T&T football enthusiast and contributor Earl “Mango” Pierre wants the United TT Football Association (TTFA) to stop fighting Fifa because local football will suffer in the end.
Pierre helped form the TT Players Association in Brooklyn, New York in 1992 to honour players, coaches and managers.
Pierre, who has outlined his frustration in the past with the TTFA, believes if the United TTFA continues to battle Fifa it will only hurt T&T football going forward.
The United TTFA is currently in a court battle against Fifa.
On March 17, Fifa removed former TTFA president William Wallace and his executive from office (deputies Clynt Taylor, Susan Joseph-Warrick and Joseph Sam Phillip) who were elected in November 2019. Fifa appointed a normalisation committee to run local football for two years, saying the decision was made because of the association’s financial woes and “massive debt.”
In April, the ousted executive made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, saying the decision was a breach of the TTFA’s constitution. Wallace and his team then felt they would not get a “fair hearing” from CAS and appealed to the local High Court on May 18.
On August 13, Justice Carol Gobin said that the matter must be resolved in T&T but days later, Fifa insisted that the matter must be resolved by CAS. Pierre said, “I was in full agreement with the normalisation committee coming on board to clean up all the nonsense, especially with the continuing money debts and coaches who after their tenure always take them (TTFA) to court in order to get their well-deserved monies.” Former national men’s senior coach Stephen Hart is one person who has taken the TTFA to court over the last few years for outstanding salaries.
After being removed from office, Wallace was criticised for several decisions. Decisions included not getting board approval for the contract of current T&T men’s senior coach Terry Fenwick.
“Look at all that was revealed about Wallace’s United TTFA and they themselves were also accusing (former TTFA president) David John-Williams about things. Who can we really trust? I am really hoping that when the normalisation committee takes care of business in the next two years the right persons will finally be elected to run the TTFA moving forward.”
Pierre said administrators must not exploit players and “the beautiful game in our sweet country.”
Pierre thinks that if the United TTFA continues to fight Fifa local football will suffer the consequences. “What makes the present TTFA president (Wallace) feel that he can go up against them and win. TTFA could never keep up with what it’s going to cost the organization, coupled with the sanctions that are going to be placed on the country of T&T.”