Former national player Carlos Edwards sees the only way forward for T&T football is by working together.
“The people who are associated now, have good intentions to try and help the federation, help in football improve but I don’t think they are doing a real investigation into what is needed to be successful and it is sad to see how the federation has just been withering away to what it is right now. At one point, T&T was the team in Caribbean football. Now, we may not be able to consider ourselves of being in the FIFA rankings because what has taken place,” said the former national footballer.
Edwards, who is based in the United Kingdom made the statements while speaking with host Andre Errol Baptiste on Isports on i95.5fm on Tuesday night.
"I don’t keep many tabs but the tabs that I keep, based on what I read in the newspaper or on the social media about what is taking place with the Association right now is sad, really sad. I could have sensed something like that would have happened after the World Cup. We took a big step forward for the 2006 World Cup and then we took a huge leap backwards. I don’t think things have progressed,” explained Edwards, who resides in the United Kingdom and once plies his skills at the highest level in English football while sporting the red, white and black national colours for T&T in its only appearance at the Football World Cup, Germany in 2006.
A definitive high point in T&T football, which in recent times has seen FIFA, the world governing body for football, stepped-in to run the affairs of T&T Football Association (TTFA) by appointing a normalization committee on March 17, thereby dissolving the William Wallace-led administration.
“Mr Wallace took the chance, winning the election but unfortunately things did not happen. I do wish the situation is rectified as soon as possible and they could be back in the office and try to straighten out whatever needs to be straightened out,” said Edwards, who was very sympathetic towards Wallace's executive which was in-charge for just over three months.
He said, "FIFA did the right thing in appointing those persons to the federation, to take charge of things. If the likes of (Keith) Look Loy and Wallace and they work with the people that are in charge right now we will have a better Football Association. I am sure they can rectify stuff. Because at this stage, when you look at things, I think people wanted the job and wanted to be TTFA president for their benefit and that shouldn’t be. At the end of the day, you are a president, you are a chairman, a chairperson whatever it is, to do a job and you have to start doing the job not just for yourself but for the people and the fans, first and foremost, because, without the fans, there is nothing."
At present, the former St Anthony's College standout, who is also a coach at Ipswich Town Football Academy and a player with a local team, Woodbridge Town football club, pointed that, “Playing for the club (Ipswich) for five years, you are fond of the club, you're well-known, you living in the city, things been going good, it was an easy decision to make after retiring from professional football to try and fit in, as a former player at the club it was easy to get into the door and try to get into the coaching,” said Edwards.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian