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Address from Brent Sancho on behalf of the 13 World Cup 2006 players:
I am overwhelmed.
On behalf of those of us who have been fighting a long, tough legal battle to get our just due payment for our efforts at the FIFA World Cup, Germany 2006, this moment means more than any of us can describe.
While so many have turned their backs on us and ignored our pleas, we have finally been heard; as is acknowledged here today.
And what a time for it to happen. Here we are on the eve of World Cup, 2014, Brazil and when our own memories of that time return mixed with the emotions of our unsettled payments, we can truly celebrate and pay tribute to those who have chosen to honour us.
On behalf of the Soca Warriors members who stuck it out over the years enduring so many legal battles may I take the time to express my gratitude to the Honourable Prime Minister and her government for this heart warming gesture.
We recognize that the government has no legal obligation to assist us yet chose to do so through this gesture. All of Trinidad and Tobago can breathe a collective sigh of relief that a moment that brought us all so much happiness and pride is free of any grievance.
Those who played their hearts out have asked me to convey their sincere appreciation. We will all follow the events in Brazil this week with an unfettered spirit and only great memories of the time the Trinidad and Tobago anthem played on the football field in Germany.
Thank you all for the recognition.
Each one of us, humbly accepts this gift from the nation. We feel acknowledged and deeply grateful.
Brent Sancho, for and on behalf of the Soca Warriors
Letter from TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee, who initially reached a settlement with the World Cup players but then failed to adhere to it:
Dear Honourable Prime Minister,
Thank you!
(Courtesy FIFA)
After 11 months of collaboration and discussion between our organization and your office as well as other ministries, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association would like to express our gratitude for your acknowledging the outstanding debt owed to the 2006 Soca Warriors. This is a tremendously important and joyous day for all of us football lovers.
Records will indicate, our initial efforts focused on the invaluable role government can play in making football relevant again in Trinidad and Tobago, starting with addressing the vexing issue surrounding the debts owed to the ’06 Warriors and others such as Russell Latapy and other members of our technical staff.
The sport of football plays an immeasurable role in this nation and the rest of the world as the world’s most popular sport. The attention commanded by the World Cup in Brazil further underscores the depth and reach of the sport.
As the entity recognized by FIFA to govern football in Trinidad and Tobago, we are particularly pleased that after months of discussion between our organization and the government, as reflected in the attached correspondence, football in Trinidad and Tobago will thrive as a result of your benevolence.
It continues to be our firm belief that football can be used as an effective and compelling tool for crime reduction and community development.
Honourable Prime Minister, on behalf of our Executive, administration, and rest of our football family, we say thank you very much indeed.
Warm regards,
Raymond Tim Kee, TTFA president
Release from former TTFF special advisor, Jack Warner, who continues to hide the 2006 World Cup revenue and refused to pay the Soca Warriors:
(Courtesy FIFA.com)
I understand that the Prime Minister will be paying the 2006 Soca Warriors the sum of $1.3 million this evening at her home.
I want to take this opportunity to wish them well and to hope that this finally brings closure to this matter.
This group of footballers who played three matches in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and who never scored a goal nor win a match there and who now stand to benefit from the Prime Minister’s benevolent gesture received $20 million dollars from the Patrick Manning administration, $7 million from FIFA, $4 million from the TTFF, $6 million from Jack Warner through the Courts of Trinidad and Tobago and now $1.3 million USD from the People’s Partnership Government; a total sum of close to $50 million dollars and this excludes gifts from private organisations like Clico and others.
It is my sincere wish that this is the end of this story and that the furniture and the archival material, which the TTFA lost when this team of footballers levied on the TTFF, will now be returned to it.
However, if the Prime Minister really wants to demonstrate that this is truly benevolence and not Public Relations to lift the flagging image of her Minister of Sport, then I wish to advise her to go further and save the home of Oliver Camps.
Camps who served football with distinction for over 50 years as President and Team Manager and who was the most successful football manager ever, taking our seniors to the 2006 World Cup in Germany signed a promissory note of $480,000.00 USD on behalf of the TTFF in order to procure the services of Wim Risenberg (sic) as coach of the national team.
The TTFF has been unable to raise the money and now Al Roberts’ firm, father of the Minister of Sport, is now moving to levy on this 98-year-old senior citizen.
Mr. Camps’ home, Madam Prime Minister, is now threatened. If he cannot raise the money he will lose it by September 2014, if not before.
In this regard I am therefore asking the Prime Minister to be as benevolent to Mr. Camps as she has been to these footballers and save the home of this 98 year old senior citizen.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jack Warner, former special advisor to the then T&TFF
Editor’s Note: Click HERE to read the Soca Warriors’ attorney Michael Townley’s response to the W/Cup settlement and the comments from Raymond Tim Kee and Jack Warner.
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Carlos that is not a true statement because the poor uneducated bandits who got arrested during the SOE got away free all because of politics although the police had video evidence of them robing innocent drivers. Do you remember that?
Who in d TTFF will take him 2 court when they reaped the corrupt seed he sowed. They all knew that no way it was 5000 TT was d net profit but they went along. They all enjoyed their free trips.
In this country once you dont like someone you are GUILTY until you can prove yourself innocent. And if you manage to achieve that, then the perception is the court is also corrupt. So it means you are guilty for the rest of your life.
Kenroy – no one with money makes jail in TNT. TNT is one country where the justice system is not blind. Only poor, uneducated people make jail for white color crime on TNT.
Have anyone ever ask themselves why the TTFF cannot take Mr. Warner to court? Because if it was a simple case as him thiefing all the money from TTFF, by now he might of been in court or jail or even already paid back the money.
Pure wickedness. Add JW’s and TTFF accountant
U kidding right d man was on d TTFF executive when all d bacchanal was goin on. Y u think he eh goin after Jack
Well said Joann. All fingers of the same hand.
Mr. Timkey is innocent in all of this. He came and meet all the mess and trying his best to clean it up. That comment is the mentality of the Typical uninformed trini. They dont know but running their mouth.
Who Camps/Grooden/TimKey all of them should b locked up
Kirk I agree with you which goes to show that not only warner is a crook but everyone is focusing only on him while others around him also escaping with taxpayers monies but that is OK
I SURE BOUT TTFF/KFC/ETC MONEY
I can easily believe Jack spend his own money. I can also believe that he spend other people own as well.
I on the other hand care little for Warner, or Hunt or Anil. Warner to me is still a crook. All I want to know is if the Warriors did in fact receive money to the tune of $50 million and why during all the debate and discussions and public support, there was never any mention of that. At least I never heard..
PLEASE Joann, Flash back your memory… My Hunte NEVER give the TTFF any funding until last minute when Mr. Manning told him to do so. I remember because I was in the media back then.
Kenroy – you’re kidding right?
I find it curious that Jack could say that the Patrick Manning administration gave them 20M when Jack made a political football of the the Minister and Administration in saying no money was being given. Jack used football and the players among others to booster his image for a political run for office in 2007 and made TT citizen like him which resulted in him being able to mobilize support broadly. In short i wonder if anything this man says can be trusted.
So I will not join the typical Jack Warner haters and accuse him of thiefing TTFF money. As far as i know he spend lots of money on the team and at the same time he also received lots of money. Maybe he received more than he spent but , you need to remember he is a businessman.
No he got booed because he was Hunt. The only time funding stop was when Anil became Minister. D only source of funding is not d govt what bout d stipend FIFA pays every year? We qualify 4 2 Youth WC after that so we got money for that. Doh believe Jack and his nonesense that it was his money.
The Ministry of sports funded the team last minute. Do you remember when Gary Hunte got booed at one of the world cup games at the stadium? That was for lack of funding from his ministry. By that time the team was traveling all over the world to play with not a cent from the ministry. Where were they getting the money from to travel?
It had Maturana 1 of d worse coaches ever. D only coach who was not paid was d local coaches. Latapy etal. SPORTT and the Min of Sport funded the teams
I will have to go back on sw.net 4d exact figure. They were promised 50 % of the net proceeds that include FIFA money and sponsorship. They were offered 5000TT. Then d court matter began. You cannot know 4 sure because they had to do their own maths to figure out.
I agree Joann but while he was trying to put them in check Mr. Warner was spending money on the teams and paying the coaches for the years Mr. Hunt was not doing it. Do you know what was the coach monthly salary back then and do you remember who was paying it?
Mr Liburd, I don’t think there is a single Wired868 reader who does not expect you to pen a response to the 71-year-old? senior citizen, the former special adviser to the TTFF, who was bold-faced enough not only to pen this insulting letter to the Prime Minister but also to make it public.
You certainly have my permission to give him my regards straight from the hip with no holds barred.
Ok fine so tell me Joann Charles because I can’t say that I know the answer to the question I posed. If I did I would not have bothered to ask. How much money was the Soca Warriors 2006 promised, and how much were they actually paid? In that regard we will know how much they are really owed. It would also shed some light on the $50 million dollar claim that Jack is making. Suffice it so say, I have never heard that sum discussed in any way, in any forum at no point over the last 8 years..
U believe Jack plus where u heard that Hunt never funded d warriors. He tried to put the TTT in check.
Kenroy Ambris you making sense. And if you wrong, this is the best place for correction.
If u follow the story you would know how much they received at every point the players received money it was stated.
But Lasana Liburd Mr. Warner’s defence over the years was that HE was the person paying all the bills including rents, airfares, hotel accommodations and the salaries for all coaches for years for our football teams including the under 20 & 16 teams. So that is why whenever the TTFF receive any money Mr. Warner takes control of it to repay himself. dispite that the TTFF still had a very huge outstanding bill for him.
I remember when Mr. Roger Boynes gave the TTFF money for the team to get ready for Germany 2006 they also repaid Mr. Warner approx 17M that he claimed the TTFF still owing him.
I dont know if you can remember or paid attention to these stuff that was news back then but you can correct me if im wrong.
Also you might remember that under Gary Hunt the TTFF was not funded but they were traveling to far countries to play friendlies on a regular basis and that was loooong before corporate T&T started their “banwagonism” so Mr. warners claim that HE was paying all the bill and has receipt so thats the reason why the TTFF and their lawyers cannot take him to court. Am I making sense?
Well since the 2006 Warriors never declare how much they received should we just ignore them as well?
Well if he never declare how much was received then he can now come and say anything. So just ignore him.
Yes but it would help to know what they were promised and what they actually received. Because this story about to go all over the place. Meanwhile we have been hearing this story from one side mainly. And now today Jack talking about different money paid that equals almost $50 million. Of course I confused..
I eh really care if it is 500 million. They eh put a gun to anybody head they were promised d money.
The spin is in and the fun is on
Before we get side tracked, Jack is suggesting that almost $50 million was given to the players from 2006. That is more than the current prize for getting to the same stage in 2014. Give or take. Not a percent mind you, but the entire payout in 2014 is almost $50 million TT. So the Soca Warriors should basically say how much money they have received so far. I have always been of the impression that they got next to nothing, if any money at all.
Why do tax payers have to foot JWs bill?
Lasana Liburd for years you have been reporting on this matter, can you tell me if the figures that Mr. Warner quoted tonight if they are true? If not can you tell me how much money the players collected since 2006? AND what about your opinion on the amount of money they got so far, also how much do you think is enough before they stop asking for more because i heard Brent saying tonight that although he is happy with the government he still has some issues to handle with the TTFF. Is it more money he is going after? You are the investigative journalist on this matter and i will be glad to get your opinion on these. Thanks in advance.
Just as a point of reference, the current pay-out in 2014 for a team that reached as far as Trinidad and Tobago did in 2006, is $8 million USD, OR $50 million TT..
Nah hold the red card. Warner set to make a serious tactical substitute. He taking out he self and sending in the whole 2006 squad. Lasana Liburd and Kelvin Jack, talk to me about this alledged almost about around $50 million the 2006 team received. Allegedly.
so this woman takes my hard earn tax dollars and gave it away….when Jack and company who supposed to give these former players their money……..I give madam prime minister a RED CARD for her stupid action
Cant help laughing out loud as I say “Jack mus’ be lying!”
I thought it was interesting too Kirk. 🙂
“This group of footballers who played three matches in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and who never scored a goal nor win a match there and who now stand to benefit from the Prime Minister’s benevolent gesture received $20 million dollars from the Patrick Manning administration, $7 million from FIFA, $4 million from the TTFF, $6 million from Jack Warner through the Courts of Trinidad and Tobago and now $1.3 million USD from the People’s Partnership Government; a total sum of close to $50 million dollars and this excludes gifts from private organisations like Clico and others.”
But Warner mentioned some figures I never heard in any discussion before. Are those figures facts or fiction?
Kamla gave them US$1.3m today. Or promised it.
Wait. Hold up. Based on Warner’s response, did the footballers get the money he mentioned??
it took 8 years for this woman to remember this beloved footballers, thank god election near
As my Grandmother, if asked to comment on this matter, would have trenchantly asked: “Awright. An den w’at?!!”
When this deceitful woman says things like she instructed the Minister of Finance to find the money to pay the Soca warriors, is she trying to make us believe the money is coming from a private cabinet fund and not from OUR TAX DOLLARS. How stupid does Kamla Persad Bissessar really think we are?
But the TTFF is not a govt organization so she pay them from her pocket?
Is there any money owed to the present soca warriors and the technical staff?