Dear Editor: Sportsmax, SSFL add insult to injury for Chaguanas North players!

“[…] Chaguanas North Secondary has waited until the penultimate round of the SSFL Premiership division competition, for its maiden opportunity to be showcased on Sportsmax, while other schools have had multiple showings in that time—only to discover [on Saturday] that the fixture will not be aired live.

“[…] The players have been robbed of an opportunity to be seen on an international stage by their friends, family and potential scouts…”

The Chaguanas North Secondary team take a moment during the 2023 SSFL Premier Division season.
Photo: Chaguanas North

The following Letter to the Editor on the manner of Sportsmax’s change in its televised schedule—from St Mary’s College vs Chaguanas North Secondary to Naparima College vs Fatima College—was submitted to Wired868 by Chaguanas North manager Germaine Raymond:

I write this letter to express my utter disappointment with the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) and the Sportsmax team for the scant courtesy extended to the Chaguanas North Secondary School.


The school has waited until the penultimate round of the SSFL Premiership division competition, for its maiden opportunity to be showcased on Sportsmax, while other schools have had multiple showings in that time—only to discover today that the fixture will not be aired live.

No correspondence has been received from the SSFL or Sportsmax, advising that the fixture will no longer be televised. This is very distasteful, disrespectful, unfair and unprofessional to say the least.

The Chaguanas North Secondary 2023 Premier Division team.
Photo: Chaguanas North

The players have been robbed of an opportunity to be seen on an international stage by their friends, family and potential scouts. There must be some sort of reprieve for these student athletes and, in the capacity of manager of the Chaguanas North Secondary School, I call out the SSFL and Sportsmax to address this grave injustice.

Our players are people too!

More from Wired868
Dear Editor: Are TTFA’s proposed Statute changes about electoral reform, or redistribution of political power?

“[…] Under the proposed TTFA Statutes amendments, clubs would lose 21 votes, reducing their combined allocation from 36 to 15—a Read more

Subway to Glory: Forget Serpentine Road, Lewis St, etc; football at Fyzabad is a sight to behold!

“[…] Where else would you find U14 and U16 games playing at 10am on a workday, attracting 200 to 300 Read more

Dear Editor: On what grounds is Romain still supervising minors? And what does that say about Safeguarding process?

“[…] Mr Gary St Rose himself acknowledges that the investigations are not complete. So what exactly formed the basis of Read more

Dear Editor: The Summit’s blind spots—TTFA presents ambitious vision; but where is the accountability?

“[…] A strategic plan should not simply articulate where an organisation hopes to be in four years. It should clearly Read more

Dear Editor: TTFA Safeguarding Dept can use stakeholder concerns to strengthen its operations

“[…] The TTFA could work with clubs, academies, parents and relevant child-protection stakeholders to review its youth-team travel standards and Read more

Dear Editor: T&T’s football problems go well beyond the coach—start with accountability!

“[…] A new coach may bring fresh ideas, different tactics, and renewed motivation—but if the underlying problems remain, how much Read more

Check Also

Dear Editor: Message from “unreasonable” single-mom—is paying half enough?

“[…] A child is not a collection of bills to be divided equally without considering …

One comment

  1. sorry for the lads—on both sides of the pitch.
    But the SSFL owes it to the fans to portray the VERY BEST iteration of itself.
    And they did that, on the day, by broadcasting the league-winning encounter between two classy units playing in a match that mattered.
    It’s not that no one cares about the lads of Chaguanas North—but the SSFL and SportsMAX made a BUSINESS decision.
    Kudos to them.
    Good luck to the lads as they regroup in 2024 and perhaps, once day, again post a challenge in the Premiership.

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.