Members of the T&T Soca Warriors will know by late this evening if and how soon they will receive monies owed to them for matches played at the Concacaf Gold Cup, the International Friendly encounter against Nicaragua and the World Cup Qualifiers against Guatemala on November 13 and the USA on November 17 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The new board of directors which include Samuel Saunders (Central FA), Sherwyn Dyer (Eastern Counties Football Union), Karanjabari Williams (Northern FA), Richard Quan Chan (Southern FA), Anthony Moore (Tobago FA), Joseph Taylor (T&T Football Referees Association), Dexter Skeene (TT Pro League) and Sharon O’Brien (Women’s League Football) will address a number of issues inherited from the previous T&T Football Association (TTFA) administration, which was led by businessman Raymond Tim Kee.
One board member who preferred not to be named, said he did not receive an agenda, but understands the session will begin with an official meet and greet exercise, as the parties do not know one another. Following that, they will get down to business.
The Soca Warriors who have accumulated four points to date from their two World Cup matches, have threatened to withhold their services until fees, amounting to approximately $1.8 million are paid.
A decision to delay payment until it is approved at today’s board meeting has aggravated the situation with players describing new president David John-Williams as insensitive.
Previously, once payment was allocated by the TTFA, it was sent directly to the players’ accounts, but the new system where the board approval is needed will further delay the process.
The players are also angry at statements from John-Williams that they are not out of pocket, since they were being paid by their respective clubs.
John-Williams said in a statement last week that his Federation was working assiduously to establish the financial position of the TTFA, but was severely hampered by the lack of documentation, poor record keeping and the inability to collect monies due from gate receipts. Monies to pay the players were to come from a sold-out crowd on November 17 against the USA, where Tim Kee had estimated a return of $2 million from the gates.
WALTER ALIBEY