Green light for TTSL as TTFA recognises new league; Look Loy seeking local sponsor

All systems are now go for the new Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL), which is carded to kick off on 11 June 2017. The highest hurdle standing in their way was cleared on Wednesday evening when they finally got the long awaited ratification by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) after a brief 15-minute meeting involving TTSL representatives and TTFA President David John-Williams.

“We had a meeting last evening at the Cycling Centre in Couva between the TTFA board and the clubs of the Super League,” TTSL interim president Keith Look Loy told Wired868. “Of the 22 clubs, there were 19 in attendance [and] John-Williams will have to put it in writing by Monday before he and [TTFA general secretary Justin] Latapy-George go to the FIFA Congress in Bahrain.”

Photo: Marabella Family Crisis Centre striker Juma Clarence prepares to strike the ball while Police FC goalkeeper Theon Browne (right) looks on during 2015 National Super League action. (Courtesy DPI Photography/Wired868)
Photo: Marabella Family Crisis Centre striker Juma Clarence prepares to strike the ball while Police FC goalkeeper Theon Browne (right) looks on during 2015 National Super League action.
(Courtesy DPI Photography/Wired868)

“It” is confirmation of the TTFA’s ratification decision and Look Loy is optimistic that official word from the TTFA will come as early as next week.

Although he seemed generally satisfied with the way the discussions had gone, John-Williams was neither willing to divulge the details of the meeting nor to give any commitment to a timeline.


“All I can tell you,” he said, “is that we had a very cordial meeting, a very positive meeting. Everything is fine so far as I’m concerned.”

Look Loy provided a little more detail.

“Essentially,” he explained, “the TTFA—although they have to put it in writing—by the agreement of the chairman David John-Williams […] have agreed that we (the TTSL) will enjoy what is the same status as the TT Pro League.

“We will be an autonomous group so what we wanted we have achieved after four months of unnecessary strife and uncertainty.”

Photo: (From Left to right) Lt Ryan Ottley (TTSL interim VP), Keith Look Loy (TTSL interim President), Minister Darryl Smith, Camara David (TTSL Secretary), Kester Lendor (TTSL interim Assistant Secretary) and Quincy Jones (interim Board member). (Courtesy TTSL)
Photo: (From Left to right) Lt Ryan Ottley (TTSL interim VP), Keith Look Loy (TTSL interim President), Minister Darryl Smith, Camara David (TTSL Secretary), Kester Lendor (TTSL interim Assistant Secretary) and Quincy Jones (interim Board member).
(Courtesy TTSL)

The toing and froing between the two parties started at the beginning of the year when the TTSL submitted a formal request for membership to the TTFA.

The umbrella body demanded that the applicants submit a stack of documents, including company by-laws, a copy of the League’s constitution and documentation associated with the formation and registration of the company, which has 22 shareholders.

According to Keith Look Loy, who also manages FC Santa Rosa, the TTSL provided all requested documentation and submitted a formal request for TTFA recognition on 8 January. It took 46 days for the governing body to acknowledge receipt of the application, which occurred on February 23.

By the time the league was publicly launched in March, the TTSL organisers had not yet got word from the TTFA on the status of their membership application.


In the month that followed, John-Williams and Latapy-George found themselves embroiled in a constitutional standoff with not just Look Loy but Central FA president Shymdeo Gosein, which kept hundreds of players, coaching staff and officials uncertain and uneasy about whether they would be playing Super League football in the 2017/2018 season.

Photo: TTFA president David John-Williams (right) smiles with fourth official Cecile Hinds before the First Citizens Bank Cup final between Defence Force and Ma Pau Stars at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on 2 December 2016. (Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Photo: TTFA president David John-Williams (right) smiles with fourth official Cecile Hinds before the First Citizens Bank Cup final between Defence Force and Ma Pau Stars at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on 2 December 2016.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)

Look Loy expressed satisfaction with the eventual resolution but he remains wary that, despite the administrative victory, funding for the league is not yet forthcoming and continues to be an issue. The TTSL have already sealed a $100,000-plus equipment deal with sports apparel giants Umbro but the interim president lamented that the local corporate sector seems completely uninterested in supporting the new league.

“We have one sponsor,” he revealed, saying that details of the deal will be disclosed in the near future, “and this is not a Trinidad and Tobago company [but] a company out of Canada.”

“The local business sector has shown no interest in sponsoring the Super League,” he continued, “[but] a Canadian company [has] agreed to sponsor our League Cup. We’re hoping therefore that we’ll be able to find a local corporate entity to become the title sponsor of our league.”

“The issue of national integration, of a national league, of maintaining the presence of Tobago communities in the Trinidad and Tobago Super League,” the interim president stressed, “one of them is the Bethel Community—they won the knockout last year—is of primary importance to us. But so far we have been unable to convince the corporate sector or the state that this is important.”

But Look Loy has not thrown in the towel. He intends to meet with Sport Minister Darryl Smith next week with a view to getting him to agree to provide TT$400,000 to the League.

Photo: Bethel United's teenaged winger Teejay Cadiz (right) chases a La Horquetta SA opponent for the ball during 2015/16 CNG NSL Premiership Division action. (Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Photo: Bethel United’s teenaged winger Teejay Cadiz (right) chases a La Horquetta SA opponent for the ball during 2015/16 CNG NSL Premiership Division action.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

“Our budget is based entirely on income from membership fees,” he explained. “What we have done is that we have cut the suit to fit the cloth and we have trimmed it down to make sure that when we run this inaugural season, based on fees alone we would not be operating in debt.

“The biggest chunk in our expenditure is travel between the two islands for the 22 teams that will constitute the two leagues.”

The requested government subvention will cover the hefty price tag for travel between the two islands.

“That is going to cost us $420,000, which is a big chunk out of our budget,” said Look Loy. “We have been trying to talk to the Ministry of Sport about that. For the 15 years of the National Super League, the State in one form or fashion—whether the Ministry of Sport or the Sport Company or Caribbean Airlines—covered the cost of that travel.

“We have not been able to convince the Ministry of Sport or Caribbean Airlines to do that or even to subsidise it. When we sent in our fixtures to Caribbean Airlines to try and immediately start booking spaces, they told us they want money up front.

“If we could get that taken care of, we would be very happy with that because then we can have some money from internal sources to pay prize money.”

Photo: Club Sando Moruga striker Nigel John (left) sprints away from FC Santa Rosa defender Alfie James during 2015/16 CNG National Super League (NSL) Premiership Division action at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya. (Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Photo: Club Sando Moruga striker Nigel John (left) sprints away from FC Santa Rosa defender Alfie James during 2015/16 CNG National Super League (NSL) Premiership Division action at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

He also took time out to expand on the significance of the community-based league and knockout competition in the local footballing sphere.

“We would go on to continue organising ourselves and playing football,” he told Wired868. “We didn’t sit down waiting on this to arrive. We have been going about planning our business so we have all our fixtures, people checking the venues and everything is proceeding to kick off with the first league on the 11th of June and the second league on the 24th of June.

“I’ve always said that this is the most important development in Trinidad and Tobago football in the 21st century [and] the only progressive move we have seen in terms of the organising of football and the administration of football.

“In the end, we have achieved what we wanted to achieve and that is all that matters.”

More from Wired868
TTFA outlaws Toda-World FA and controversial ex-national youth coach, Marcelle

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has officially outlawed former national youth coach Terrence Marcelle and his club, Toda-World Read more

TTFA apologises to ticketed fans turned away from Canada match, promises free entry to Jamaica friendly

It turns out that the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-20 Team were not the only party unprepared for last Read more

Arbitration quashes SSFL rulings; Moruga, MMPHS confirmed as zonal champs!

Moruga Secondary and Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School (MMPHS) have been reinstated as South and Central Zone Championship Division winners Read more

“Extremely unfair”! Arbitration panel blasts SSFL’s MMPHS, Moruga rulings

The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) executive committee received a further setback to its efforts to conclude the 2023 season Read more

Dear Editor: Eve’s renewal shows Normalisation Committee is arrogant and deceitful to the end

“[…] I have no problem with Angus Eve being given an extension. Clearly, he may have had to work the Read more

T&T coach, Eve, gets two-year contract extension; Hadad: “we’re excited for the future!”

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Angus Eve will lead the Soca Warriors into the 2026 FIFA Read more

About Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor is a freelance writer with seven years' experience in the field, who has written for local publications including the Campus Chronicle, UWI Today, USPORTT, Metro and the Trinidad Express. He also studied Communication Studies and Portuguese at the University of the West Indies.

Check Also

TTFA outlaws Toda-World FA and controversial ex-national youth coach, Marcelle

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has officially outlawed former national youth coach Terrence …

20 comments

  1. Just checked. A return ticket for the inter-island fast ferry is $100 for adults.

  2. Boat and plane cost the same? Impossible. Anyway, I believe that support now then phase out later philosophy was pitched by the TTPL several years ago and years later they’re still demanding $$ from the govt.

  3. Doesn’t the boat and plane cost the same anyways? I also advocate independence from the government but many/most seem to embrace the notion that government has a role to play in sports by creating jobs and providing an alternative to criminal activity. In that light I think the $400k would be money well spent. Plus, another way to make it more palatable would be to gradually phase out the support, either over time or once the TTSL reaches certain financial milestones.

    • Wait – did I just read that the TTSL want $400K from the government to cover travel cost between Trinidad and Tobago for matches? And airline travel cost to booth? Why isn’t that a responsibility of the individual teams? Buh what the a$$ is this? Nah man Keith. Each team should have a budget, including cost of travel and should be responsible for finding ways to balance their own budget, including going out there to identify suitable sponsors. Aren’t these suppose to be community based teams? Why can’t they tap into businesses and supporters in their communities to help fund the teams? Isn’t this TTSL suppose to be the best thing to happen in football in tnt for years now? Why are we still running to the government for financial assistance? Seems like the lazy approach. Individual teams need to get their a$$ in order and go demand corporate tnt, especially businesses in their local communities, to fund them. By the way that $420K travel budget can be reduced by 75% if the teams travel by boat. Just saying!

    • Traveling by boat won’t work. If the crossing is cancelled the whole fixture list is effected. Many govts support football and other sports. $400k isnt a huge amount and it’s not going in anyone’s pockets it’s purely to facilitate transport. They could simply make it a trinidad league but that defeats the purpose.

    • I’m not championing that they make it a Trinidad only league. I’m saying the TTSL should truly show that they’re different by seeking as much independence from the state as possible.

    • Government support should be pursued as the very last option. To this day I still don’t understand why government gives money to teams in the TTPL.

    • If the government gives the Pro League a subvention, they should find a way to give the TTSL the transportation funds. I suspect they have tried getting corporate sponsors already and this is last resort..

    • What we need to do is stop supporting the businesses that are not willing to provide financial support to organizations within their communities. If Republic Bank or Royal Bank not willing to sponsor teams within the towns they do business, then pull our monies out. Simple as that. No more parasitic relationships.

    • Carlos Lee, tell me offhand which corporate business in your community would sponsor a representative team in the same community?

    • Timothy – I guarantee you if people in Arima closed their accounts at Republic Bank or stop shopping at Massy Stores or Rodney’s Grocery and indicate they are doing it because those organizations are not giving back to the community, you’ll quickly see a change in their behaviors.

    • A simple protest in front of these businesses to highlight their lack of giving will cause them to make significant improvements in the area of corporate responsibility.

    • K. I don’t believe that’s going to happen before the season or even during or after. So what next? Reality is people are generally struggling to make ends meet and football teams and games are currently meekly supported.

    • I hear you Carlos Lee. Not sure if I agree though.

  4. We have not being paid from August last year and allyuh starting a league ! Wow

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.