Angry football clubs in Central Trinidad have said they are willing to go to court if they have to, for the Central Football Association (CFA) executive to call elections before the T&T Football Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of officers are held on November 29.
The clubs are also fuming over a recent newspaper report in which ex-T&T referee who officiated at the 1998 World Cup in France Ramesh Ramdhan, claimed that he got seven out of the nine premier division clubs to vote for him to be the choice of the CFA to contest the TTFA elections.
The Guardian understands that elections within the Central zone cannot be called until the Electoral Committee of the TTFA gives its approval first. The electoral committee is being headed by former T&T and West Indies spinner Dinanath Ramnarine and comprises Mervyn Campbell and Attorney at Law Elton Prescott.
However when contacted Bryan Layne, president of the CFA stated that after amendments were made to the CFA constitution sometime last month, it was sent for ratification to the TTFA and then to the electoral committee before his zone can call elections. “We are still awaiting a response from that committee” Layne said.
He noted that at a meeting of the clubs on Monday at Woodford Lodge, all the challenges were explained to the clubs.
But Raymond Tim Kee- president of the TTFA has made it quite clear that elections in the central zone are suppose to be called as there are provisions within the constitution that catered for this. “This is the reason it was critical for the constitution of the TTFA and all regional constitutions to be amended and it is prevent people from their wrongdoings” Tim Kee said.
Only recently Shymdeo Gosine, the managing director of central club Harlem Strikers called for the Layne-led administration to tell the clubs when elections were going to be held. According to Layne he does not mind calling elections and would do it now if he could have. “I have been in football administration in T&T for almost 43 years and I have never felt so anxious to get out.
The constitution allows for 21 days to notify clubs ahead of any elections, but if I could do it now it would be in the morning” Layne told the Guardian. He said that he will not be seeking re-election as president but warned against people who are intent on using the sport for the personal gains.
Meanwhile representatives of six CFA clubs are sending a message that they never voted for Ramdhan to be the CFA choice and are calling on the executives to provide them with minutes of any meeting which could verify this. In fact the clubs have all responded by saying “I do not know of that.”
But Ramdhan when contacted yesterday said the clubs did not voted for him but he was nominated by the executives. “The clubs are represented by the executives. The clubs have no say but rather the executives who are representing the clubs” Ramdhan said. (Part I)
Sub- Part II in tomorrow’s edition
Gregory McSween, an executive member on the CFA explained that the clubs are the ones who are suppose to make this decision because the clubs are he ones with the power. Another club member Jimmy Henry said in such a situation, the executives were to consult the clubs before such a decision was made.
Anthony Job of Leeds FC explained that he I was never contacted or attended any meeting and blamed the CFA boss for this mishap. “This is Layne’s doing. Layne and his executive have done this for years, making decisions and informing the clubs after” Job said.
Job added “Ramdhan has never even come to the clubs and say what his plan is so that we can decide on whether he will be good for the zone or not.
The only person who came is David John-Williams and he did not have a plan either but appeared more as though he wanted to find out from the clubs if they were going to vote for him.” Another representative Oswald Myers of Carapichaima Playmakers they were not contacted to vote or anything.
“I personally like Ramdhan but this is not about that. He must sell himself to the clubs by saying what his ideas are firdst befofre he can be nominated. I do not know how they came up with Ramdhan as the choice for the CFA but my club certainly did not vote for him. The only thing I can think about is if Ramdhan was misled into believing that the clubs voted for him” Myers explained.
The Carapichaima boss appears to be totally fed up with the operations of the central executives and said something must be done now. “I think for far too long the clubs inthe CFA have been used as rubber stamps and this must stop” Myers explained.
Francis Felix of Enterprise Youth and Randolph Boyce of Central Soccerworld also told the Guardian that they do not know about their clubs voting for anyone. Both admitted that thery love football and want to see the best for their youth. Felix said “Ramdhan will not be good for football in central because he has been aligned with the Jack Warner era and he has shown that he is dishonest saying he got the votes of clubs when he did not. How are we to trust him now.”
But Boyce said “It would have been nice for Ramdhan to come to us and say what he wants to do and how he intends to achieve it but he did not and because of this he will not get my support.”
Allan Logan of Perseverance FC described claims by Ramdhan that he got the votes of the majority of clubs as disrespectful. “We could at least have been approached by Ramdhan and his views on going forward explained to us, so that we can say if he is the man for central or not. I heard this in a newspaper report and I know that we never voted for anyone” Logan said.
Meanwhile Layne when quizzed on whether the clubs had in fact voted for Ramdhan, said “No. No club voted for him.” He told the Guardian “We had to meet a deadline for submission of a candidate and the executives, which comprised of about nine members nominated Ramdhan. But we told him that he had to go to the clubs and explain what his plans are.”