The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has said all its members have been invited to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, from 10 am, at the Media Room, National Cycling Centre, Balmain, Couva.
However, the TTFA pair of president David John-Williams and general secretary Justin Latapy-George have urged all its members to become compliant in accordance with its constitution or face consequences.
It was reported on Wired868.com that only 16 of the TTFA’s 49 members who were compliant were invited to the AGM. Selby Browne, president of the Veteran Footballers of Trinidad and Tobago, yesterday issued a rallying call for all TTFA members to attend the AGM. Browne said, “This call is in keeping with Articles 12 and 28 of the TTFA Constitution. No other authority is vested in or given by the membership of the TTFA at any General Meeting to permit the removal, sanction or forfeit of the rights of the membership under the guise of non-compliance.”
The TTFA staged a media conference yesterday at its Board Room, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, to clear the air on the compliance matter. John-Williams said the issue of compliance has been repeatedly raised by his administration and even his predecessor Raymond Tim Kee but the majority of members have not adhered to the requests despite numerous extensions. He explained that clubs’ licences could be revoked at the end of the year by FIFA if they do not become compliant.
A new date was set for November 11 to extend the compliance period to December 31, 2017, the TTFA boss stated but “of the 49 delegates, only 13 showed up. We did not have a quorum, the meeting had to be squashed.”
Latapy-George stressed, “Because there was not a quorum on the 11th of November 2017, by the constitution there is a reconvening of that meeting on the 25th of November 2017. The notice of that reconvened meeting has been sent to all members identifying the time, date and location to discuss that matter of compliance.”
According to John-Williams, “If there is one person at the meeting at the time of the start of the meeting, that would be the quorum – the constitution allows for that.”
Latapy-George said, “One of the areas that we have identified that may have been most difficult for our members was the submission of audited financial statements. That is an area, based on discussions we continue to have with the membership, that seems to be a bit of a troubled-bar that we are having. “However I indicated early in my discourse the intention of the TTFA is to work with our members to ensure that no-one is disenfranchised and that we continue to do the business of football, knowing very well the our members are very important to what we do.”