The T&T Football Association (TTFA), under new president David John-Williams, is facing another legal battle for money owed to one of its employees.
Sources say the John-Williams administration has failed to honour the contract of Kendall Walkes, the association’s director of football, who has not been paid since the new president assumed office on November 30.
Walkes, who coached at West Chester University in the United States for 25 years and was a key component in the US Olympic Development Programme, and his family were uprooted from their United States base, and brought to Trinidad under the Raymond Tim Kee administration to take up his position.
The deal included a housing allowance and an attractive monthly salary, along with other perks. Sources say Walkes’ presence in the TTFA has not met the approval of John-Williams.
“The president disagreed with almost everything in the contract,” one source said.
Walkes and his legal representatives Andre Lord and Melissa Roberts-John met with members of the TTFA, including John-Williams, his vice presidents Joanne Salazar and Ewing Davis and its legal team at the TTFA office at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, last week.
Walkes’ concerns were heard and discussed and the TTFA promised a response by Tuesday.
Up to yesterday, Walkes had no communication from the TTFA. “Walkes and his team feel the TTFA is not interested in settling the matter. They have decided to settle it in the court,” the source explained.
Apart from legal proceedings, it is understood Walkes’ team has also written to the general secretaries of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Federations (CONCACAF) and FIFA, the world governing body for football.
The Guardian was told John-Williams appears interested in bringing in his own technical director and is therefore unwilling to accept Walkes. “John-Williams has his own way of doing things, which quite frankly is beginning to worry some of the very people who put him in office. It seems to be his way or the highway,” said the source.
“He has to start seeing the TTFA as a national association and not a club, this is not W Connection, this is Trinidad and Tobago football, and people are starting to think they made a mistake.”
Walkes took over from Anton Corneal who served the football association as technical director, assistant coach and youth development officer for almost six years, before he voluntarily retired over difficulty in receiving monies owed to him.
He has since filed legal action against the TTFA for $3.5 million. Apart from Corneal, ex-national midfielder Russell Latapy and Dutch coach Wim Rijsbergen have also sued the football federation over unpaid salaries.
Attempts to reach Walkes yesterday proved futile but John-Williams when contacted said he had no comment.
“I feel the one you should contact is Kendall Walkes and I will not be responding to anything he says either. My comment will come in the fullness of time.”