Candidate for vice presidency at Sunday’s T&T Football Association (TTFA) annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers John Sabga has said he wants to make a difference in local football.
He is contesting the post of vice president on the slate of ex-T&T referee Ramesh Ramdhan. Yesterday he said the team has made tremendous strides to date. Ramdhan, Sabga and the team which also include the hardworking Curtis Rudd who is touted to be the general secretary if they are elected, have been meeting with members of the various zones including the Central Football Association (CFA) which has public come out against Ramdhan.
The visits have been basically to woo representatives of the different zones and according to Sabga, they have been getting good responses. But he made it clear though that it will only be on the day that they will know their fate.
Central clubs have publicly criticised Ramdhan, the lone T&T football referee to have officiated at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, accusing him of not even showing any plan for the development of football in the central zone to them and piggy-backing on the central executives which is led by long-standing football administrator Bryan Layne and his secretary Stephen Bartholomew.
That however may have been resolved now, as Sabga said the clubs were in agreements with their plans and seem interested in having them in charge of local football.
He said that although he does not need football in T&T, he has for many years seen the same people in charge of the game and he has been, like a true supporter, shouted from the sidelines of what he feels should be done, although his calls have fallen on deaf ears.
“So now I have decided to get involved and do it for myself and to be honest I am doing it because I want to,” Sabga said.
His main challenger for the vice president position will be Colin Murray, the Events and Sponsorship manager at Carib Brewery who is on the slate of incumbent president Raymond Tim Kee. Sabga yesterday criticised the embattled football association under Tim Kee, saying, “For last week’s match alone I have not seen one single booth in or out of the Hasely Crawford Stadium selling Soca Warriors jerseys and other replica items. This is our national team and for an event of that magnitude anyone should have been able to walk into the stadium and get a jersey to support the team.”
He explained that the football association cannot go begging government for money all the time when there are avenues to generate income.
“In fact we know that they are in the red but we really do not know by how much and therefore it will be good for the TTFA to open their books to the public for all to see how much they really owe and decide on how they can pay back those they owe monies to,” Sabga said.
Only recently ex-T&T midfielder Russell Latapy who was coach of the T&T team from 2009- 2011, was paid part of the monies owed to him by the football association. The payment came, thanks to Minister of Sports Darryl Smith and his ministry. However the TTFA will have to find a way to pay the remaining amount owed to the “Little Magician”.
Sabga is advising interested persons who are desirous of serving football in T&T to not feel that there is anything to gain financially from it.
“It should be a self serving job,” he said.
He explained further that all must be done to ensure that there is stability in the sport, saying the Soca Warriors have been playing well in spite of the turmoil in the administration of the sport.
“This stability is what we must give them,” Sabga said.
Yesterday they visited the South zone and tomorrow they will have a meeting with members of women football to convince them to vote for them.