It is unbelievable how the stakeholders of football are incapable of bringing some level of maturity which may invite constructive dialogue to the sport. There is hardly ever a year when the game does not suffer from a lack of organised management, especially when it relates to the budgeting process for annual activities.
I do agree that sometimes the headlines tend to bring immediate impact to the reader and by extension, the parties from all sides of the sporting structure. It is ironic how the international football world can be so capable of handling their administrative affairs with great success, while a small country like T&T, appears to be incapable of some intelligent discussions which can lead to solve the issues at large.
The headlines of a few days ago in all the media, the print, electroni and social media, spells like a world title boxing fight as the TTFA is challenged to provide audited statement for 2012—2014. If we view that request in isolation, we will understand that audited statements have been a massive problem for the TTFA, since the days when the previous regime was in office and before that too.
The habit of not wanting to prepare an annual calendar for our national teams, is the biggest bugbear for documenting mathematically an audited statement. There is no set calendar that can show the public what plans do our national teams follow for the coming year. We actually do not know what is happening next week, far more the balance of the year.
Football in our country has been organised in a truly haphazard manner, a habitual approach which no administrator has been able to bring to the senses of the more powerful leaders in the Association. Actually, I was elated when the former Minister of sport, Rupert Griffith approved the commitment of the Ministry to financing the preparation of the Gold Cup through to the finals which takes place from 7th -26th July.
Now that the Ministry of sport’s boss has been changed, the name Brent Sancho would have sounded as wonderful news, seeing that he was a former national player, and recently an owner of a pro league club in the country’s pro League. Brent is the type of person who wants to immediately impact all aspects of sport in a professional manner, and provide an organised send off to sport generally.
He may have looked at the lethargic behaviour of the TTFA with the women’s programme, especially as the Fifa has mandated the member associations to spend fifteen percent of Fifa’s subventions to women’s football, especially for early developmental reasons.
Brent’s effort to employ a make shift league to create a short term competition, may well have been designed to kick start our women’s competitive journey which has had its absence of activity exposed by the captain of the team Maylee Johnson. Honestly, the idea is not the ultimate, but anything is better than nothing, and I believe that the TTFA may grab the chance to bring some much needed life back to the women’s game.
We are all aware that Brent’s plan must be given the blessing from the TTFA which could not possibly be a hard sell for the charismatic Minister. The results of dialogue between the two stakeholders have not been announced, and all women football fans eagerly await the outcome.
However, the recent headline which implied a “dogfight in football” had hinted that maybe there has been no dialogue or if there was any meeting of the minds to send our teams to their summer engagements with full confidence. Honestly, I was probably spoilt by the competence of almost every area of sport in the good old days, which was well planned. Everything seemed in place and hardly was there ever a fight over money to enter a competition in the region.
The gate receipts in those days were very small, but thousands supported what they still refer to as excellent football and wonderful cricket. Today, with an economy forever booming, few would have believed that there will be problems. Let us return to the first issue, which referred to the audited statements of the past, and a request to produce the finances to the Ministry strictly from a point of accountability.
We are all able to forecast financial losses at every local Football match in any of the leagues because of a moderate standard of play, we hear of referees not turning up for matches because they have not been paid, although the clubs entering competitions are asked to pay referees fees in advance, and it is clear to see that money for international football must come from sponsors through the business sector.
Many people are of the belief that the state has a commitment to sponsoring national sport, which has been a practice for many years. But have we ever noticed that the bigger countries do not provide state funds to any sporting association. Granted that we are a small nation, but our government should really be handing subventions to developing programs where the guarantee of youth participation is of paramount interest to the nation.
One of the most important stakeholders in all this calamity is the National Olympic committee, whose interest in all sport should be well established.
That Committee is really in charge of all Olympic sports and that should include Football. I am also aware that between the years 1963 and 1991, the late Knolly Henderson, Alex Chapman, Lloyd Agard and some other members were as interested in seeing the growth of the team sports. They assisted in funding the tournaments under their control.
Today, the concept has changed and getting large track and field teams to the Olympics, the Panam, the commonwealth games will enhance the chances of the administrators to be among the hierarchy of world Athletics. The NOC are the ones who can monitor audited statements on behalf of the government, report their findings, and even recommend the amount of subventions which will satisfy their annual budgets.
That is not happening and while football is battling their own way with a management structure which is doomed for failure, may well find themselves having to default one of these major tournaments and face the wrath of Fifa whose financial assistance to each of their member associations should be better utilised.
Was the public ever informed that most of the prize money which are promised to the winning clubs by all the leagues in this country are not paid promptly and in some cases not at all.?
The country deserves much better from management and stakeholders as well. Playing the blame game does no good to the sport and our fans must not just be supporters, but we must make a demand on the officials, executives and the players to earn the support of the nation. Take your job seriously or leave it for persons who care.