Outgoing president of the T&T Football Association (T&TFA) Raymond Tim Kee is pleading with his successor David John-Williams to not interfere with the new constitution which was approved and praised by the world governing body for football, FIFA.
His call comes a day after John-Williams, in his victory speech after his elevation to the top post on Sunday, said he will have to review the constitution and make some changes. This infuriated Tim Kee as he described this as a backward step that would send T&T football back some 20 years when one administration led for many years.
“I am begging for goodness sake, leave the constitution alone. I have fought very hard to make these changes and make this happen for the betterment of the sport, why do you want to change it now,” Tim Kee asked.
John-Williams triumphed 25-19 after the second round of voting to Tim Kee, after the first round saw Williams earn 18 votes, Tim Kee 13, Clynt Taylor 8 and the others two candidates Selby Browne and Ramesh Ramdhan eliminated by virtue of each receiving just three votes.
Tim Kee, who was seeking a second term in office, reminded John-Williams that it was the same constitutional changes for which he fought, that allowed him (John-Williams) the advantage of ten TT Pro League votes and eight Superleague votes to win.
“I was at a disadvantage but I accepted it because it was what the FIFA ordered. This is the system being used by all football nations around the world and to change it now could spell danger for T&T football,” Tim Kee explained. The Mayor of Port of Spain said he felt that John-Williams’ elevation was nothing but a misnomer, sentiments that he had expressed in a radio programme before the elections.
“He is a campaigner in the TT Pro League which is totally dependent on the Government’s subventions to stay alive but he is now saying that he can change things in the same league,” Tim Kee said.
Of major disappointment also for Tim Kee was the exclusion of Colin Murray, the Carib Brewery’s events manager and Trotters owner John Sabga. They both perished to the overwhelming support by John-Williams’ slate, losing out to Ewing Davis for the position of first vice president.
Davis received 15 votes while second vice president Joanne Salazar got 23 and Allan Warner collected 20 votes for the post of third vice president for John-Williams’ team.
“Colin Murray and John Sabga would have been able to attract corporate T&T which is critical to rebuilding football in T&T,” Tim Kee said.