The Board of Directors of the T&T Football Association has sent a strong message to the Technical Committee -- ‘Do your job and let us do ours.’
This after the technical committee spent a week of interviewing, deliberating and examining prospective candidates to fill the position of national head coach after Belgium Tom Saintfiet walkout of the job ten days ago.
The Technical Committee of TTFA recommended to the Board of Directors on Wednesday that W Connection coach Stuart Charles Fevrier be the next national coach. He was chosen as the front runner on a four-man ranking system that also included former San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC coach Terry Fenwick, former World Cup defender Dennis Lawrence, who has garnered sufficient experience and qualification at the English Premiership level and former midfielder maestro Russell Latapy, who was an assistant to the country’s last coach Saintfiet.
However, a reliable source close the the development told the Guardian Media Sports that the recommendations excluded Colombian Francisco Maturana as the committee explained to the TTFA in its report that he (Matarana) was not affordable.
Guardian Media Sports learnt that the board rejected the recommendation based on this and asked for it to be done based on merit and not on the Technical Committee’s assumption.
According to the source, the board will decide whether the football association has the financial resources to afford a coach or not, and deal with any other issue of the TTFA. As such it instructed the committee to go back and submit the best coach based on merit.
The technical committee has agreed it will return by this weekend. Instead of meeting at a specific venue the choice of national coach is likely to be done electronically, as members may find it difficult to be there tomorrow and Sunday.
Guardian Media Sports understands that it was agreed unanimously by the board that it was a fundamental mistake by the committee to put the issue of affordability ahead of merit in its selection.
“We wanted to see who the best man for the job of attempting to take the country to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is, as it is the priority of the TTFA at this point in time. We didn’t want people’s assumption of who is affordable and who is not, as that decision is not apart of their mandate”
The board of the TTFA comprises - president David John-Williams, vice presidents- Joanne Salazar, Ewing Davis and Allan Warner, Samuel Saunders (Central FA), Sherwyn Dyer (Eastern Counties Football Union), Karanjabari Williams (Northern FA), Richard Quan Chan (Southern FA), Anthony Moore (Tobago FA), Joseph Taylor (T&T Football Referees Association), Sharon O’Brien (Women’s League Football), Wayne Cunningham (Eastern FA) and Skeene of the TT Pro League.
The T&TFA issued a release on Wednesday night stating that after several hours of its statutory Board Meeting Wednesday at its head office, it was yet to come to a final decision on the selection of the men’s head coach. However, it expects to make an announcement by weekend.
Attempts to reach Dexter Skeene, the Technical Committee Chairman proved futile.
The TTFA Technical Committee comprises - Dexter Skeene - chairman), Dr. Alvin Henderson, Muhammad Isa (Technical Director), Jinelle James and Bertille St Clair.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will meet tomorrow in Miami, USA to discuss the Television Rights for T&T’s remaining four World Cup Qualifying matches.
A top official of the TTFA revealed yesterday that the CFU has been in a difficult situation to hold on to the rights, which it is understood was sold to Traffic, a marketing company operating in the region for an estimated US$3 million. It is understood T&T stand to lose big time if the CFU fails to regain control of the TV rights.
The CFU usually negotiates a share of the TV right for regional territories.
Also, T&T’s World Cup 2006 captain Dwight Yorke and TTFA president David John-Williams were given four-year appointments by FIFA on standing committees. Yorke, the former 2006 World Cup standout player, who became famous with England’s Manchester United was appointed to the FIFA Development Committee, while John-Williams will serve on the FIFA Players’ Status Committee, which is responsible for determining the status of players for various FIFA competitions.
RELATED NEWS
TTFA committee recommends Charles-Fevrier but board fails to agree on new T&T coach.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).
There was no white smoke at the end of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) statutory meeting this evening, as the board of directors failed to agree on the new head coach of the senior Soca Warriors team.
Instead, the TTFA issued a brief statement:
“The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association wishes to state that following several hours of its statutory Board Meeting on Wednesday evening at the Association’s Head Office, it is yet to come to a final decision on the selection of the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s Senior Team Head Coach.
“The TTFA expects to make an announcement on the selection by this coming weekend.”
Wired868 understands that W Connection technical director Stuart Charles-Fevrier was recommended by the TTFA technical committee to be Trinidad and Tobago’s next Men’s National Senior Team head coach. It was not believed to have been a unanimous choice though and was not the only name presented at this evening’s meeting.
The technical committee is chaired by board member and Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene and also included vice-chairman Dr Alvin Henderson, Errol Lovell and technical director Muhammad Isa.
However, the board of directors, which has the constitutional power to appoint and dismiss coaches, remained unconvinced after hours of discussion at the TTFA’s Port of Spain headquarters.
TTFA president David John-Williams is the co-founder of the W Connection football club.
The current TTFA board of directors comprises: John-Williams (president), Joanne Salazar, Ewing Davis and Allan Warner (vice-presidents), Samuel Saunders (Central FA), Sherwyn Dyer (Eastern Counties Football Union), Karanjabari Williams (Northern FA), Richard Quan Chan (Southern FA), Anthony Moore (Tobago FA), Joseph Taylor (Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association), Sharon O’Brien (Women’s League Football), Wayne Cunningham (Eastern FA) and Skeene (TT Pro League).