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“[…] Mr Robert Hadad is seeming to fall in the same footsteps of Mr David John Williams and Mr William Wallace in shelving the most prestigious and longstanding football tournament, which is under the purview of the TTFA, while chasing a very costly league at this time—noting fully well the financial situation of the TTFA…”
The following Letter to the Editor on the operations of Fifa-appointed normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad was submitted to Wired868 by a concerned stakeholder, who wrote on condition of anonymity:
Hadad was appointed head of Fifa’s normalisation committee in Trinidad and Tobago on 27 March 2020.
(Copyright Gary Jordan Photography ©2017)
As a stakeholder in the football landscape, being on the fence about the Fifa normalisation committee when they were initially installed and coming to understand the reason why they were and fully supporting them in the struggles against the former executive, I am writing this letter with a heavy heart and a high level of concern.
Whereas Fifa has reinstated the normalisation committee, I am optimistic about the normalisation committee working feverishly towards eradicating the debt of the TTFA and restructuring the running of the administrative aspect of the TTFA—where the TTFA has been lacking for years.
It feels like a case of deja vu where what is being heard from the head of the normalisation committee currently is about the forming of a new league to encompass TT Pro League and TT Super League, at a time where all stakeholders in football are looking to the normalisation committee to see a plan to clear the debt.
It seems like they are more interested in forming a new league than addressing these critical matters. Even more ironic is that the FA has control of the FA Cup and for several years this tournament has been dormant. If any club football is a priority of the TTFA, it should be the FA Cup.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868)
Mr Robert Hadad is seeming to fall in the same footsteps of Mr David John Williams and Mr William Wallace in shelving the most prestigious and longstanding football tournament, which is under the purview of the TTFA, while chasing a very costly league at this time—noting fully well the financial situation of the TTFA.
Many other stakeholders within the football realm have been hoping that the normalisation committee prioritises the eradication of the current TTFA debt as item number one.
Personally, I would take it as a slap in the face of football if the normalisation committee has discussions about a league prior to addressing the TTFA’s financials, administrative salaries, coaches salaries, the national team’s preparation for major tournaments such as the Gold Cup and the player’s appearance fees.
The entire football fraternity is looking at the normalisation committee as a fresh start for Trinidad and Tobago football or at least the means to get us to that point.
We are waiting with bated breath to see Mr Hadad’s handling of these crucial issues.
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