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“For the first time, these clubs have the opportunity and the awesome responsibility of control over the administration, the politics and the finances of the competition in which they participate…
“TTSL is, in conception and practice (so far) an example of grassroots, ‘coming from below’ football democracy. It comes from the communities of the nation, including Tobago. It is not an imposition from above. It is founded on merit.”
The following Letter to the Editor on the potential of the nascent Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) was submitted to Wired868 by interim TTSL president and CONCACAF technical study group member, Keith Look Loy:
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
The formation of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) on 13 December 2016 is arguably the most important development in local football in the last fifteen years.
That is a huge statement. Why do I make it? After all, in the last fifteen years we have witnessed amazing scenes.
Trinidad and Tobago participated in FIFA World Cups at men’s, women’s and youth level. A professional league was created at the apex of the local game. The Jack Warner era came to an end for better and worse—and I mean “better AND worse”, not “OR”.
Schoolboy football is now televised live to the region, even as the elite game suffers from a lack of gate receipts and income other than State funding. Amazing scenes, indeed.
But I repeat: The formation of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) on 13 December 2016 is arguably the most important development in local football in the last fifteen years.
Why? Because if the thirteen clubs that grasped the bull firmly by the horns on 13 December 2016 and bestrode it; if these thirteen clubs now bloomed to twenty with the joining of seven more to date; if these twenty clubs, therefore, press on with maturity, bravery and vision to fulfil the potential of their moment, then the landscape of Trinidad and Tobago football will be forever changed. I will explain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
For the past many years—since 2002 I believe—the TTFA has run a competition known as the “National Super League”. This was a mere competition, like the FA Cup and not a proper league. And it was run under a franchise sold by TTFF/TTFA and held by All Sport Promotions Limited (ASP).
ASP did a great job. But the participating clubs in this competition were orphans in this arrangement. Voiceless. Belonging neither to a Regional Association nor to the TTFF/TTFA. Having neither stake nor say in either. And certainly not in a position to seriously influence the politics and direction of the league and Football.
The ASP franchise ended on 31 December 2016. In the evolution of any organism, animal or otherwise, key moments come when the organism is transformed from one state into something qualitatively different.
The member clubs of the National Super League have seized their moment and transformed themselves into the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL).
For the first time, these clubs have the opportunity and the awesome responsibility of control over the administration, the politics and the finances of the competition in which they participate.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
OK, you say. That’s nice. Buh wah make dat “the most important development in local football in the last 15 years?”
The answer to that question is simple. TTSL is, in conception and practice (so far) an example of grassroots, “coming from below” football democracy. It comes from the communities of the nation, including Tobago.
It is not an imposition from above. It is founded on merit. No buying your way into the dance because you can afford it. You have to win your way in.
And in a football culture where debt and dependency seem to be genetically predisposed, TTSL holds the potential to create an alternative model of viable football administration and management that depends on something other than favours and hand outs. Yes. Even in these “harsh economic times”.
Call me a dreamer. Call me naïve. But my conviction is that the TTSL and its member clubs could produce a product that is marketable—in their communities and to commercial partners.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
This potential is transparent. And spurred on by recognition of this potential and with desire for something better than what exists, TTSL, although less than two months old, has already been approached by potential commercial partners, and many have been the enquiries from regional association clubs that wish to come into the TTSL fold—yes, the consequence of the culture of league membership based on money not merit that has been introduced into our Football by some.
TTSL insists that there must be an integral connection of promotion and relegation with the TT Pro League. Super League clubs have attempted to pursue this for many years. Indeed, TTSL recently wrote to TTPL seeking an urgent discussion of this and other matters.
But “professional football”, as currently organised in Trinidad and Tobago, has failed—commercially and from an organisational standpoint.
Until the new century, every successful club in Trinidad and Tobago was rooted in a community. This is no longer so. That organic connection between club and people in a particular locale was lost around the turn of the century as teams began to pay players and to buy their place in a league.
In the dangerous social and economic climate which we endure, the time is now to return Football to its rightful place—the community. Even as they already make a contribution to Society, the importance of successful community clubs is critical to any chance of social integration today.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
TTSL is found in twenty-four communities across the country, including Tobago. This is our “competitive advantage” and TTSL clubs must use it.
In this regard, as few TTSL members now have a youth programme—a real one—it must be a priority in the TTSL scheme of things to have clubs establish and maintain viable youth set ups. We are football clubs and nothing catches youth and allows for their social education better than football.
TTSL has adopted a set of “Founding Principles”, which are essentially: (1) equality of ownership and responsibility to the League and to Football; (2) unflinching commitment to a relationship with regional association football, and to the principle of promotion and relegation—membership based on merit not money—among all tiers of the local club game; and (3) equitable profit sharing by an agreed formula, because it is only the generation of profit for TTSL member club that will allow them sustainable resources to grow and develop themselves and Football as a whole.
But these “Founding Principles”, as worthy as they may be, exist only on paper and will be materialised only via proper planning and smart, tireless work by each club. The latitude for blaming others for failure is now gone.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
TTSL has submitted its application for TTFA membership on 8 January 2017 and has requested a meeting with the TTFA Board of Management to ensure its application is successful. The league is requesting nothing more from TTFA than recognition. No money. Nothing.
TTSL is a progressive development and we expect TTFA to facilitate the membership of an elite league with twenty-four of its members. The League will begin its inaugural season on Sunday 11 June 2017.
We live in the era of twenty-four hour cable television football from elite league around the world. TTSL is not La Liga or the EPL or Serie A or the Bundesliga. We know this. It takes a conscious political decision by each and everyone to support the local game.
You love Trinidad and Tobago? You love Trinidad and Tobago football? You love Trinidad and Tobago youth?
Stop talking. Find the nearest TTSL game and go support that Holy Trinity…
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
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..We want to talk about 1) promotion/relegation, 2) technical cooperation, and 3) joint competitions..
No need to go back into that argument star
..Ask Dexter Skeene to respond and let’s have a meeting Jamaal..
Yes please Jamaal ask Dexter skeene to respond and let’s set up this meeting
You would be surprised of sponsorship agreements we have from player sponsors to title sponsors. And yes no store to sell jerseys but we have them started selling but not in stores yet.
Get your facts
50 000 a month can never pay salaries for pro league clubs
We also have sponsorship my friend
Or is it that because the idea is not yours so you are against it?
I am not assuming Jamaal Shabazz…. I know…. Govt money and whatever little sister sponsorship money you can generate…. No PFL team has their own ground or adopted a ground and developed it sufficiently so as to charge gate receipts and keep 100% of such towards the running of the club… Sans point fortin…. Tell me what store Can i walk into and purchase a Cali Jersey at a reasonable price?…. So where else does the money to cover operational costs come from? Who pays the salaries of players and coaches? Please enlighten me so that I can understand better why you are against progress.
..Round and round. For ally my criticism of the TTL though, I have NEVER criticized a club. Kudos to the clubs that trying but many exist ONLY because they get State funding. They in TTPL so they get State monies and they get State monies so they in TTPL. ALL we ask is for discussion. We wrote to TTPL one week ago. NO RESPONSE..
Come together and discuss yes but you all dismissive tone does not lend respect to those you want to sit with. Just saying mutual respect for your vision and ours
Clubs paid 100,000 -130 registration plus salaries and other costs that you experience like transport medical etc
You guys assuming is only Govt money run pro league clubs. Madness….
Yeah but Keith you cannot disregard the years financial investment put into Rangers . From a business stand point there is logic there to. You guys want to play at top division fine but it has a price. Maybe the price is too high but is that also you looking for a hand out…the hand out being easy passage. Pro League Clubs value their investment and while I am one for up and down it needs some discussion to be fair
Q.E.D. You should be teaching Logic at UWI Devon..
Lol….. Logic and common sense go hand in hand Keith… I doubt anyone from the TTfa or PFL would be willing to take such a class… In the immortal words of RAS SHORTY I ” when the tree young and yuh plant it wrong. It hard to straighten when it old and strong”…. That sadly is the state of the pro league and Trinidad and Tobago football
This is a good topic but complicated if put into action when installing the promotion and relagation format. With the financial crumble we have in the country much less local football, it’s hard for super league teams to full salaries as a ttproleague team if they got a sudden promotion to the first teir. And with that being said turning the proleague clubs back into semi pro and amateur status to accommodate the promotion relagation format can be a step back in tt football. But then they said sometime you have to move one pace back to move three paces forward?
That’s an excellent point and definitely the crux of the matter.
Truth is some Pro League teams already operate almost like semi pro outfits. With the state of the economy, we might have no choice. Clubs might have to cut their cloth as best as they can and we will have to cross our fingers that some teams DO remain full time.
But the Pro League promised FIFA two years ago that it will create a relegation and demotion as part of the new constitution.
Somehow we haven’t heard much of that promise in the last year.
no one says that one should not exist and the other should not….. i certainly didnt Jamaal… i am merely suggesting that there be an amalgamation of the both,,,,, the current clubs in the pfl integrating with the top ttsl clubs to form a tt premier league….. entry into which must be earned or won in matches rather than being bought into…. this would foster a greater competitive spirit among clubs and players alike from the bottom come up….. imagine a zonal team being able to reach the highest level in 3 or 4 years and compete with the likes of w and cali and cenrtal? whereas the forever last place rangers could be back in the NFA in the same time period fighting their way back up? a structure like this brings about more competitiveness, forces the small clubs to raise their standard while the big clubs have to fight to remain big…… or is it that the millionaire boys club are not willing to share their govt. subventions with the poor people? you have to admit sir that your precious pfl has done nothing in its 17 year existence to help develop the lower leagues or the clubs competing in them……absolutely nothing…… in the words of niesha wattley” that making any sense?”.. if you could name 1current FIFA top 50 country with a 9 team domestic league with NO promotion and relegation i wil lmost certainly rest my case… gentle mans honour
The issues surrounding use of the community fields are being worked on especially in Morvant. But the experiment to play there showed potential ….the quality of the pitch was a draw back….giving way to cricket …another challenge….To start is never difficult but to endure and fight on for decades under difficult circumstances….will be the test. It is my sincere view that we should face the road ahead as comrades in one industry.
Again I am seeing a Gang culture developing here Devon. We vs Them when we have a chance to use the power of football to show how we can come together. You seem bent on casting aspersions so as to favour a SL and now Roland wants to do same for A Pro League. Turf war all over again. In my view there is a need for a league that caters for full time players coaches and admin and there is need for a league that caters for those who can operate on a part time basis. This is a chance to truly show that we care about our football. Arriving at issues of promotion and relegation between the league’s is not impossible. We can start on issues we agree on in common and build to the other ones. I am tired on the gang thing Devon London. Egos will be there but just as you guys are confident on where you going with the SL there are those of us who are confident with where we want to go with the Pro League.
i saw no real change in venue…… morvant and barataria get mamaguy with a few games……. lewis street get one or two and club SANDO team run back to couva…… what happened to the promise of using irwin park? palo seco velodrome? hugo francis? ojoe road? hague st.? the largest crowd ever recorded at a pro league match was in movant back in november yet the last rounds of games run back to the stadiums and bareley struggling to get 50 people to come out……i amm not saying that the ttsl structure is the best but i am quite sure in years to come it will surpass the pfl in terms of organisation , attendace and finacial stability of all participating teams……
I understand all what you saying however look at the number of support each team has look at the size of there grounds plus major sponcers an television rights the pro league is trying Digicel is on board fcb Toyota to name a few we saw change in venues trying to get football back to the community . A few of the teams drawing small sponcers .so those who are feeling that the super league structure will be better than the pro league at the end of the day you have to give credit where credit is due the pro league teams fought through all rough roads and is still the top league in Trinidad .
the bpl has found a way to attract major sponsors tv rights deals etc thats why they can afford to pay each club….. if the trinidad and tobago football lanscape takes examples out that and apply them to our own dont you think that eventually this could happen to ours? the bpl dindt achieve what it today overnight, it has taken them 20something odd years to this point today and not by continuing to be an exclusive members club that bars entry because your not at a particular financial status…. clubs compete in the bpl because of merit …. you either play to get in or you play to stay in…. you cannot buy your way in……
Those leagues has there money an major sponsors the pro league is the owners themselves due to there high franchise payments that got the league running do you no that the B p l each year gives a certain sum of money to each club some super league teams struggle with there regrestration money alot of clubs want to go pro league however is the franchise payment an once you are in payong of players an staff each month promotion an relegation can come if i move up to pro i move up with my franchise money an you get relegated you move down with your franchise money thats the only way how you will want to go up with out money ?
BPL LA liga serieA ligue1 even the new Chinese super league….
Apart from the mls almost every other league in the world has promotion and relegation…. It will be a major boost for both leagues in terms of attracting financial sponsors etc…. Even Jamaica has promotion and relegation even some of the small islands do it and this according to the recent FIFA rankings has proven to help take their national teams above ours in the international rankings Roland
That cannot be possible the pro league clubs haa a higher franchise an they are the owners the superleague teams simple pays a regrestration to play a smaller regrestration compared to what the pro league franchise money is ..
Hopefully now prof. Jamaal Shabazz ET Al of the so called pro league would be open to talks of changing the format to a premier league to allow promotion and relegation.. This allowing the TTSL clubs a chance to compete at the highest level and lesser known players a chance at gaining national caps… Eh… Wa ALLYUH think bout that Lasana Nicholas
Thats my reson for asking if the individual can be trusted
The E f A elections was around 2010 when the issue came up an the findings was discovered the then E F A head was placed back an the election cancelled due to the dishonest moves by the individual.
One fomer ttff coach was accused of stealing back then as an administrator and also was bisbanded when tried running for E f A office .
..Who was that and what does that have to do with the formation of TTSL?..
Keith, Ive read this a few times and i completely support this move. Well thought out and quite progressive. The issue of merit is welcomed. In whatever way, this is a move for football I can and will support. Well done !!!
I can only recall Guaya making it to a Toyota Classic final. And they lost. The top Super League teams would defeat the lower Pro League teams.
But that doesn’t make the Super League superior to the Pro League. It isn’t. Not now anyway.
..Who is talking about TTSL teams being “superior” to TTPL teams? Not me. Burt we could talk about that. Stokely Vae made it to the Toyota final about four seasons ago. FC Santa Rosa has been in the Toyota twice and twice lost by one goal in the quarters – last in 2015 to a Defence Force side that promised to give us seven but which struggled to win in the dying minutes. But you see, THIS is the problem. I not talking about football on the field. I am talking about AN ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODEL.
Alot of club owners an coaches believe superleague teams are better than the pro league teams the level of football is far higher ab it has been proven at the Toyota classic for years .an also a few supe league teams are also dependent on government funding some has folded up .most cannot make the move up due to money . There is no difference in the administration set up we jus has someone who feels they no more most is internet ideas
Keith, how would you get the promotion/relegation thing to work if you have to meet certain financial criteria to get into the Pro League?
I’d assume that the Pro League would have to relax its stance on the entry fee. But I’d wait to hear on that.
With instability in the Ministry of Sport and regarding the economy, the Pro League has some big decisions to make very soon.
..Precisely. Including if they wish to have a discussion with TTSL on the matter. We have attempted to initiate one previously without success. TTFA also should play a role in this. They ARE the governing body..
For those who believe the Pro League started with Govt funding or will fold up without it. Inshallah we will see.
Professor… can we not merge the two? A little 1.2 population shouldn’t have 32 teams…I think 18-20 is ideal
Congrats to you all coming up with an idea like this one well done MR look loy
Roland you losing me what are you talking about. Stick to the topic nah. It’s about the strides made by the Super League.
Can the administration be trusted with the dark clouds that hung over there heads from the past.
The enthusiasm and chest beating will need courage and forbearance in difficult times. I can speak for at least two Pro League Clubs the Super League will have our fullest support. We are already drawing up partnerships with clubs for player exchange .
Sitting on the armchair spouting wisdom is one stage but becoming an activist as Keith Look Loy is doing is another step
I’ve done plenty activism. I’ve also learned that people only change when they want to.
So steps have been taken structures don’t fall out of the sky join a Super or Pro Club and contribute and help put it in.
Yes Jamaal, but industries have structure and systems. It’s never going to be vaps
The Super League and the Pro League each has its purpose and contribution and players to draw from there need be no losers here . We all can win and build an industry together .
I support anything progressive in the football and I am never the aggressor Lasana. Kudos to the club’s we have been there and done that after Jack Warner abandoned the PFL he started. But if someone wants to invite you to dinner it does not mean you don’t have food in your house. Clearly everything is about drawing battle lines but it is the job of the TTFA then to support this venture and now…..
I grew up in community football. Colts were my first team as I grew up in Belmont, Luton Town, Woodbrook boys Malvern, Newtown buzsaws Providence. Worked in Point Fortin where Civic were the community team, the Douglas boys, Wilfred Cave, Leroy de Leon, father Graham, great days. Hope the time is right to bring back ” the good old days”
I agree Bruce, I grew up around Malvern and learned a lot from Robbie Greenidge, Arthur brown, Tesheira, Headley, Haynes, Boxhill and others. That model will need major adjustments in today’s world though
Moving forward; bigger and better. Get on board with the TTSL…
KLL, You have my best wishes but frankly I’m emphatically NOT optimistic.
You talk good talk but can you walk the walk? There are vested interests out there that will conspire to place so many obstacles in your path that it won’t be long before you start thinking you’re running a 400m hurdles race rather than running a football organisation.
Are you ready for that?
This is the 21st Century, the What’s-in-it-for-ME?” age. And T&T remember, is a corrupt country; it’s not what’s good for us all that matters but what is good for ME.
Not money but merit? This #$##$#$#$ man mad!?!
Finally, something that gives hope for the future
Finally yes…It is about football!
I think so as well. What say you here Jamaal? You’re warring so much these days that I won’t want you to miss the progressive stuff either. Lol
This is the start of the changes we need to turn around this country. Sports is as good a place as any to start. Wishing the TTSL success and longevity.