Businessman Lindsay Gillette could again be the man to lead T&T football if the wishes of a new slate come through.
Guardian Media was reliably informed that a list of names proposing Gillette as the leader, was put forward to contest the T&T Football Association's (TTFA) election in November. It also comprises Sports Columnist and enthusiast Colin Murray, Brent Sancho, the Central FC owner and manager who, along with Gillette, have been influential members of a Commission formed to restructure T&T football, based on the advice of UEFA and the FIFA.
Gillette's nomination for the president's position is the second time the businessman has been chosen to lead the sport. Only recently a Guardian report revealed that Gillette's performance as chairman of the commission saw him gaining the support from the fraternity, as well as some fractions of the electorate.
However, his candidacy was nullified by the TTFA constitution which requires him to be involved in active football administration at least three years before the elections. Gillette's stint in the sport has been at the T&T Pro League level with Central FC, before being named on the commission.
It is understood that Sancho, who has worked with Gillette at the central club, is set to prove Gillette's legitimacy to be a candidate for the elections due to his ongoing work with the Central 'Skarks' which have won three consecutive Pro League titles and has competed at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships.
Article 34 of the TTFA constitution which refers to the election of members of the board of directors, state: "Candidates shall have been active in football for at least three years during the five years preceding the election. This activity must have been performed in a managerial or a similar position in the territory of the Republic of T&T."
It noted also: "Candidates may not have previously been found guilty of an indictable offence: Candidates shall be nationals of and shall have permanent residence in the Republic of T&T: Candidatures for the office of president and vice-president of the board of directors shall be supported by at least one Member."
Attempts to contact Gillette yesterday proved futile, but Murray admitted he was approached to be a vice president for a slate and he accepted it.
"Position really does not matter too much to me. I just want to serve in football," Murray said.
The former Events Manager at Carib Brewery was also a candidate for the Raymond Tim Kee slate for the football association's election back in 2015 but lost to the current administrative team being led by David John-Williams.
Murray said the state of T&T football is the "worst" it has ever been in many years, saying: "You need only to look at the issues with the women's team, Under-21 Olympic team, the U-17 and U-20 teams at the CONCACAF play-offs, and the disaster at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States recently."
John-Williams' slate is set to be challenged by a combined group that consists of Anthony Harford- NFA president, William Wallace- SSFL president, Clynt Taylor- CFA general secretary, Keith Look Loy- the T&T Super League's president, former TTFA president Tim Kee, Shymdeo Gosine- CFA president and a number of other persons.
The group will name its slate next week.