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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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To summarise, if Warner wants to talk maths he can bring his accounting ledgers to the table and work out what he really owes T&T football and, from that, what is due to the players.
The reason he has refused to that is not Kenroy Ambris because he is afraid that everyone will see how much money he was generously giving to the TTFF.
Does anyone believe that nonsense?
Right. So we back on track. Ok so now how about we get some confirmation on what they have indeed received so far. Not from Jack, but from the players themselves..
Seriously, in 2014, I can’t bring myself to explain that Warner was making money off football rather than the other way around.
Why doesn’t he help his former rubber stamp Oliver Camps? Why not put him in a safe house too?
He forgot to mention that Oliver Camps was forced to quit his job as TTFF president because FIFA caught him lying to cover for the bribery scandal with Bin Hammam and Jack Warner.
Why not give Camps the $3 million USD he got from Bin Hammam as consultancy fees?
This is the same thing I was saying Lasana, ah mean he has used Camps so much to achieve his end, so why he can’t bail him out now?
Carlos, I agree that there needs to be more incentive, but the sports men(& women) also need to start looking at sponsorship as less of a handout and more of a business transaction, athletes have too often(locally) gotten ahead of themselves with a little money and reduced their performance. In the end it is a business relationship.
Doh 4get Adidas
Well is a good ting some of them were chicken and d Judas and took d 30 pieces of silver so the money had 2 go less ways
Thirdly, a court case for eight years ent cheap. The money Jack added did not come up $50 million. He likes to average up eh? He should do that with the firetruck money.
Don’t count the FIFA $7 million. The rest comes up to $38 million. Split that between 23 and subtract legal fees and I don’t think anyone is set for life.
Secondly, the players never asked for $50 million or $500 million or $5 million. They asked to see the books.
Jack promised them half of all World Cup revenue so they needed to know half of what. It was the same question the arbitrator asked in London and the High Court asked in Port of Spain.
Bring the books Jack so we can see what money we are talking about.
For starters, the 2006 World Cup players were offered around $5,000 TT each back in 2006. That is what started the whole of this. Some of the players said they would have taken about TT$200,000 each then. They never thought they would get their just due.
But Warner insulted them so they went to their lawyer instead.
They have not paid attention u know we lack comprehension skills.
It is hard to know where to start with this… It is amazing that after all these years there are so many misconceptions about the case. I think I will have to try a summary for the site soon.
TTFA and other Sporting bodies also need to become less depending on govt funding. This needs to stop. Greater private/corporate giving is needed. Government should provide better tax incentives to private corporations to help increase giving. Government has too much control of stuff on TNT.
People with corporate support/backing would help tremendously
Just need the right people
The timing might be perfect for change to occur
Nah – cyah happen. The “new” entity will have to work under the TTFA constitution and try to topple the current executives through the electoral process. Which can be done
Need reputable, selfless, honest individuals to run the TTFA. But that’s like looking for ah needle in a hay stack.
recognition can happen over a period of a year if done properly.. there is a loophole… unless the conglomerate decides to buy over the ttfa and assume control, which gets rid of the waiting period for approval
FIFA would not allow that. TTFA is the FIFA recognized body for all things football in TNT
there is an alternative, alternate federation with private investors and the ear of the regional football bodies and the govt.. once this is in place, they need to present a plan that can give the majority an option that supercedes the current ttfa…
Total house cleaning needed. The TTFA constitution need to be revamped to prevent past deeds from ever occurring again. No Special Advisor. One club one vote. Term limits for all executive positions. Independent annual audit of accounts. Just to name a few.
YEP but is d season 2 get rid of dictators
i agree but who giving the marching orders? you remember how men getting elected… that is a fiasco in itself
I tired of evil so letsclean house
the lesser evil for now imo
Sheldon d man behind heart of a warrior fiasco.
i dont see trinidad qualifying for any world cup in my grand kids lifetime
Joann the only man I believe have any credentials is Sheldon.. i not on the tim kee train… i suggested the govt pay the players a week or 2 weeks ago and get rid of these men, but that doesn’t seem to be the order, I just happy these players got their money
Kenroy – politicians love people like you. They can screw you over and over again, and all they have to do us give you a few pieces of silver and you quickly forget their misdeeds. Smh
Goin after Jack and paying the players is a good deed.
Gino once Tim Key etal in d picture 2016 will be a pipe dream.
Ah like you Joann. Keeping it real.
I thought that the fair thing to do is to criticise persons for dotishness and compliment them for doing a good deed. Thats the way my parents grew me up
Lol
D warriors owed d money since 2006 u is PM since 2010 dman who owe them d money was yuh bff. Yuh Minister of Sport say they eh deserve dmoney they eh even score a goal and is mercenaries. Ot ofthe blue u pay them d money d mist of d LifeSport chaos and is not a PR stunt. She like Saul on the Road 2 Damascus she saw d light. GIVE ME A BREAK.
Ha ha ha then they would fit right in since life sport is funding all kind of criminals
Easy money / and you don’t have to work for it
TTFA should be put under the LifeSport program.
Lol
How ? Who in their right mind will give the TTFA any money
whether it is PR for Kamla, the fact of the matter is, the PM paid the players, now we can move on and start the campaign for Russia 2018..
You have to admit though that it was a good distraction for her Brazil lime
And also im hearing about Kamla giving this money is a PR stunt.
HOW DE ASS TO PLEASE TRINIS?
Everyday they bashing kamla for all her wrongdoings but when she do something positive its a PR propaganda. What im understanding from some of you is that she must continue doing dotishness because anytime she try doing something positive you will still get vex. ..
UTTER NONESENSE
Kenroy – Not sure I get your point, but no worries.
Unfortunately for the TTFA from a strict legal standpoint they still owe the warriors 1.3 million. A judgment cannot be released unless the government files the funds with the court as the balance of the settlement on behalf of the TTFA.
Well said Joann. All PR. All to minimize public outrage concerning her Brazil lime and shift focus off the LifeSport debacle. The PM said no public funds will be used on her trip. Who paying for her security detail? And for the nurse that she often travels with?
And thats my point. Same as the the people with the money, they also will get off on a technicality
Kenroy – 1) my point was that people with $$$ don’t make jail for white color crime in TNT. 2) only poor, uneducated people make jail for white color or other crime (they often don’t have the $$$ to pay “smart” lawyers to keep them out of jail). 3) the video images could not be used as evidence against the men, not because of politics, but because the images were capture prior to proclamation of the Anti Gang legislation, which is the law under which the fellas were arrested. They basically got off on a technicality.
Adrian u really believe that? It is all PR for Kams.
Tim Kee has no shame. The PM chose to pay the players directly and not risk letting the TTFA get any money. They don’t trust them with 13 cents much less 1.3 million .