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<SPAN style="COLOR: red"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13pt">TTFF SUSPENDS ITS FOOTBALL PROGRAMS TTFF SUSPENDS ITS FOOTBALL PROGRAMS
By : Shaun Fuentes (TTFF)</SPAN></SPAN>
Due to a lack of financial support towards this country’s National Football program, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation has been forced to suspend all football related activities pertaining to National Teams with immediate effect until further notice.
This was the revelation coming from the TTFF on Tuesday as its General Secretary Richard Groden confirmed that the only program which will continue is that of the National Under 17 team which, following months of preparation, will go into a CONCACAF Final round of qualification towards the FIFA Under 17 World Championship, a tournament once hosted by T&T in 2001. The T&T Under 17 team also faces world champions Mexico in a friendly at the Ato Boldon Stadium today.
All programs relating to the National Senior Team has also come to a standstill and the TTFF has informed CONCACAF Head Offices in New York to be on standby for search of a replacement team. The draw for that event takes place today in New York and the event organizers and by extent the region has been high in anticipation of having the “Soca Warriors” as one of the competing teams, even citing them as one of the favorites following its brave and commendable performance at the 2006 World Cup.
The TTFF has long benefited from the generous support of Special Advisor and financier Jack Warner and after continuing promises from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to assist in the funding of national programs. This includes the payment of salaries of National Team Senior Coach Wim Rijsbergen and Jan Van Deinsen and other members of staff which is yet to become a practice dating back to initial promises by Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Mr. Roger Boynes and his Government since July 2006.
The salaries of the coaches, amounting to close to US$100,000 per month has been paid by Warner despite several promises from time to time by the Government that they would fit the bill. This and the other related programs have come to a standstill until assistance is offered by the Government or corporate body(s) coming out of the many which jumped on the bandwagon for the 2006 World Cup but have since slipped off.
The TTFF notes that dating back to July, the Government promised to second the Ato Boldon Stadium as a training facility for national teams, provide a hotel, as well as meet the salaries of the coaches, prompting Warner to agree that he would pay their salaries until the end of October 2006. Time elapsed without any concrete development from the Government and Warner continued to finance.
Warner held a meeting with the coaching staff last Thursday, informing them that he would be ending all payments of salaries.
According to the TTFF , Boynes acknowledged receipt of a letter of request for assistance dated November 11, 2006, saying that a budget would be sent to Cabinet for approval.
In a letter to Boynes on November 11, Warner stated: “I write to confirm what was verbally advised to you by me earlier, regarding remuneration of the technical squad of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, in which context I declared my inability to continue personal funding of salaries and other expenses for this Division after September 30,2006. Since I have again paid October’s salaries and other related expenses, I again wish to advise you of my inability to continue after October 31, 2006.
“As you are aware, I have been underwriting this aspect of TTFF expenditure for some considerable time, solely in the interest of ensuring preparation of our country’s teams enjoyed optimal assistance. Results have been more than encouraging and, like you, I wouldn’t wish to see any slippage in this regard, but the level of pe
By : Shaun Fuentes (TTFF)</SPAN></SPAN>
Due to a lack of financial support towards this country’s National Football program, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation has been forced to suspend all football related activities pertaining to National Teams with immediate effect until further notice.
This was the revelation coming from the TTFF on Tuesday as its General Secretary Richard Groden confirmed that the only program which will continue is that of the National Under 17 team which, following months of preparation, will go into a CONCACAF Final round of qualification towards the FIFA Under 17 World Championship, a tournament once hosted by T&T in 2001. The T&T Under 17 team also faces world champions Mexico in a friendly at the Ato Boldon Stadium today.
All programs relating to the National Senior Team has also come to a standstill and the TTFF has informed CONCACAF Head Offices in New York to be on standby for search of a replacement team. The draw for that event takes place today in New York and the event organizers and by extent the region has been high in anticipation of having the “Soca Warriors” as one of the competing teams, even citing them as one of the favorites following its brave and commendable performance at the 2006 World Cup.
The TTFF has long benefited from the generous support of Special Advisor and financier Jack Warner and after continuing promises from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to assist in the funding of national programs. This includes the payment of salaries of National Team Senior Coach Wim Rijsbergen and Jan Van Deinsen and other members of staff which is yet to become a practice dating back to initial promises by Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Mr. Roger Boynes and his Government since July 2006.
The salaries of the coaches, amounting to close to US$100,000 per month has been paid by Warner despite several promises from time to time by the Government that they would fit the bill. This and the other related programs have come to a standstill until assistance is offered by the Government or corporate body(s) coming out of the many which jumped on the bandwagon for the 2006 World Cup but have since slipped off.
The TTFF notes that dating back to July, the Government promised to second the Ato Boldon Stadium as a training facility for national teams, provide a hotel, as well as meet the salaries of the coaches, prompting Warner to agree that he would pay their salaries until the end of October 2006. Time elapsed without any concrete development from the Government and Warner continued to finance.
Warner held a meeting with the coaching staff last Thursday, informing them that he would be ending all payments of salaries.
According to the TTFF , Boynes acknowledged receipt of a letter of request for assistance dated November 11, 2006, saying that a budget would be sent to Cabinet for approval.
In a letter to Boynes on November 11, Warner stated: “I write to confirm what was verbally advised to you by me earlier, regarding remuneration of the technical squad of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, in which context I declared my inability to continue personal funding of salaries and other expenses for this Division after September 30,2006. Since I have again paid October’s salaries and other related expenses, I again wish to advise you of my inability to continue after October 31, 2006.
“As you are aware, I have been underwriting this aspect of TTFF expenditure for some considerable time, solely in the interest of ensuring preparation of our country’s teams enjoyed optimal assistance. Results have been more than encouraging and, like you, I wouldn’t wish to see any slippage in this regard, but the level of pe
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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