Minister of Sport Anil Roberts yesterday gave the assurance that neither the national Under-23 footballers nor other national teams will suffer from the fall out between the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) and former players.
The players have sued the TTFF in a dispute over earnings generated during the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. On Wednesday, representatives of 13 former and current T&T players took levy action against the Federation which is in breach of a High Court judgement which ordered the TTFF to pay the players $4.3 million by October 17, 2011.
Levy action saw the TTFF office at 43 Dundonald Street, Port of Spain, stripped of furniture and computers.
Yesterday, Roberts declared that the Ministry of Sport had to remain outside the issue between the TTFF and players. Roberts said the Ministry would look on, but not get involved since the matter was sub-judice. However, Robert assured that the national Under-23 team will not suffer.
"I think this is the best chance we have had in our history to qualify for an Olympic football tournament," Roberts declared. "The national Under-23 men's football team is preparing to be the first team in Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for an Olympics. They have done well under coach Angus Eve, held teams like Mexico and Uruguay to draws at altitude and also came away with victory over the national team of Finland. Regardless of what happened yesterday (Wednesday), the national Under-23 footballers will have the backing of the Ministry of Sport."
Anthony Harford, head of the TTFF marketing arm, confirmed the Ministry will fund a Tobago camp for the Olympic footballers from Sunday.
The U-23s will have warm-up matches in Tobago next week against a Tobago All Stars team and the Guyana national team. They then travel to Costa Rica for another camp and then head off to California, USA early in preparation for the final round of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.
"I am trying to insulate the Under-23s as much as possible from what is happening," Harford said. "Both the national Under-23 team and the girls Under-17 team are preparing for major international competitions and will go into camp next week."
Earlier, Minister Roberts touched on the dispute between the TTFF and players, but said the Ministry had to remain outside the issue. "The law is the law. The wheel of justice is turning and it is totally inappropriate for the Ministry and members of the executive to get involved," he said. "Regardless of the statement made by the players' representative, Brent Sancho, the Minister is a member of the executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Government and cannot get involved. I am a mere observer...the law of the land is supreme."
And acting TTFF president Lennox Watson said because it was a court matter he too would not speak much on the dispute between the TTFF and its players.
However, Watson said the players' action was within the law. He was speaking at an emergency meeting of the TTFF executive at Harvard Club, St James.
"We are going to court in a few days and what happens in court will dictate what happens with us."
Watson also confirmed no TTFF staff will be sent home due to the levy action.
The Federation has moved back into the Dundonald Street building which they rent from former TTFF special adviser and Works Minister Jack Warner,and Watson said operations would continue, even if staff have to use their own computers.
Watson said they also have the backing of the Ministry of Sport for the continuation of the programmes of the national Under-23 men, Under-17 girls and Under-15 girls teams.
"We will operate," Watson said of the TTFF. "We may not operate with all that we had in the past, but we will operate."
And when when contacted yesterday, former TTFF president Oliver Camps said he could not comment on the levy action.
The players have threatened to take similar action against 80-year-old Camps, who led the TTFF for more than a decade before resigning last year.