Tweet
New twist in World Cup bonus battle.
More than half of Trinidad and Tobago's 2006 World Cup squad could face a fresh legal battle in their bonus dispute with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
English barrister Michael Townley, who is the instructing attorney for 15 members of the historic 23-man squad, told the Express that the TTFF made an application to bring the case before the Trinidad and Tobago High Court. A decision is expected from the local courts on January 7, 2009.
In May 2008, the London-based Sports Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP) ruled in favour of the players and ordered "sufficient inspection" of the TTFF's accounts. Townley described the TTFF's alleged new legal posturing as an attempt to circumvent the decision of the arbitration body.
"It is an attempt to distance themselves from the judgment in the UK," said Townley. "We intend to resist it on the grounds that once an arbitration rule is made it is final and binding.
"It will go one of two ways--either the High Court in Trinidad will accept jurisdiction and there will be a retrial or they will not accept on the basis that there is an arbitration ruling which is binding and we will return to London."
Townley declined the opportunity to reveal the legal figures incurred by the "Soca Warriors" thus far but it is expected to easily exceed half a million dollars in local currency. The TTFF are believed to have paid at least double that sum.
Om Lalla, the instructing attorney for the TTFF, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The bonus battle looked set for local courts last year after the players refused to accept that the TTFF's offer of $5,644.08 each, which was made in October 2006, fairly represented their share of World Cup revenues.
The TTFF requested that the battle be taken to the London arbitration instead and the players agreed. Six months ago, the SDRP decided in favour of the Warriors.
"It appears to be the case that the TTFA has yet to provide an account to the applicants which complies with its contractual obligations under the commercial revenues-sharing agreement," stated arbitrator Ian Mill QC. "Obviously, I hope that the effect of this decision will be that a proper account will expeditiously be rendered, together with the payments shown as due by that account; and sufficient inspection of the TTFA's records to enable the applicants reasonably to be satisfied that they have received that to which they are entitled.
"In that context, I should observe that any agreement entered into prior to qualification for the World Cup finals but which resulted in revenues accruing to the TTFA in consequence of qualifying should be disclosed by the TTFA to the applicants (even if the TTFA would wish to argue before me on another occasion that the agreement is not one in whose revenues the applicants are entitled to share)."
Townley, who requested an interim payment of $44 million from the TTFF in May, is anxious to begin a court-ordered examination of the Football Federation's accounts. He alleged that the process has been delayed by the TTFF's insistence on a second opinion from the local courts first.
More than half of Trinidad and Tobago's 2006 World Cup squad could face a fresh legal battle in their bonus dispute with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
English barrister Michael Townley, who is the instructing attorney for 15 members of the historic 23-man squad, told the Express that the TTFF made an application to bring the case before the Trinidad and Tobago High Court. A decision is expected from the local courts on January 7, 2009.
In May 2008, the London-based Sports Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP) ruled in favour of the players and ordered "sufficient inspection" of the TTFF's accounts. Townley described the TTFF's alleged new legal posturing as an attempt to circumvent the decision of the arbitration body.
"It is an attempt to distance themselves from the judgment in the UK," said Townley. "We intend to resist it on the grounds that once an arbitration rule is made it is final and binding.
"It will go one of two ways--either the High Court in Trinidad will accept jurisdiction and there will be a retrial or they will not accept on the basis that there is an arbitration ruling which is binding and we will return to London."
Townley declined the opportunity to reveal the legal figures incurred by the "Soca Warriors" thus far but it is expected to easily exceed half a million dollars in local currency. The TTFF are believed to have paid at least double that sum.
Om Lalla, the instructing attorney for the TTFF, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The bonus battle looked set for local courts last year after the players refused to accept that the TTFF's offer of $5,644.08 each, which was made in October 2006, fairly represented their share of World Cup revenues.
The TTFF requested that the battle be taken to the London arbitration instead and the players agreed. Six months ago, the SDRP decided in favour of the Warriors.
"It appears to be the case that the TTFA has yet to provide an account to the applicants which complies with its contractual obligations under the commercial revenues-sharing agreement," stated arbitrator Ian Mill QC. "Obviously, I hope that the effect of this decision will be that a proper account will expeditiously be rendered, together with the payments shown as due by that account; and sufficient inspection of the TTFA's records to enable the applicants reasonably to be satisfied that they have received that to which they are entitled.
"In that context, I should observe that any agreement entered into prior to qualification for the World Cup finals but which resulted in revenues accruing to the TTFA in consequence of qualifying should be disclosed by the TTFA to the applicants (even if the TTFA would wish to argue before me on another occasion that the agreement is not one in whose revenues the applicants are entitled to share)."
Townley, who requested an interim payment of $44 million from the TTFF in May, is anxious to begin a court-ordered examination of the Football Federation's accounts. He alleged that the process has been delayed by the TTFF's insistence on a second opinion from the local courts first.