(Trinidad Express) The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) faces bankruptcy proceedings in 2012 should it fail to find a solution to its legal battle against 13 Soca Warriors from the 2006 World Cup team.
The former and current national footballers sued the Federation for a share of revenues derived from Trinidad and Tobago’s qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
The players argued that former FIFA vice-president and TTFF special adviser Jack Warner, now the Minister of Works in the People’s Partnership Government, had promised them a 50 per cent share of World Cup revenues.
On October 11, 2011, Port of Spain High Court judge Justice Devindra Rampersad gave the Federation seven days to pay an interim sum of approximately $4.2 million (US$710,000) to the 13 players. It was the second payment ordered by the judge following an initial $7.5 million payment earlier this year.
Players benefitting were Brent Sancho, Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack, Atiba Charles, Cyd Gray, Avery John, Aurtis Whitley, Collin Samuel, Evans Wise, Anthony Wolfe, Cornell Glen, Kenwyne Jones and Stern John.
However, in a release sent on Friday by their attorney, Englishman Mike Townley, the players indicated that the TTFF had not paid up.
“Two months after receiving a court order to make an interim payment of $4.26 million within seven days, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation has yet to hand over a single dollar of the sum due to us, the 13 Soca Warriors of the 2006 World Cup Team. This is the sixth Christmas our families and ourselves have to endure without our bonuses, remuneration for which we worked hard for and which the Trinidad and Tobago High Court agreed we deserved. This is a scandal of monumental proportions,” stated the players’ release.
“We have won legal decisions through arbitration in the UK and through the courts in Trinidad and Tobago, yet the TTFF has refused to comply with the law. What is questionable is the fact that the TTFF continues to employ a battery of lawyers who, from all accounts, command very expensive fees given their standing in the legal world. Somehow the TTFF has managed to pay lawyers of this calibre but yet has not paid us a dime.
“We have been left with no other alternative but to begin bankruptcy proceedings against the TTFF to recover the money owed to us. Also, these proceedings will allow the an insolvency practitioner to carefully scrutinise how every dollar was spent and examine the various accounts money may have entered,” the players added.
The players estimate that in excess of $200 million (US$30 million) was generated by Trinidad and Tobago’s qualification for the 2006 World Cup and called on Warner to account for how the money was used.
Before resigning recently, ex-TTFF president Oliver Camps had sworn in an affidavit before the court that only Warner could account for the use of World Cup funds.
The players also questioned the silence of Sport Minister Anil Roberts on the matter.
“It is not the players’ wish to damage Trinidad and Tobago football. It has always been our desire to end this litigation speedily and fairly. However, if the TTFF refuses to adhere to the laws of the land we repeat, insolvency proceedings will begin against the TTFF in the new year.
“Lennox Watson (acting TTFF president) must save his sinking ship. He has inherited an organisation saddled with debts created by the previous executive’s mismanagement. Although not personally responsible for past events Mr Watson must act to save TTFF. He promised a new dawn for Trinidad and Tobago football. Watson must pursue Warner to obtain the funds rightfully belonging to TTFF which can then be used to settle the players’ bonus dispute and the remaining millions can be used as they should be–to develop football in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The release continued: “Where is the Sport Minister, Anil Roberts, in all of this? Surely as the Sport Minister, he must order the Federation to pay its players before he allows the Federation to receive taxpayers’ money. Why hasn’t Mr Roberts demanded accurate, full and final accounts from the 2006 Local Organising Committee, run by Warner?”
