Dr Emir Crowne and Matthew GW Gayle, the lawyers representing the ousted executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), have proposed that Mark Hovell the highly experienced sports lawyer from Manchester, England, be the sole arbitrator in their case against football’s world governing body FIFA.

Hovell is a highly experienced sports lawyer and insolvency practitioner who specialises in regulatory, governance, commercial and financial matters, across all sports, both in the UK and across the world.

Additionally, he sits regularly as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland and The FA’s regulatory commissions.

FIFA has until April 14 to submit their comments regarding the request – whether they agree to a sole arbitrator deciding matters and Hovell’s appointment.

CAS appeals cost about $20,000 with the appellant’s legal costs generally doubling that amount. The filed appeal by former president Wallace and his three vice presidents Clynt Taylor, Joseph 'Sam' Phillip and Susan Joseph-Warrick, requests a sole arbitrator that, depending on the case, would reduce fees to $10,000 and expedite the process. Currently, the appellants have paid the first CHF 1,000 to file the appeal, quite where they will get the rest required to proceed is unclear.

In a video statement on Wednesday on their crowdsourcing ‘gofundme’ page, Wallace maintains that he is still in charge of the TTFA, saying: “To be clear I remain president of TTFA based on our constitution… I can only be removed by the operation of the TTFA’s constitution, not by FIFA.”

However, Wallace and his team have raised part of the money fund via the fundraising page showed no movement from Wednesday's total contribution which was at $3,155 up to press time and it was at the same amount up to press time again yesterday. The last contribution of US$50 was made on Monday. The target by Wallace's team is TT$300,000 to $500,000 or the estimated US$25,000 for the CAS appeal.

One of those that have donated is Keith Look Loy, the TTFA’s former technical committee chair under the Wallace administration, who paid in $200. Look Loy is the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League, who has said that the league’s clubs have agreed on a donation of $2,000.

A supporter Elvin Edwards has made the single biggest contribution of US$1,000 with Wallace contributing teh second largest amount of US$500.

On March 17, FIFA wrote to the TTFA advising them that they were appointing a normalisation committee to take over the running of the heavily indebted association. However, despite protests from the executive because such a move would be in breach of the TTFA constitution, FIFA proceeded to name members of the committee on March 26.

The action prompted the attorneys to file an appeal to set aside FIFA’s decision before the CAS on Monday, April 6.

On Wednesday, CAS acknowledged receipt of the appeal and issued a case number CAS2020/A/6915.

Wallace and his team also pointed to the Court that: Due to the implications of this matter, and the importance of football to Trinidad and Tobago (and the wider Caribbean region generally), the Appellants request a hearing of this appeal on an expedited basis.

a. To the extent that the CAS’ Emergency Guidelines are not extended and to the extent that the ban on international flights entering Trinidad and Tobago is lifted on/by June 1, 2020, the Appellants ask that the matter be heard in-person in Trinidad & Tobago at the earliest point thereafter. Indeed, as the Appellants and most (if not all) of the relevant witnesses, all reside within Trinidad & Tobago, the balance of convenience tips in favour of that location in our respectful view.

b. In the alternative, and if the CAS’ Emergency Guidelines and the current ban on flights entering Trinidad & Tobago are both extended beyond June 1st, 2020, the Appellants respectfully request that the matter be heard by video-conferencing means.

c. Nonetheless, whether through video-conferencing or in-person, the Appellants ask that the hearing be open to the public.

The lawyers now have until April 17, 10 days from when the appeal was due to be filed, which was Tuesday, April 7. Should they fail to do so. CAS will deem the appeal withdrawn.

FIFA then has 20 days to respond to the filed brief. They would be expected to do so by early May.

CAS has also invited the TTFA lawyers to consider the possibility of mediation.

According to a Sportsmax Antonio De Quesada, Head of Arbitration at CAS stated: “I take this opportunity to draw the Parties’ attention to the possibility of submitting this dispute to CAS mediation, which would not prejudice the Parties’ rights to subsequently re-submit the dispute to arbitration, should the dispute remain unresolved at the conclusion of the mediation procedure. A successful mediation procedure would result in a binding settlement, the terms of which have been agreed upon by both Parties.”

Given the way how FIFA conducted themselves with the previous admin,especially the support of a grown debt - 16 M to 50 M without any intense investigation and their current unfair removal of the present TTFA admin. I don't think mediation with a positive result is possible. To many crooks in that kitchen, historically and currently. Now, the question is, can little we remove them given our real and present debt situation ? Very unlikely. So besides reinstatement of the elected body. What else should we demand, if any ?

I think they should totally fund the completion of the Hotel/Dorm, as well as launch their own internal investigation into the reasons whereby the prev. admin had a debt of 34 M and whoever played a part in that accumulation, through their NC reps. In a published report, advising the current admin how to proceed with and their(Fifa) help to eradicating that debt. With normal annual contributions (not asking for no more than any other admin), leave the current TTFA to handle any future admin, and financial dealings going forward. The NC can also monitor the debt growth of the current admin for the next 24 months .

Kudos must go out to Mr William Wallace, current elected president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), for standing his ground with the imposition from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Mr Wallace is right in pointing out to the international body that indeed he and his other executive members were elected by due democratic process and was, and still is, the choice of people who have a vested interest in football in Trinidad and Tobago.

The scenario posited by opposition to the newly elected executive as concerned the closing down of the football centre in Couva and financial issues which the governing body is now faced with, just does not come into the equation.

The TTFA president's comment that the centre is just not ready for occupation is good enough to put on hold.

We must remember that the centre was opened just prior to the TTFA's election last year and questions have been raised as to the urgency.

Also, the financial difficulties which the association finds itself embroiled in could not have been the fault of the present executive but that of its predecessors.

It just has not been in power long enough to be blamed.

This large sum of money owed to personnel and institutions is certainly the mismanagement and/or negligence of past administrations.

Local sports in T&T has had its fair share of international interference in the past.

From our cricketers being blamed for "illegal arm action" just when their talents begin to flourish to bans on athletes for doping without the input of local administration.

It is refreshing to know that at least one "elected" individual in a democratically elected executive in at least one sporting discipline is asking that there be less interference on the execution of their responsibilities and duties.

The unusual appointment of the "normalization committee" sounds very suspicious and deleterious.

If a democratically elected body is to do what it was put there to do, it needs its independence with little or no outside interference. This intervention reeks of political interference.

Former Arima mayor Elvin Edwards does not like treatment of TTFABy Ian Prescott (T&T Express)

TWO-TIME former Arima mayor Elvin Hubert Edwards is backing the embattled Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) executive and has generously given to its cause against the world governing body.

A gofundme account was set up last month with the goal of raising US$25,000 to fight FIFA’S installation of a normalisation committee to run football in T&T in place of the elected William Wallace administration which took up office just four months ago. Earlier this week, the fund had crossed the US$3,000 mark.

The former TTFA executive also formally launched an appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which was also registered this week.

Former mayor Edwards has contributed one third of the money pledged so far. Of 28 contributors, the three pledging the most are Edwards and two of the parties actively involved in the matter - Wallace and Keith Look Loy. Wallace pledged US$500, while TTFA technical committee chairman Look Loy donated US$200 of his own funds. Edwards, who will be 70 on April 28, pledged US$1,000 to the cause, by far the greatest contribution.

Edwards admitted being a supporter of 2019 Trinidad & Tobago Super League champions FC Santa Rosa, owned by Super League president Look Loy.

“And not only Santa Rosa, but many other clubs, “ Edwards said. “People ask me for donations all the time, churches, and other organisations. Maybe I'm a little too generous at times, but I know why I do these things.”

Edwards’ latest motivation is his displeasure at how FIFA had treated the local association. FIFA listed as one of its reasons as protecting its development investment in Trinidad and Tobago from litigation owing to over US $7 million debt by the TTFA to creditors. FIFA funded the TTFA’s US$2.5m Home of Football, opened just a few months ago.

“I personally think the TTFA has been treated very badly by the manner in which it was done,” Edwards told the Express. “So I wanted to make a contribution towards fighting it.”

He added: “I saw something on Whatsapp asking for donations towards the plight of the TTFA and I supported it.”

Edwards served as Mayor of Arima for seven years and two terms between July 1996 – June 2003 before receiving a diplomatic posting in Canada from December 2003 – August 2010.

He attended Arima Boys’ Roman Catholic School, Arima Boys’ Government School and Holy Cross College. After going to university in Canada, he worked at a Canadian university and on his return to T&T, as an IT specialist at Royal Bank.

An avid sportsman, he played windball cricket and fete match football with Parkstars in Arima and represented Fulham Sports Club at age 17 in cricket and football. He was also invited to national trials in 1968 for both the Trinidad and Tobago senior cricket and football teams and represented T&T’s Under 25 cricket team against an Australian Under-19 team at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre in January, 1970.

Past involvement in sport was a reason Edwards was sympathetic to the TTFA’s plight.

“Anybody having sports event to help the youths with and anything I think is worth it, I try to support however I can,” said the former Arima livewire, who has now retired from politics.

When will Trinidad and Tobago's football rise from this mess?By Lance Whittaker (digicelsportsmax.com)

FIFA’s latest football rankings published this week listed the Caribbean powerhouse Trinidad and Tobago at 105th in the world, their second-lowest in history.

A Normalization Committee appointed by FIFA is charged with sorting out dire financial and administrative affairs of the TT Football Association (TTFA) but will the virus that has seen the regional giants plummet to their lowest levels all-time be tackled as well in this process?

The eight-time Caribbean Football Union (CFU) champions have now spent a 10th consecutive month outside the world’s top-100.

The last time T&T’s Soca Warriors were the top-rated Caribbean team on the FIFA Coca-Cola Rankings was October 2016. From 65th in the world three and a half years ago, they have steadily plunged to embarrassing levels, not good enough for a football programme that had long been regarded as the best in the Caribbean.

Absorbed in a political football power war in the past year that included acrimonious election campaigning and subsequent unseating of David John-Williams (DJW) as President, T&T’s football results have been ghastly.

The Coronavirus has dismantled all sporting schedules globally and maybe it’s a good thing for T&T’s football since the inactivity may have eased their fans from some more painful match results.

Former England international and 1986 World Cup defender Terry Fenwick is the new head coach, replacing Dennis Lawrence and the straight-talking ex-defender’s job is likely to be negatively impacted by the current administrative turmoil.

Indeed, there are already media reports of heated exchanges Fenwick has had with the Technical team over dissatisfaction with efforts to sort out passports for foreign-born players being targeted for T&T representation.

T&T’s football fraternity is divided over FIFA’s intervention that sidelined last November’s elected executive, whose attorneys Matthew Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne have now gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in an effort to annul FIFA’s intervention.

FIFA’s track record globally clearly indicates they are powerful enough and have the right to intervene in any of its 211 affiliates’ administrative affairs if they are deemed not to be following the FIFA Statutes -- rules and regulations – that they themselves have signed to.

Opponents of the FIFA intervention in T&T reason that it was indecently done, given the fact the new executive had only been in place for three months, trying to tackle massive financial problems that were largely inherited.

The fact that serious financial problems existed when John-Williams was boss and FIFA did not intervene, begs the question why didn’t they at the time? The answer is fairly obvious. John-Williams has a good relationship with the FIFA President Gianni Infantino and profited from FIFA’s support and understanding.

Days ahead of the November 24, 2019 TTFA elections, Infantino attended the glitzy opening of John-Williams’s biggest project, the “Home of Football” in Couva and he praised DJW as a leader displaying “wisdom and vision” with the project the FIFA President said represented “an investment in the future”.

Unruffled that T&T were just coming off setting all-time records for longest losing streak, winless streak and run of games without scoring, Infantino downplayed results in a SportsMax interview with George Davis, declaring firmly that when there is a heavy investment in stability with an eye for future development it was wrong to make a “sporting result (loss)” become a “tragedy” or a “catastrophe”.

Asserting obvious support for DJW’s team ahead of the TTFA Elections, Infantino defended the Home of Football investment as a building tool for the country’s football. “You need to build, you need to be stable … and that’s exactly what has been done and then the results will come because of the seriousness of the investment. We have now a solid foundation in this so that football can grow and be built and I am sure this will happen in the future with John-Williams,” Infantino said.

Infantino’s “future with John-Williams” narrative was ruined by DJW’s 26-20 loss to William Wallace’s men at the TTFA polls and I suspect that as far as FIFA is concerned, the wrong men are in charge.

A FIFA/CONCACAF audited study of the TTFA’s Finances in February apparently triggered the move to step in and remove the elected officials even though General Secretary Ramesh Ramdhan had reported to local media then that the mission was favourable and that FIFA were on their side.

Leadership of major sporting organisations has long been about politics and power and football presidency at the global and confederation levels perfectly illustrate this.

I attended a few Caribbean Football Union (CFU) congress sessions that were open to the media during Jack Warner’s reign and saw the God-like sway he held over his subjects as a FIFA Vice-President and the CONCACAF Chief.

With that power, also came freedom to make unobstructed decisions, especially in a FIFA culture fashioned by Joao Havelange that while financially flourishing always had integrity question marks.

Brazilian Havelange, widely considered Warner’s mentor, enjoyed a 24-year reign -- before Sepp Blatter took over in 1998 – that boasted exponential football growth while never entertaining opposition. History shows you don’t fight FIFA and win so the odds are heavily against the relegated TTFA executive challenging this move by FIFA.

In the meantime, T&T’s football fans deserve more from their national team. Their October 2010 ranking of 106th in a brief sojourn outside FIFA’s top-100 almost 10 years ago, is the only ever weaker ranking position than they have now. Heading for a whole year outside FIFA’s top-100 as they are now, is unheard of in T&T’s glamorous football history.

How and when will the turnaround happen? Fenwick did not make it as a manager in his native England, but has had success in T&T, copping Pro League titles with Central FC (twice) and San Juan Jabloteh. He knows the T&T landscape well enough but appears short on the kind of talent that has propelled T&T’s International programme in the past.

Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad, Judy Daniel and Nigel Romano along with the yet-to-be-named others on a five-member panel will have a tough job resuscitating T&T’s football, especially in this contentious climate fraught with bitterness and legal dispute.

T&T’s most famous footballer, based on his international record and appeal, Dwight Yorke, gave a rare interview to host Andre Errol Baptiste on Isports on i95.5fm Programme on Saturday.

The former Manchester United and T&T’s football captain at this country’s only World Cup appearance in 2006 (Germany), is currently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has been paying close attention to all that has been unfolding in local football including when FIFA announced on March 17 that it was appointing a normalization committee to run the affairs of T&T’s football, effectively replacing elected president William Wallace and his three vice presidents.

On March 27, FIFA named businessman Robert Hadad as chairman, attorney Judy Daniel as vice-chairman and retired banker Nigel Romano, as a member, with two more individuals to be appointed at a later date, to replace the ousted T&T Football Association (TTFA) executive, that was duly elected in November 2019 with William Wallace as president and including Joseph "Sam" Phillip, Susan Joseph-Warwick and Clynt Taylor as vice-presidents, who through their attorneys have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland on April 7.

"When it comes to football, things have to change. We have tried all aspects of it before. We know how successful we have been in 2006. I think football has been in decline for a number of years," said Yorke during the interview. "I think this is the right move and we all have to get back and focus and maybe think about the youth."

Yorke's support comes on the back of previous support for FIFA's action by the T&T Pro League, the Central Zone president Shymdeo Gosine and several local coaches and administrators of the local sport.

"The youths are the future of the football and I call on all the footballers out there who are aspiring to represent their country to continue to work hard because it is the only way forward and they must have that belief and hopefully, our country will one day find its way back on the world stage again,” said Yorke, re-emphasizing his desire to be involved in T&T’s football.

"I have always been (interested), I have never shied away from that I have always wanted to play an intricate part in whatever way it's possible. I can help the young people of T&T as I have said before. I have a lot of knowledge and experience over the years and I feel that I can contribute a lot to T&T’s football hopefully."

Yorke, a former national captain admits that he too is feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Dubai, which has also locked down all citizens and visitors alike to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus in that country.

"It's been challenging like for everyone else out there. I'm lucky enough I'm based in Dubai at the moment so we been on lockdown for roughly three weeks and they're strict so we are one of the lowest in terms of the effect of the virus at the moment. I'm blessed that I'm in such a strict place that tries to keep this pandemic that is happening around the world under control.

"I know that we are a country that likes to enjoy ourselves, we like to be sociable with one another interacting that way and nothing is wrong with it but I'm calling on all my fellow Trinidadians and Tobagonians to make sure that they take care of themselves and follow the guidelines that are required. It's well publicised and the PM has put out his statement, to stay at home, social distance, wash your hands.

"I know the face mask is not something that has been broadcasted but if you look at the news now the face mask is probably the most important thing and I know its difficult to get hold of the face mask but when you go out, make sure to wear the face mask. It does save lives and that's what's matters most so its important that my people back home take this very very serious and make sure and have consideration for others not just for themselves but for the elders for the weak,” said Yorke, who scored 66 goals for Manchester United.

He admits that he has not reflected much on his career but knows that he has done well in terms of his playing career.

" I can vaguely remember some of the goals that I've scored but, having said that, I think my first year was just incredible. The way how it panned out and how it worked out. You know scoring 29 goals that particular season and doing everything else winning the 'Play of the Year', you couldn't ask for a better year.

"I feel that within that year I had some of my best goals, the important goals for United and even though it wasn’t a classic, the first time I played Liverpool at home in the FA Cup that was the one that really stood out. It's not a classic goal by any means but I saw the passion and the rivalry between Man United and Liverpool for the years, what it meant to the fans and to have scored that equalizer. You could feel the whole roof lift off that day when we equalized and obviously went on to win that game like in the dying minute of the game.

"That was the first time I really felt something unusual playing in the derby and feel what that meant and of course once we won that game. We went on to win the FA cup and went onto to win the title that particular year, so 66 goals, I mean that's pretty good and I'm sure that all of them played an important part at some point in those games,” said Yorke.

On November 18th, 2019, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association president David John-Williams opening the country's new football stadium and complex.

The same day of the unveiling, FIFA president Gianni Infantino lauded the work of the T&T Football Association and John-Williams. John-Williams would lose his bid for re-election just 6 days later.

Now less than 6 months later, FIFA is declaring that Trinidad and Tobago's football association is not fit for purpose and has appointed a normalisation committee to run football operations in the country.

Today we look at why Infantino and FIFA made such a drastic u-turn and why might this be a dangerous precedent for football associations around the world.

Guests:

Lasana Liburd (@Lasanaliburd) is the CEO and editor of the website wired868.com, which is where you can find ongoing coverage of this story and other Caribbean football news

Sure FIFA should do a NC, but they 16 years late(see below), and since they couldn't see it necessary to do it in the last 3 admins, why do they see fit to do it now, when a open and aggressively transparent admin is determined to right the ship. Maybe, and we all guessing, maybe this admin is to transparent, and as a result, to much crooked underhand dealings would be brought to the forefront. That won't be just a stain on their organization, that might actually cause additional hemorrhaging and need of critical life support of their internal workings. The last clean up was just a changing of the crooks/guard, depending on how you look at it. Can't have a little country like TT exposing that, no country for that matter.As usual, Dwight wrong everytime he's not on the subject of football on the field.

From Wikipedia2006 World Cup players' bonus disputeFollowing the 2006 World Cup, the national team was thrown into turmoil by a dispute between the players from the World Cup squad and the TTFF. Prior to the competition, the players had agreed to a bonus scheme with the TTFF, where the players would share 50% of the federation's income from the World Cup. Following the competition, the TTFF declared the income and expenses of TT$18.25 million and TT$17.97 million, respectively. This left TT$282,952 in net revenue and offered each player TT$5600, whereby the players rejected the offer. Subsequently, the TTFF revised their figure to TT$950,000. The amount the Federation received during their qualification campaign prior to the 2006 World Cup. The players also rejected the revised offer and requested to see the TTFF's unaudited accounts. The Federation refused the player's request.

The sixteen players were Marvin Andrews, Chris Birchall, Atiba Charles, Ian Cox, Cornell Glen, Cyd Gray, Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack, Avery John, Stern John, Kenwyne Jones, Collin Samuel, Brent Sancho, Aurtis Whitley, Evans Wise, and Anthony Wolfe. The players claim to have been blacklisted as none had been selected to represent the national team since a friendly against Austria in November 2006. The TTFF claimed that the decision was left to the coach, Wim Rijsbergen.[3]

On 30 June 2007, the players initiated a lawsuit against the TTFF.[4] Following an August 2007 inquiry by their lawyers to the Trinidad and Tobago government under the Freedom of Information Act, it was revealed that the TTFF had understated its income by at least TT$173.5 million. This was not including a TT$32 million bonus paid by the government and television revenue from friendly matches played in Europe prior to the World Cup. As a result, the players were deprived of at least TT$6.5 million each.[5]

Following the inquiry, the TTFF immediately lifted its ban on the players, and agreed to go to arbitration in London rather than to court. On 18 May 2008, British arbitrator Ian Mill QC ruled that the Soca Warriors were entitled to 50% of the profits of the Federation obtained from 2006 World Cup qualifying, as well as friendlies prior to the World Cup. However, on 9 Jan 2009 the proceedings never progressed as the TTFF were no longer interested in arbitration hearings in London and shifted their dispute to the Port of Spain Higher Court. The TTFF argued that the change was due to lawyers representing the 16 players breached the confidentiality clause in comments made to a local newspaper and other international media houses. A hearing of the application to lift the order which prevents the Port of Spain High Court from hearing the case is expected on 16 June 2009.[6][needs update]

In February 2011 the High Court ruled that an interim payment of US$1,140,384.39 be paid to the footballers. The judge also rejected the accounting documents submitted by the TTFF.[clarification needed]

In August 2012, the Federation relocated to new offices in Woodbroke as a consequence of having its equipment seized in a court order relating to unpaid payments.[7]

On November 18th, 2019, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association president David John-Williams opening the country's new football stadium and complex.

The same day of the unveiling, FIFA president Gianni Infantino lauded the work of the T&T Football Association and John-Williams. John-Williams would lose his bid for re-election just 6 days later.

Now less than 6 months later, FIFA is declaring that Trinidad and Tobago's football association is not fit for purpose and has appointed a normalisation committee to run football operations in the country.

Today we look at why Infantino and FIFA made such a drastic u-turn and why might this be a dangerous precedent for football associations around the world.

Guests:

Lasana Liburd (@Lasanaliburd) is the CEO and editor of the website wired868.com, which is where you can find ongoing coverage of this story and other Caribbean football news

With cases like Kenwyne and Joevin, where W Connection rec'd a good portion, if not most of the development fees, are the Schools (St Anthony's and Mucurapo) in line to receive development fees as well?

i don’t know why people are surprised at yorke and latapy’s actions when these guys were the first to break ranks with their fellow team mates during the impasse where they cozied up to jack warner for seemingly positions in the organization/TTFF.

I used to hear people yelling at others if they said anything less than complimentary about these World Cup players, calling them “our heroes” and venerating them with the respect given to freedom fighting martyrs who gave their life blood for a great cause. there was always something about that which irked me in a particular way that these players were beyond reproach.

fast forward years later and these guys are showing their true colors as to how self serving they are, latapy, Yorke and lawrence on particular. I remember during the last hex carlos edwards packed his bags and left because of something dennis lawrence did, and it dawned on me that these guys weren’t as chummy as we all would like think.

as for dwight, I wish he would get familiar with the scenario before he opened his mouth, especially to that bloody twisted tongue fool at i95 who barely has command on the English language, yet he’s a top sports journalist, only in trinidad.

Dwight you should’ve gave shaka a call and let him fill you in on the injustice that has just taken place, the one you so unwittingly endorsed. how could any one in football who was following this thing closely not see the gross injustice in this? I’ll go as far as to say that when the smoke is cleared on this one, there would be a lot of friends who will find themselves on the opposite side of the issue, the informed vs the random talkers and friends of the fat boss.

I’ll go as far as to say that when the smoke is cleared on this one, there would be a lot of friends who will find themselves on the opposite side of the issue, the informed vs the random talkers and friends of the fat boss.

That's it right there. I've had a few conversations with fellow countrymen who's been involved in the sport for years and surprised to hear there take on this. I've been running out of energy trying to convince them otherwise.

I’ll go as far as to say that when the smoke is cleared on this one, there would be a lot of friends who will find themselves on the opposite side of the issue, the informed vs the random talkers and friends of the fat boss.

That's it right there. I've had a few conversations with fellow countrymen who's been involved in the sport for years and surprised to hear there take on this. I've been running out of energy trying to convince them otherwise.

The recent FIFA take-over of Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is a stew of the history of Trinidad and Tobago's mismanagement of finances, FIFA politics and a lack of solidarity among CFU (Caribbean Football Union) members. However, with objective scrutiny, one can clearly discern that the dominant ingredient in this cook-up is blatant FIFA politics, and for this reason, I believe that Trinidad and Tobago could present a very strong and winnable case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) when the matter is called.

For those who say Trinidad and Tobago's challenge to the 'all-powerful' FIFA is futile, they adopt a defeatist attitude, which sends the wrong message to FIFA and eventually signals an abdication of the ability to control our destiny in the Caribbean; in fact, we will see the converse, whereby our destiny will be at the whim of the world body. The situation has far-reaching implications and must be viewed from a holistic Caribbean football perspective.

FIFA disbanded the four-month-old, democratically elected executive led by President William Wallace and replaced it with a Normalization Committee on March 27, after giving notice on March 17, charging that the new executive had no proper procedures in place for its claimed TT$50 million debt relief plan, a debt inherited by the Wallace group from the previous administration, led by the former president, David John-Williams.

FIFA, also was not in favour of an attempt by the William Wallace group to partner the UK-based firm, Lavender Consultants Ltd., in the development of a sports complex in Arima as part of the Executive's debt relief plan (The TTFA, instead of pursuing the Arima project, should have focused on getting the Home of Football up and running because it was a huge FIFA investment).

Also, the elected executive's failure to resolve what FIFA and CONCACAF viewed as a conflict of interest because of dual roles among members of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) and its own Referees Committee was another issue of contention.

This referees' situation existed several years before the William Wallace Executive took office; it was addressed by CONCACAF officials under the David John-Williams administration and was given a deadline of December 31st, 2019, to be resolved by a revision to the TTFA constitution to comply with FIFA statutes.

A juxtaposition of the aforementioned FIFA charges against the William Wallace Executive, democratically elected on November 24, 2019, and the calamity created by the previous David John-Williams Executive reveals the making of a solid case for the Wallace Executive group.

Here goes: The David John-Williams Executive created, among its maladies, four years of alleged financial mismanagement of FIFA Funds, particularly in the development of the unfinished and inoperable Home of Football. The Home of Football project, supposedly the signature accomplishment of the John-Williams administration, led to a court order for transparency that revealed the shortcomings of the John-Williams Executive, which were documented and reported to FIFA but from all indication appeared to have been ignored.

According to former TTFA general secretary, Ramesh Ramdhan speaking to the media in a publication on March 21, “These shortcomings were repeatedly ignored by Mosengo-Omba (a FIFA official charged with overseeing the project) whose stock response was that this was an 'internal TTFA matter that FIFA would not intervene'….” Further, it was reported in the print media that the Home of Football did not meet the local Fire Department's requirements and deemed not for use.

Additionally, the illegal dismissal of several contracted coaches, including former technical director, Kendall Walkes, and others still owed monies resulted in court-ordered frozen accounts to secure millions of dollars in payments to Walkes (The situation compounded the problems for the new Wallace administration, as it set about executing the daily operations of the TTFA). Lastly, FIFA's appointment of the financial manager, Tyril Patrick - the only hold-over by William Wallace team from the previous administration - to head the Normalization Committee is further evidence of FIFA politics at play. Patrick subsequently refused the post.

Eventually, the David John-Williams four-year tenure resulted in poor performances by all Trinidad and Tobago national teams; there was a clear deterioration of the standard of football in the country; and subsequently, football in Trinidad and Tobago was left with an inoperable Home of Football and an AGM approved TT$32.4 million debt on Nov. 24th that later was alleged to be TT$50 million by William Wallace's administration.

FIFA charged the democratically-elected William Wallace Executive, based on the aforementioned, with violating of articles 8.2 of its Statutes, which states in part, “Executive bodies of member associations may under exceptional circumstances be removed from office…..”

However, an objective view of the situation indicates that the David John-Williams administration is the group guilty of creating “exceptional circumstances…” I believe CAS will rule in favour of the William Wallace group. The court result notwithstanding, what is very important here is the democratically-elected William Wallace Executive's refusal to capitulate to FIFA.

FIFA should have acted in good faith and should have instructed the Normalisation Committee to work with the democratically elected William Wallace administration to revive football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Patrick Horne is a New York-based sports administrator, football coach and author of Black Pioneers of the North American Soccer League (1968-84).

FOOTBALL’S world governing body FIFA is against the appointment of a single arbitrator to hear the dispute between it and the ousted executive of the TT Football Association (TTFA), according to a report on the Sportsmax website.

In its appeal last week to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to set aside FIFA’s decision to appoint a normalisation committee to oversee the daily operations of the TTFA, lawyers for the ousted TTFA executive had proposed that Mark Hovell, a solicitor from Manchester, England, be the sole arbitrator in their case against football’s world governing body FIFA.

Hovell is a highly experienced sports lawyer and insolvency practitioner who specialises in regulatory, governance, commercial and financial matters, across all sports, both in the UK and across the world.

Additionally, he sits regularly as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and The FA’s regulatory commissions. FIFA had until April 14, to submit their comments regarding the request – whether they agree to a sole arbitrator deciding matters and Hovell’s appointment.

Replying to Antonio De Quesada, the Head of Arbitration on Tuesday, FIFA made their position on the proposal quite clear. The letter said, in part: “We inform you that we do not agree with the Appellant’s proposal to appoint a sole arbitrator in the matter at hand. Indeed, the present dispute concerns an exceptional situation that has led FIFA to take important governance-related measures in one of its members in accordance with the FIFA Statutes.”

As such, FIFA said they favoured a three-member panel to hear the dispute.

It will now fall to the president of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division (Corinne Schmidhauser) or her deputy to decide how many arbitrators will hear the dispute.

Meantime, the lawyers are expected to file their appeals brief by Friday this week.

The issue began to unfold on March 17 when FIFA General Secretary General Fatma Samoura sent a letter to TTFA General Secretary Ramesh Ramdhan, outlining their concerns about the financial status of the TTFA.

FIFA said its fact-finding mission found, among other concerns, that the “overall condition of financial management and financial governance extremely low or non-existent at the TTFA.

“There are currently no formal internal policies and internal controls in place, such as procurement, the delegation of financial authorities, financial planning and budgeting, effective oversight of funding and management reporting, which are necessary to meet the TTFA’s objectives.”

FIFA also said there is a lack of documented policies and procedures, financial planning and management of statutory liabilities adding that there no short or long-term plan to address the “urgent” situation.

Going further, FIFA expressed the concern that given the situation along with the US$5.5m debt, the TTFA “faces a very real risk of both insolvency and illiquidity if corrective measures are not applied urgently.”

As such, the normalisation committee has been mandated to run the daily affairs of the TTFA, establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA, as well as review and amend the TTFA statutes and ensure their compliance with FIFA statutes and requires before submitting them to the TTFA Congress for approval.

The committee will also organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive for a four-year term.

In response, the ousted executive led by William Wallace contended that the decision to appoint a normalisation committee was unconstitutional and has resorted to having CAS settle the dispute.

Former national player Carlos Edwards sees the only way forward for T&T football is by working together.

“The people who are associated now, have good intentions to try and help the federation, help in football improve but I don’t think they are doing a real investigation into what is needed to be successful and it is sad to see how the federation has just been withering away to what it is right now. At one point, T&T was the team in Caribbean football. Now, we may not be able to consider ourselves of being in the FIFA rankings because what has taken place,” said the former national footballer.

Edwards, who is based in the United Kingdom made the statements while speaking with host Andre Errol Baptiste on Isports on i95.5fm on Tuesday night.

"I don’t keep many tabs but the tabs that I keep, based on what I read in the newspaper or on the social media about what is taking place with the Association right now is sad, really sad. I could have sensed something like that would have happened after the World Cup. We took a big step forward for the 2006 World Cup and then we took a huge leap backwards. I don’t think things have progressed,” explained Edwards, who resides in the United Kingdom and once plies his skills at the highest level in English football while sporting the red, white and black national colours for T&T in its only appearance at the Football World Cup, Germany in 2006.

A definitive high point in T&T football, which in recent times has seen FIFA, the world governing body for football, stepped-in to run the affairs of T&T Football Association (TTFA) by appointing a normalization committee on March 17, thereby dissolving the William Wallace-led administration.

“Mr Wallace took the chance, winning the election but unfortunately things did not happen. I do wish the situation is rectified as soon as possible and they could be back in the office and try to straighten out whatever needs to be straightened out,” said Edwards, who was very sympathetic towards Wallace's executive which was in-charge for just over three months.

He said, "FIFA did the right thing in appointing those persons to the federation, to take charge of things. If the likes of (Keith) Look Loy and Wallace and they work with the people that are in charge right now we will have a better Football Association. I am sure they can rectify stuff. Because at this stage, when you look at things, I think people wanted the job and wanted to be TTFA president for their benefit and that shouldn’t be. At the end of the day, you are a president, you are a chairman, a chairperson whatever it is, to do a job and you have to start doing the job not just for yourself but for the people and the fans, first and foremost, because, without the fans, there is nothing."

At present, the former St Anthony's College standout, who is also a coach at Ipswich Town Football Academy and a player with a local team, Woodbridge Town football club, pointed that, “Playing for the club (Ipswich) for five years, you are fond of the club, you're well-known, you living in the city, things been going good, it was an easy decision to make after retiring from professional football to try and fit in, as a former player at the club it was easy to get into the door and try to get into the coaching,” said Edwards.

The four dismissed elected officers of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) now face a major financial challenge after FIFA, the world governing body for the sport rejected their claim to have a sole arbitrator sit in judgement of their challenge of being removed from office by FIFA.

The former TTFA president William Wallace and his three vice president Clynt Taylor, Joseph 'Sam' Phillip and Susan Joseph-Warrick, requests a sole arbitrator that, depending on the case, would reduce fees to $10,000 and expedite the process. Currently, the appellants have paid the first CHF 1,000 to file the appeal, but FIFA responded by Tuesday's deadline and requested that it wanted three arbitrators to adjudicate on the matters raised.

Replying to Antonio De Quesada, the Head of Arbitration at CAS on Tuesday, FIFA made their position on the proposal quite clear. The letter said, in part:

“We inform you that we do not agree with the Appellant’s proposal to appoint a sole arbitrator in the matter at hand. Indeed, the present dispute concerns an exceptional situation that has led FIFA to take important governance-related measures in one of its members in accordance with the FIFA Statutes.”

As such, FIFA said they favoured a three-member panel to hear the dispute.

It will now fall to the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division or her deputy to decide how many arbitrators will hear the dispute after both parties have filed their briefs.

However, until that decision is made, the former TTFA officers through their attorneys Dr Emir Crowne and Matthew GW Gayle, have until Friday to move to the next phase of the process which is to file an appellate brief, a more comprehensive and detailed document containing all the legal arguments as to why the United TTFA officers should win the case.

Gayle told Guardian Media Sports on Thursday that: "We are focus on putting together a cogent and compelling appeal brief until that deadline is met."

The brief is expected to contain details of the case, outlining who are the witnesses, experts and other informative details. The matter is registered as CAS2020/A/6915.

FIFA will then need to reply by Monday (April 20) by producing its arguments in full details after which CAS will examine both sides briefs before determining a time for the matter to commence at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In a video statement on April 1, on their crowdsourcing ‘gofundme’ page, Wallace maintains that he is still in charge of the TTFA, saying: “To be clear I remain president of TTFA based on our constitution… I can only be removed by the operation of the TTFA’s constitution, not by FIFA.”

However, Wallace and his team have raised part of the money fund via the fundraising page showed no movement from April 1 total contribution was at $3,155 and up to press time on Thursday (April 16) it stood at $3,205 with the latest donation of $50 made on April 11. The target by Wallace's team is TT$300,000 to $500,000 or the estimated US$25,000 for the CAS appeal.

One of those that have donated is Keith Look Loy, the TTFA’s former technical committee chair under the Wallace administration, who paid in $200. Look Loy is the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League, who has said that the league’s clubs have agreed on a donation of $2,000.

A supporter Elvin Edwards has made the single biggest contribution of US$1,000 with Wallace contributing the second-largest amount of US$500.

On March 17, FIFA wrote to the TTFA advising them that they were appointing a normalisation committee to take over the running of the heavily indebted association. However, despite protests from the executive because such a move would be in breach of the TTFA constitution, FIFA proceeded to name members of the committee on March 26.

In FIFA's General Secretary General Fatma Samoura letter to TTFA General Secretary Ramesh Ramdhan, pointed to article 8 paragraph 2 of the Fifa Statutes’ as it outlined FIFA's concerns about the financial status of the TTFA. FIFA said its fact-finding mission (February 25-27) found, among other concerns, that the “overall condition of financial management and financial governance extremely low or non-existent at the TTFA.

“There are currently no formal internal policies and internal controls in place, such as procurement, the delegation of financial authorities, financial planning and budgeting, effective oversight of funding and management reporting, which are necessary to meet the TTFA’s objectives.”

FIFA also said there is a lack of documented policies and procedures, financial planning and management of statutory liabilities adding that there's no short or long-term plan to address the “urgent” situation.

FIFA also pointed out that current debt is USD$5.5m (TT$37.4 million), the TTFA “faces a very real risk of both insolvency and illiquidity if corrective measures are not applied urgently.”

As such, the normalisation committee has been mandated to run the daily affairs of the TTFA, establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA, as well as review and amend the TTFA statutes and ensure their compliance with FIFA statutes and requires before submitting them to the TTFA Congress for approval. The committee will also organize and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive for a four-year term.

The Normalization Committee was appointed on March 27, with businessman Robert Hadad, attorney Judy Daniel and retired banker Nigel Romano with two other members to be named.

Wallace and his three vice presidents were elected on November 24, 2019, to a four-year term of office.

let me tell yuh where all these players was for de past several years , dem said players who now coming out de woodwork in support of an arrogant Fifa , dey ( dem same players) mentioned was laying in de grass like vicious Cobras waiting to strike , that's de answer Right dey .......it's called snakes !

Resistance to Fifa is futile: fall in line or prepare to be NormalisedBy Barney Ronay (The Guardian)

Nobody wants a visit from the Normalisation Committee. This was the fate of the Samoan FA in June 2008 after concerns were raised about the state of its finances. At which point Fifa fired up the corvette and sent in its platoon of tuxedoed Mr Fix-its.

Let’s be clear. Nobody wants a visit from this Normalisation Committee. The team of high moral priests sent to the Samoan FA’s door that day were handpicked by a specially convened Fifa emergency committee, a delegation that read, in no particular order: Sepp Blatter, Jack Warner, Issa Hayatou, Michel Platini, Reynald Temarii, Mohammad bin Hammam and Nicolás Leoz.

Or to give them their full Seven Dwarves-style nicknames: Six Year Ban Guy, Criminal Charges Guy, TV Rights Fine Guy, Dishonest Payment Guy, Eight Year Ban Guy, Life Ban Guy and of course everyone’s favourite crime-fighting administrator, Interpol Red Notice Guy. Here they come, the lads: a perfumed kerchief held to their noses, here to de-corrupt your football association.

Twelve years on the Samoa emergency committee is arguably one of the best jokes modern football has ever come up with. Just how abnormal do you have to be to require this degree of normalising? But then these were the golden years of footballing chicanery, when the yak-hide handbags flowed like wine and when Fifa could basically do as it wished.

The anomaly was that Samoa fought back. In a rare show of resistance the Samoan FA appealed to the court of arbitration for sport. It didn’t work. The appeal was rejected and the good times continued to roll at Fifa house, reaching a peak with the bribe-shadowed World Cup bid decisions that would prove an act of hubris even for that thoroughly debauched regime.

And so to the present day. Replace one bald, unctuous Swiss with a slightly younger bald, unctuous Swiss and something similar is happening in the Caribbean, a test case for where we may be heading in the struggle for the heart, soul and wallet of world football.

The Trinidad & Tobago FA experienced its own visit from the Fifa Normalisers in March after another shemozzle over debt. Like Samoa the TTFA has fought back. Another appeal has been lodged at Cas, this time via crowdfunded legal action.

Fifa’s move does seem bizarrely aggressive. The deposed TTFA committee had been in place for only four months, having seen off Gianni Infantino’s favoured candidate David John-Williams in a local vote.

The TTFA board member Keith Look Loy has accused Fifa of acting like “a colonial absentee landlord”. The former Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has called the intervention “a coup”. In an excellent twist the leader of the ousted rebel FA is even called William Wallace. They can take our lives but they’ll never take … our freebies.

Much has been made by the ancien régime of Look Loy and co’s historic association with the disgraced Jack Warner, once of the Samoan Normalisation Committee and now avoiding the US justice system.

Asked about rumours he might have lobbied for the Wallace campaign – something Wallace fiercely denies – Warner told the broadcaster Andre Errol Baptiste of Port of Spain-based i95.5fm: “Even if that was the case, and by the way that is not the case, and it means that is the beginning of the way to lift football in the country, so be it. What’s wrong with that?” Which pretty much clears that one up.

What is actually happening here? This might feel like a dispute at the edge of things, with plenty that is undesirable on both sides, but Fifa’s actions seem extraordinarily high-handed and patrician, even by its own standards, evidence of the increasing hawkishness of the Infantino regime. As the Norwegian Josimar website has pointed out the man in charge of all this normalisation is even one of Infantino’s best friends, his old university chum Véron Mosengo-Omba.

This matters right now. There is a great deal up for grabs a month into the total collapse of club football’s broadcast rights power base. This perhaps explains why Fifa’s public statements during the Covid-19 crisis have been almost alarmingly relaxed. Fifa may suspend all international football. Fifa may, we hear, dig into its £2bn cash fund to bail out clubs and leagues.

“Never let a serious crisis go to waste” is an overused line in the current uncertainty but you can bet Infantino has it inked on the back of his hand. Make no mistake Fifa has a great deal to gain at a time when every entity that has tried to resist its power, from Premier League to Uefa to the poor old TTFA, is significantly weakened.

The collapse of the Blatter-Warner-Platini era hit Fifa hard but not that hard. Money continued to flow but what Fifa really wants is power, most noticeably in its shadow-struggle with club football, where Infantino is convinced it is Fifa’s destiny to take a stronger role.

This seemed to be coming to a head late last year as Florentino Pérez presented a breakaway plan led by the richest clubs to cut out domestic leagues, with Fifa seemingly in close, approving pursuit.

Exciting new plans come and go. This one seemed as likely as so many others but Covid-19 has shifted the picture even further. Every league, every club is facing a financial nosedive, their power tied inexorably to those freeze-framed TV deals. “Football can – and I believe will – play a big part in helping our world recover,” Infantino mused last week, no doubt pondering the majesty of his organisation’s bank balance and with the next major Fifa payday safely tucked away in late 2022.

Nobody really knows what the world will look like once normalisation returns to all of us but some certainties do remain. Resistance, as the case of the TTFA demonstrates, is still futile and right now Fifa is in a position to bend that future to its will.

First Citizens Bank threatened with legal action over control of TTFA accountsBy Leighton Levy (digicelsportsmax.com)

Lawyers representing William Wallace and his executive have threatened legal action against First Citizens Bank in Port of Spain should they find that the bank has changed signatories to the accounts of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) without the required authorisation.

Wallace and the members of his executive were elected to lead the TTFA during elections held in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2019. However, less than four months later, FIFA, through a letter dated March 17, 2020, indicated that they were appointing a normalisation committee to oversee the daily running of the heavily indebted association.

Despite protests from the Wallace-led executive that such a move was unconstitutional, FIFA went ahead and appointed a committee later that month.

To exacerbate the matter, members of the executive received information recently that the normalization committee had gained control of the TTFA’s accounts, which prompted Friday’s action from the lawyers.

“Since the elections held in November 2019, following which Mr William Wallace was duly elected President of the TTFA and subsequent thereto added as a signatory to the accounts, there has been no further change,” the letter dated April 17, 2020, said in part.

“Any attempts to change the signatories on the account which may have already been made in March or April 2020 or attempts which may be made hereafter without the express approval of Mr William Wallace and/or the duly elected executives is unauthorized.”

The letter continued: “My client would like to believe that in the modern banking context which is set against a backdrop of robust due diligence, no mere letter from a body with no legal standing in Trinidad and Tobago, could usurp the due authority of the TTFA Board of Directors and/or induce the bank to breach its contract with the TTFA.

“Should it come to light that the bank has provided any confidential information to, or acted to make any changes in respect to the TTFA accounts…my clients shall without delay approach the High Court or urgent assistance in preventing or stopping any breach or unlawful interference.”

Earlier this week, Wallace wrote to the Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago expressing concern over discussions the normalisation committee was having with the government about the use of the ‘Home of Football’ to house citizens infected by the Coronavirus COVID-19.

Wallace insisted that he should have been a party to those conversations and not the normalization committee.

he would never interview shaka or kelvin jack because he knows too well those guys would tell it like it is, so he cherry picks his subjects so he could get the desired results. just goes to show how sick some of these trini journalist are. I’ve never seen a country where people who were supposed to be objective and neutral take so many positions and have so many hidden agendas.

I don’t know why most of you are shocked by this guy, he has always struck me as a clown with a big mouth, in fact he kinda reminds me of king clown himself anil roberts.

let me tell yuh where all these players was for de past several years , dem said players who now coming out de woodwork in support of an arrogant Fifa , dey ( dem same players) mentioned was laying in de grass like vicious Cobras waiting to strike , that's de answer Right dey .......it's called snakes !

as a trinidadian i would like to ask you a poignant question, so please permit me if you will. for the last forty years don’t you think we could have done so much better than we’re doing at this juncture of our existence?

We are the inventors of the last musical instrument yet our government and by extension our private sector has done very little to capitalize on this instrument. we have some of the best sportsmen’s in the caribbean and had the capital to make this country the sports Mecca of the caribbean, and until patrick manning we didn’t have anyone to really invest in the advancement of sports on the island.

the wealthy and the private sector spend little to none on sports, nor social programs, it’s amazing to know we have so many talented people yet in many communities especially around north western trinidad apart from the queens park savannah and mandela park there are no public grounds for kids to play sports.

and finally we have a nation with loads of money yet there are so much poor people all over the place, and criminals running wild yet law enforcement is unable to contain this simple matter, and only because the police is involved in nefarious activity thus we can’t get a hold on crime, not to mention our politicians, they tussle and tug at each other instead of coming together to fix the country. I guess I’m saying all this to say that our people has always been the problem when it comes to the failure that country.

They don’t care much for that country and in fact they do their best to sabotage it for their own personal gain. we are blessed with talented motivated young people, but they are continually poisoned by our lack of care and concern for nation building and often fall by the way side in their teens. to sum it up, those people don’t give ah hoot about that country, and when anyone else care to help us they turn on them.

Raymond timkee, Randy walrum, David nakid, Patrick manning, Eric williams, commissioner gibbs, everald Cummings, bertile st Claire, Keith look loy, Steven hart, phill simmons, terry fenwick and now William Wallace who are just a few of the people who cared enough to sacrifice for this nation and was disregarded by these looney jealous bad minded people call trinidadians. feel free too add to the list.

I’m not gonna lie, I can’t believe what little support this new federation president has gotten from our most influential citizens from sports figures to business people and politicians. I will have to say that this is the most disgraceful response I’ve ever seen in the way of an obvious injustice predicated on one of our national institution, yet no one seems to be bothered any.

i can’t believe one lowly fat f**k could be so selfish and dictatorial to sic fifa on this federation president simply because he was ousted in free and fair elections. this nasty wanker actually think he owns trinidad football and believes he has a right to rule our football permanently like jack warner, and holds the notion that if he can’t have the position of president of the FA then no one can. how could our people be so lackadaisical and unconcerned to allow one man so much power to harm the main sport in our country? this is just inconceivable.

had this been mexico or the United states it would have caused an uproar heard on the other side of the globe that fifa would have no choice but to reconsider. our citizens crave World Cup appearances but have no real passion for the sports, not even to rise up from their couches to lend a dollar to this cause.

as for wallace, I’m a bit disappointed with his reaction. the man have no supportive cast but he wants to run a federation. to think they can’t even approach the private sector or the govt for help and has only managed to raise just a few thousands for legal fees is beyond pitiful, never mind unacceptable, and needs a more dignified professional approach to this dilemma .

at least the fat boss had more drive in his selfish endeavors to the point where he could mobilize big financial players like junior Sammy and the government themselves invest in his ideas and support his cause. wallace has to get off his ass and do much better or forget it. BTW where’s tony harford in all this?