United TTFA presidential candidate William Wallace has called on incumbent T&T Football Association president David John-Williams, one of the three candidates for tomorrow’s T&TFA Election, to step down.
At a press conference at the Harvard Sports and Cultural Club in Port-of-Spain on Friday, Wallace, supported by vice president candidates Clynt Taylor, Sam Phillips and Susan Joseph-Warrick, said he was making his call due to the many poor decisions by John-Williams which had sunk the football association into further debt.
Wallace said he also believes John-Williams’ involvement in a Ventures Credit Union matter was also a reason for him to resign as head of the embattled football association.
“The United TTFA is asking David John-Williams to search deep for his own moral compass and do the decent and honourable thing to step down and give football a chance to breathe,” Wallace said.
He explained that John-Williams’ missteps had seen the association incur a debt of approximately $15 million in one week. He said his group was also currently in discussion with another company which had taken the TTFA to court to discuss a payment plan, saying judgement for that party will come soon.
Wallace pointed firstly to former technical director Kendall Walkes’ case, saying the FIFA had advised John-Williams and the TTFA to sit and renegotiate with the Walkes for a new contract but John-Williams chose to go to court. He said former national coach Stephen Har was meanwhile invited to Grand Bazaar and fired although he reasonably gave John-Williams an option to just pay off his unpaid wages and for just one year of his three-year contract. According to Wallace, John-Williams also refused to honour a new agreement by the TTFA to pay technical director Anton Corneal.
Only on Monday, John-Williams had basked in the glory of opening the new Home of Football at Balmain, Couva, which featured visits by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. But Wallace said the day after that opening, the TTFA was served with another lawsuit from a company that had provided steel for the football home.
Wallace also took a swipe at John-Williams’ involvement with a personal loan from Ventures Credit Union, saying once the integrity of a leader comes into question the organisation also comes into question.
The United TTFA boss also called on the electorate to vote in the interest of the sport amid rumours that money was being paid to buy votes for tomorrow.
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Petition for DJW to step down resurfaces.
By Narissa Fraser (Newsday).
AN online petition calling for TT Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams’ resignation has resurfaced.
The petition was created in June by David Rigsby in June on Change.org. It is titled: David John-Williams must step down as the TTFA president.
The description says, “The TTFA president has failed to develop and enhance the growth of TT football in his tenure. He has shown a lack of vision for the overall development of our football teams.”
It has got over 1,600 signatures thus far and a number of comments.
When it was initially created, former Strike Squad captain Clayton Morris was vocal about his support.
Some replies on the website included comments like, “The great decline in our football must end today. The dictator style must go, and real development must start immediately. The regime has made error after error, with no apology or transparency,” and “It’s time for change, invest in grassroots football system and have educated professionals to identify our talents.”
Others said, “This petition should be unnecessary. After the mess of the Gold Cup, he should tender his resignation,” and “An honourable man would resign.”
Within this week alone, the TTFA has lost two court cases. In a High Court ruling, on Tuesday, Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell ordered the TTFA to pay former senior men’s national coach Stephen Hart $5 million for wrongful dismissal and unpaid salaries and bonuses. And on Wednesday, former TT youth football team coach, men’s team assistant and TTFA technical director Anton Corneal was awarded $3,488,375, in an oral ruling by High Court judge Vasheist Kokaram.
In addition,co-operative development commissioner Andrea McKennan ruled, on Monday, that John-Williams should pay Venture Credit Union $23,540,269. It is still unclear whether this matter was TTFA-related. The union’s executive body cannot confirm or deny this, since other details of the judgment are considered confidential.
The credit union said it is willing to levy if it is not paid off.
John-Williams began his tenure in November 2015, replacing Raymond Tim Kee.
He will aim to retain the presidency in the TTFA’s elections on Sunday. Contesting him is Secondary Schools Football League president William Wallace and Terminix La Horquetta Rangers owner Richard Ferguson.
Newsday tried contacting John-Williams on several occasions about these matters, but all calls and messages went unanswered.
United TTFA wants John-Williams to step down.
By Narissa Fraser (Newsday)
AS the TT Football Association’s (TTFA) elections approaches, presidential candidate William Wallace claims members of his slate have been offered cash to vote for current TTFA head David John-Williams. As such, his slate – United TTFA – is now calling on the TTFA boss to step down as a presidential candidate.
At a media conference at the Harvard Sports Club, St James on Friday, Wallace said offers ranging from $10,000 and $50,000 have been made thus far.
“At the end of the day, we have confidence and we believe in the delegates. And we are hoping that football would be the winner and not a chance to pocket $10,000.
“Let’s say we have proof that persons were paying for votes, and let’s say that group gets into office – would I want to be part of something like that?
“If you started off by paying for votes, that tells me the direction you are going in. I don’t want to be part of that.”
He said if John-Williams remains president, its members would still be willing to be on the TTFA board. But he said the next four years would be tough if this occurs. “Of course, the focus would be on building back the game. That is our focus. Football is our focus.
“We are not about ourselves and looking for self-aggrandisement and what I did and leaving my legacy. I have no legacy, the legacy is football.”
The elections will be held on Sunday. In addition to John-Williams and Wallace, Terminix La Horquetta Rangers owner Richard Ferguson will also be vying for TTFA president.