Wallace, John-Williams clash on Lawrence and finances, as DJW issues first release from ‘Team Impactors’

United TTFA: “United TTFA believes that as TTFA President, i.e. Chairman of the TTFA Board, [David] John-Williams must accept institutional responsibility for having extended the contract of a coach who has proven to be entirely inadequate to the task, but who undeservedly continues to enjoy the benefits of being the senior head national coach.”

Team Impactors: “The Board approved the extension of Dennis Lawrence’s contract, except for the sole Director who does not understand collective responsibility…”

The following releases on the TTFA’s faith in current Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dennis Lawrence and the financial stability of the team were submitted by the United TTFA slate, headed by William Wallace, and the Team Impactors slate, headed by current president David John-Williams:

(United TTFA release)

United TTFA rejects several claims made by TTFA President, David John-Williams, in an article published in today’s Newsday under the headline ‘We don’t have the money to fire Dennis Lawrence’.

1. While John-Williams correctly states that he was recused from the TTFA Board discussion that led to Dennis Lawrence’s initial appointment, the fact is that he—vocally supported by Selby Browne—piloted the extension of Lawrence’s contract immediately prior to the 2019 Gold Cup.

Indeed, despite Lawrence’s poor record, the TTFA Board rejected the option to extend his contract to the end of the 2019 Gold Cup, as proposed by Board member Keith Look Loy, who eventually was the only Board member to vote against the two year extension granted.

United TTFA believes that as TTFA President, i.e. Chairman of the TTFA Board, John-Williams must accept institutional responsibility for having extended the contract of a coach who has proven to be entirely inadequate to the task, but who undeservedly continues to enjoy the benefits of being the senior head national coach.

2. In his meanderings in the topic John-Williams states that former senior head national coach Stephen Hart ‘left’ the job. The truth is that John-Williams fired Hart, despite the fact that the latter had a valid contract, which firing has resulted in a court case that Hart will ultimately win at tremendous cost to TTFA. This, like other legal matters so irresponsibly forced by John-Williams has seriously increased TTFA’s debt.

3. John-Williams is also quoted in the Newsday article as saying: ‘we don’t have the money to fire Dennis Lawrence in the morning’. United TTFA is astonished at the fact that John-Williams now holds this view when he summarily fired Stephen Hart, who had a vastly superior record as national coach to that of Lawrence, as he also fired former head coach Tom Saintfiet and former Technical Director Kendall Walkes, who held a valid contract, and who recently won a very lucrative settlement from TTFA by order of the High Court. Moreover, John-Williams’ claim of TTFA penury is belied by his decision to launch the ill conceived and disorganised ‘TTFA League of Champions’ last weekend at a cost of approximately TTD 1 million.

4. United TTFA notes with interest John-Williams’ revelation that TTFA earned in excess of TTD 6 million from international friendlies between 2016 and 2019, a fact unknown to the TTFA Board, which never enjoyed the luxury of a response to queries in this regard. Given this information, United TTFA asks why senior national team staff have not  been paid for many months now, and calls on John-Williams to explain this failure to staff and the public.

5. United TTFA considers John-Williams’ description of Trinidad and Tobago’s 15:0 win against Anguilla as ‘phenomenal’ as an insult to the intelligence of the TTFA membership and the general public. United TTFA reminds all that immediately prior to Brasil 2014, Argentina, then the second ranked team in the FIFA rankings, requested a match against Trinidad and Tobago as their final friendly before leaving for Brasil. For the TTFA President to celebrate a win against the lowest ranked country (209) on the planet is the full measure of how low Trinidad and Tobago’s stock has fallen since 2014.

6. United TTFA is astonished at the false contradiction posed by John-Williams in the article when he asks: “What do you prefer, financial stability or wins on the pitch?”

One of the core responsibilities of any National Association is the preparation of national teams and the pursuit of international success. That the TTFA President should attempt to pose financial stability and wins as mutually exclusive is a remarkable demonstration of his failure to understand the nature of the organisation he heads and his unsuitability for the job.

7. United TTFA will not accept David John-Williams belated attempt to explain away his and his administration’s consistent failure. This is the most base politicking. United TTFA calls on the TTFA electorate to end the nightmare on 24 November.

(Team Impactors release)

Team Impactors is greatly flabbergasted by the erroneous statement made by the United TTFA and will like to relieve the members of the TTFA and the general public at large, from the grave misinformation purported by this group.

(Appearance Fees)

● The audited financial statements for 2016 and 2017 were approved by the board and the general membership at the respective AGMs and reflected the following match fees: 2016 – TT $2,726,240.00 and 2017 – TT $125,848.80.

● The 2018 financial statement, which was approved by the board, except for one member, has been included in the convocation and will be presented to the general membership at the AGM on 24 November 2019. The statement will reflect match appearance fees in the amount of TT $1,211,078.88 for the period ending 31 December 2018.

● TTFA Management accounts as of September 2019, will reflect match appearance fees in the amount of TT $1,982.460.00. As a result, the total match revenue to date is TT$6,045,627.68.

(Dennis Lawrence)

The Board approved the extension of Dennis Lawrence’s contract, except for the sole Director who does not understand collective responsibility.

(TTFA President must take institutionalised responsibility)

The current President of the TTFA has never shied away from the responsibilities of his office. In like manner William Wallace, who is head of United TTFA, should accept total responsibility for the fraudulent letter which claimed an endorsement by the Junior Sammy Group of Companies. Such a serious crime, without responsibility, demands immediate withdrawal from the Presidential race.

(Stephen Hart and Kendall Walkes)

This matter is currently before the courts and therefore we decline to comment on the subject.

(League of Champions)

The TTFA successfully requested and received funding to support elite football in Trinidad and Tobago. The TTFA made an offer to both entities, the TT Pro League and the TT Super League, to co-join and accept sponsorship and benefit from the financial support of the TTFA.

The Super League bluntly refused and rejected outright—by their representative Keith Look Loy—any support to the Super League from the TTFA. The TT Pro League approached the TTFA to run two tiers of football for the 2019 season.

After two months of delay, for the approved two tier league, the TTFA took the decision to immediately launch the ‘League of Champions’ for the tier two clubs. That league is the TTFA League of Champions that was launched and started on 10 November 2019.

(Argentina)

As strangers from the truth, it is expected that reference would be made to an Argentina game in isolation, coming out of the 2014 travesty. The facts are that the current administration for the period November 2015 to date, secured matches that generated revenue of TT$6 million dollars by consistently playing against teams ranked in the top 30 in the FIFA rankings.

Those teams are: Uruguay (ranked #9), Mexico (#11), Wales (#19), Japan (#28), Iran (#29).

We trust the information above provides a proper insight to what are the facts, as it relates to the headings listed and puts to rubbish the misinformation communicated by those opposed to proper and successful governance.

We wish to remind all delegates and members that the TTFA leadership is about delivery, not promises, not manifestos but by stating what we have delivered and continue to build upon.

Editor’s Note: David John-Williams, William Wallace and Richard Ferguson will contest the post of TTFA president at the local football body’s AGM on 24 November 2019.

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