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The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) will presumably begin the business of reversing its exclusion of Tobago schools from the 2026 Premier Division competition in midweek, even as the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) finalise its rescue package for the youth league.
The SSFL, led by president Merere Gonzales, submitted a wishlist of $406,700 to Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts—which includes not only the cost of inter-island travel for Trinidad schools, but also a budget for overnight stay and fees for referees and match commissioners.
Photo: Nicholas Williams/ Wired868.
The proposed budget is an indication of the depth of the financial challenges facing the local school body.
Watts and SporTT chair Kester Lendor are interested in picking up the entire tab. But, in the end, the extent of the government’s support for schools football will be decided by the SporTT board.
Watts and Lendor were keen to stress that the proper process will be followed with the use of state funding, after a Trinidad Guardian report suggested at least one SporTT board member felt they were being asked to “rubberstamp” a commitment already made by the minister.
Photo: MSYA.
Watts said his promise to help the SSFL did not put undue pressure on the SporTT Board.
“I gave a commitment to assist the SSFL with their travel, whether it was through the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs or SporTT,” Watts told Wired868.
“After speaking to the CEO (Arnold Ram) and chair on Tuesday, they told me: yes, they know where the funding is coming from. That is why we went ahead on Friday and gave the Secondary Schools Football League the commitment for [funding for] their travel.
“[…] Now, if SporTT is unable to assist, we would still make it happen through the Ministry. The line minister made a commitment, SporTT said the money was there—the process will come behind that, which is normal.
“And remember, even before any cheque is cut, it has to come back to the minister for sign off.”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Lendor said the SporTT Board met in caucus this weekend to discuss the SSFL proposal, “as a result of the urgency and time sensitive nature of this issue”.
However, there was only a partial acceptance of the pitch by the school football officials.
“Members were comfortable with the travel disbursement,” Lendor told Wired868. “The other expense items will be tabled and discussed at the meeting [on 27 August]. The general feeling is that members are willing to assist with the other expenses.”
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
On Wednesday morning, the SSFL General Council, which comprises representatives from the Premier and Championship Division schools along with zonal officials, meet at the Ato Boldon Stadium to discuss a single agenda item: “Premiership proposal 2026”.
There is good news. Watts promised $12,000 for each Trinidad school to travel to Tobago—a figure that should also cover ground transport for teams.
(Trinidad teams cross the seabridge once each per season in the Premier Division, while Tobago schools must make seven or eight trips. However, schools from the “Sister Isle” have their travel expenses subsidised by the Tobago House of Assembly.)
(via Arima Araucans Academy.)
Signal Hill Secondary and Speyside Secondary, along with sympathetic parties nationwide, would hope that the MSYA’s offer of a travel grant for Trinidad schools is enough to convince two-thirds of the members present to vote for the return of the usual Premier Division format, which includes schools from both islands.
The total cost to taxpayers for that grant is $180,000.
But Premier Division schools would be wetting their lips at what might follow, pending SporTT Board approval.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The SSFL proposal includes a grant of $6,500 per team for overnight stay at a guest house, which was previously a luxury that only the more financially stable schools could afford. The total cost of that line item is $97,500.
Ironically, the support offered by the MSYA could flip the tables to the extent that Trinidad schools, on taxpayers’ money, enjoy far more comfortable trips across the seabridge than their Tobago counterparts.
“I will have a chat with the Secretary of Sport in Tobago to see how they can further assist with their teams,” said Watts, when asked if parity for all schools—regardless of island—should be a consideration.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The Gonzales-led school officials also requested $650 per game for referee fees (at a total cost of $88,400) and $300 for match commissioners (at a total cost of $40,800), to “[ensure] that the Premier Division of the SSFL is successfully executed”.
It means the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and/ or SporTT would also pay for officiating in the 2026 Premier Division season. The short-term stability of the schools’ game could be assured by that SporTT Board meeting on 27 August.
“I am quite aware that Sportsmax was their main sponsor,” said Watts. “It is no fault of the SSFL that Sportsmax is no longer there, and we understand that they are not getting that level of support from corporate entities.”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
It is little wonder then that SSFL officials gushed about their meeting with Watts and Lendor.
“The Executive and membership of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) hereby convey our sincere thanks and appreciation for the two meetings held with you and your team […] regarding the financial challenges confronting the League’s Premier Division,” Seepersad wrote to Watts, last Friday.
“We are particularly grateful for the expedient and proactive manner in which the matter was addressed. Your willingness to engage with the SSFL, listen to our concerns, and facilitate timely consideration of the issues presented is greatly appreciated.
Photo: MSYA.
“[…] Please accept our sincere appreciation for your time, attention, responsiveness, and continued support. We look forward to strengthening this partnership as we work together in the best interest of secondary schools’ football and the young people we serve.”
Notably, Watts and Lendor both confirmed that the SSFL did not reach out to them for help. Rather, it was the government bodies that made first contact.
Earlier last week, Watts and Lendor also met Mexico Ambassador Victor Morales Meléndez at the Diplomatic Centre in St Clair to discuss collaboration between both nations to assist the two-island republic in football development.
Photo: MSYA.
Soca Warriors head coach Derek King was part of the discussions, which ranged from improving the local game at primary and secondary school level to “advancing coach education and capacity-building initiatives”.
“As minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, I am looking at where our football is heading, and we have had some disappointing results over the last year,” said Watts. “We need to take the bull by the horns to take football where we want to see it in this country.
“We are putting together a committee to advise the minister in football as well as boxing, which will hopefully be settled soon. So, we met with Mexico, who are very interested in collaborating with us and we hope to build on that.”
Latapy scored the only goal of the contest as Trinidad and Tobago won 1-0. It is one of only five wins for T&T against Mexico across 27 meetings in 59 years.
Copyright: AFP Photo/ Robert Taylor.
Watts suggested internships for Trinidad and Tobago coaches in Mexico, which has the most illustrious professional league in Concacaf and much of the western hemisphere.
Similarly, he hopes to have local footballers head to Mexico for lengthy training stints and even university scholarships.
First on the agenda, though, is a SSFL Premier Division season that showcases the best talent from both islands—even though the finer details are not yet finalised.
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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.
