It looks likely that the reign of longstanding football administrator Oliver Camps could soon come to an end.
And a new era with former Trintoc, United Petrotrin and national team football manager Richard Braithwaite could soon begin
Newsday understands a number of top officials, including Keith Look Loy who is a FIFA Youth Development Officer and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation’s (TTFF) vice-presidents Raymond Tim Kee and Rudolph Thomas, are among a list of administrators that will be contesting the post of president at the upcoming Annual General Meeting of the TTFF.
Braithwaite is not among the list to contest the election but a number of ex-national players are calling for him to throw his hat in the ring.
The election, it is understood, is carded to be held within the next few months when a new president will be elected.
This is because Camps, who served as president of local football federation for the past 20 years, has agreed to step down if anyone decides to challenge him for the top post.
Contacted recently Camps said: “I have never contested the post of president because I was never challenged for the position.”
He made it clear his decision to step down in the face of competition is strictly to avoid disharmony in the federation. “Once there is competition, you always have one faction against another and this causes people in one faction to be angry or against those in the other,” Camps said last week.
However a number of ex-national football administrators are saying that while they support the choices of Look Loy, Tim Kee and Thomas for the top job in the football federation, they feel that business consultant Braithwaite is the best man for the job.
Camps said he will support anyone who wants to go up. “I have served and I have done so well, so I have no problem stepping down if there is need for it,” said Camps who was also manager of the Trinidad and Tobago “Strike Squad” during the failed World Cup campaign in 1989.
Ron La Forest who is considered one of the best strikers to play for Trinidad and Tobago, called for Braithwaite to take over at the helm of local football.
“I have worked with Braithwaite and he has always been a very honest, straight-foward and fair person who will not be afraid to call a spade a spade,” La Forest said.
La Forest feels confident that there is unlikely to be any sort of change to take place in the administration of local football if Look Loy, Thomas or Tim Kee should be elected.
Brian Williams, another former national defender is also lobbying for Braithwaite to throw his hat into the ring to contest the post of president. Like La Forest, he explained that he has worked with the affable Braithwaite at Trintoc and on the national football team.
“He has shown an interest in taking football to the next step. He is knowledgeable, he has experience and he has the interest of football at heart” the rasta hair-styled Williams said.
Known for his rugged tackles on the right of the TT defence, Williams was quick to add however that while he also knows Look Loy, Thomas and Tim Kee to be knowledgeable administrators, he feels that Braithwaite appears to be the perfect man for the job.
Edgar Vidale has also described Braithwaite as the number one choice for the position of president. But he is calling on the clubs to throw their support behind him if local football is to be moved foward.
Vidale stressed that Braithwaite has operated in that capacity for several years and he knows about the management of the football federation. According to Vidale, Braithwaite has also been at a number of high- profile international football meetings with the FIFA and was instrumental in guiding the Soca Warriors to the 2006 World Cup.
“Outside of Braithwaite I think Look Loy is the next best choice for the job as he has the academics to operate in such a position,” Vidale said. He dismissed Tim Kee’s candidacy saying the other top contenders will provide more enlightened stewardship of the local football organisation.
Braithwaite, Look Loy not running for top football job.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Newsday).
Richard Braithwaite, a frontrunner to replace Oliver Camps as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) at the upcoming Annual General Elections (AGM) later this year, has said he is not interested in the job.
And Keith Look Loy who has also been mentioned as a candidatehas echoed similar sentiments.
Braithwaite stated in a media release that he prefers to focus on the development of the sport at the grass-roots community level, particularly in south Trinidad.
“I am not interested in being president of the football federation or holding any other executive positions at this time,” Braithwaite stated.
And Look Loy, also in an e-mail made it clear that he currently holds two positions in the TTFF — technical adviser and chairman of the technical committee.
“Technical development is where my interest lies. As TTFF president I would not be able to work in this area as directly as I have been over the past years,” Look Loy said.
“I have to concentrate on the development of my club FC Santa Rosa, which requires a tremendous investment of time and energy. This is one of my priorities. I am very much dedicated to the development of the local game and the governing body — the TTFF — but, I repeat, I am not interested in doing so as president of the organisation,” Look Loy stated.
Braithwaite, a former Trintoc, United Petrotrin and national football teams manager had his name thrown into the ring after word circulated that Camps was expected to be challenged for the top job.
Also mentioned as possible challengers were current TTFF vice presidents Rudolph Thomas and Raymond Tim Kee.
Attempts to reach Look Loy and Thomas proved futile but Tim Kee revealed he has never been asked to contest the presidency. “That is news to me. I have not been approached by anyone and I do not know anything about that,” he said.
Camps on the other hand told Newsday that he will not go up for elections if anyone else decides to contest the post of presidency. The successful candidate will have to win the support of the TTFF affiliates.
Among Braithwaite’s accomplishments is his effort to have Dwight Yorke return to the national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany for which Trinidad and Tobago qualified under Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker. He also guided Trintoc to the national championship.
Braithwaite told Newsday he has been very concerned about the decline in sport in south Trinidad and that he is willing to help deal with the problems.
Braithwaite has also served on the FIFA Technical Committee. “One of the important things I learnt during my time of the FIFA technical committee, was the positive impact that football and sport in general can have on the youth.”
As such he is advising that there is need to establish a systematic youth development programme in south Trinidad, using sport as the main vehicle.
He described South as having a strong sporting tradition with a lot of talent in the various communities. “I intend to spend my time helping to develop this talent,” Braithwaite said.