“It’s important that we qualify, not just for football but for Trinidad and Tobago,” he said. “We have seen the power of sport and football—it is a unifying and a healing thing.
(Copyright Jova Velazquez/ Straffon Images/ Concacaf)
“We intend to give coach Angus Eve and the boys all the support to qualify for the next World Cup.”
After each change of president in this millennium, there was a relatively swift change in the Soca Warriors head coach.
Raymond Tim Kee hired Stephen Hart, seven months after his election in 2012. His successor, John-Williams, sacked Hart and turned to Tom Sainfiet within a year of taking over, before subsequently hiring Dennis Lawrence.
(Copyright Allan V Crane/TTFA)
And Lawrence lasted less than a month after Wallace replaced John-Williams.
Eve would have to convince the new executive that he is the best man for the job.
Local football has undoubtedly entered a new era. Buckle up.
(Trinidad and Tobago football delegates)
Two votes each: Prison Service FC, Point Fortin Civic, Eagles FC, La Horquetta Rangers, Police FC, Morvant Caledonia, Defence Force, AC POS, 1976 Phoenix, Club Sando, Central FC, San Juan Jabloteh, QPCC, PVDM United, San Fernando Giants, Guaya United, Harlem Strikers FC, UTT FC, Eastern FA, Northern FA, Southern FA, Central FA, Tobago FA, Eastern Counties Football Union, and TT Women’s League of Football.
One vote each: Beach Soccer Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association, Unified Football Coaches Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Secondary Schools Football League, Primary Schools Football League, and Veteran Footballers Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
(Today’s presidential slates)
Team Progress: president Kieron Edwards, first vice-president Colin Murray, second vice-president Osmond Downer, third vice-president Jameson Rigues, and ordinary members Alicia Austin, Inspector Andrew Boodhoo, Allan Logan, Ryan Nunes, and Shelton Williams.
Team Transformation: president candidate Colin Wharfe, vice-president candidates Colonel Keston Charles, Renee John-Williams, and Huey Cadette, and ordinary members Riaz Ali, Lee Davis, Colm De Freitas, Makan Hislop, and Richard Mason.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
All the best to the new TTFA Committee. Good riddance to the Abnormalization Committee