So when will we learn? Even as the people of T&T come to terms with questions over the administration of football as we continue our World Cup bid, along comes another issue involving the T&T Football Federation (TTFF).
This time we are faced with the situation where there are questions over the management style of the TTFF. Within the last three weeks, the T&T Football Referees Association is seeking answers as to why the TTFF is not following the doctrine of Fifa regarding the referees mandate implementation that was extended by one year.
As it stands, there are 270 registered persons with the Referees Association, and the TTFF is saying that all of these persons need to re-register with the TTFF and forget about the current T&T Football Referees Association.
In other words, the TTFF wants to disband the current association. They have offered the Referees Association a chance to exist as a social club. As one referee put it “so that they play cards and run bingo and have tea…”
Osmond Downer is the most knowledgeable referee in this region. He has not only officiated in Fifa international matches all over the world, but has been a well renowned and applauded Fifa Referee Instructor and Fifa Referee Assessor for many years, with many of his students not afraid to credit their success to his tireless efforts.
This is a man who has a lot of pride and love for refereeing, so when he speaks out, people need to listen and when he is upset, as he is now, then you need to stand, listen and take positive action. Downer was never afraid to speak his mind.
Today he is puzzled by the actions of the TTFF. “This action is an insult to referees. It is sad that the Federation should be adopting this position because it is not good and sends the wrong signals,” Downer said on isports Thursdays on i95.5fm President of the Association, Gary Andrews, is uncertain under what basis the TTFF is taking such action.
“Given what the Fifa mandate clearly articulates, there is not much difference between the actual constitution of the Federation and the revised rules from Fifa on referees. We are a member association of the TTFF and are the first so listed.
“All our members are registered with us as stated by Fifa and under the new guidelines we are more than willing to work with the TTFF. It seems that the TTFF wants to take things a step further and get rid of us.
“All the other countries in the region are working through the existing referee association and the Football Associations but in this country, the TTFF wants to have full control and silence the referees,” stated Andrews on i95.5fm. Perhaps it is interesting to note that there has been a very independent approach by the Referees, and as a result there has been a lot of clashes between them and the TTFF.
However one would hate to believe that some in the TTFF sense that this is an opportunity to take strong action against referees for disagreements in the past.Due to the start of the Secondary Schools Football League and the Pro League, there has been a major demand for referees.
With the country only having a few who are Fifa certified at the moment, the TTFF have had to embark on a rapid fire training session for interested persons. In fact, the situation has been so chaotic that we have read from press releases from the TTFF, that referees are being qualified after four days of classes (spread over two weekends), and some of these officials are being thrown into the deep end at both Secondary Schools and even football in the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Downer is understandably appalled by this. “It would normally take several months before a referee is allowed to officiate an Under-14 match. It is perhaps a year later depending on performance and constant assessment before they can be allowed to officiate in matches at Secondary Schools, Super league, Pro League and so on.
“It is a natural progression to allow recruits, as we call them to gain confidence and awareness from a practical point of view,” said Downer. Joseph Taylor is a former Fifa referee and was recently placed on the referees committee established by the TTFF. He says that among the problems they are facing is that decisions taken by the committee are changed.
“We will discuss a matter and agree to it at the referees committee meeting and when we return for the next meeting, the chairman will return and say that when the points were made to the TTFF executive, they made changes. We tried to have mediation with Harold Taylor, but this did not work as we expected,” noted Taylor.
The TTFF appointed a three-member committee headed by Kuarsingh and including Rudy Thomas and Neville Fergusson. The problem though is that all of these individuals hold senior posts on the TTFF executive and this could lead to a “conflict of interest”.
It is clear that most referees love and enjoy the sports, so it is sad to read a release from the TTFF that says part of the lure for recruits include a) a whistle b) an official uniform and c) a pass so to attend matches with a companion.
Andrews stated referees are still owed monies from 2008. “TTTF currently owe referees around $200,000 but we have continued to give our service.” Referees charge $350 (to be shared among three persons with $50 going to the Referees Association). If there are two officials $250 and if there is one person $100.
This leads to questions on the way forward for both as it appears neither side will back down and while it seems that the Referees Association is correct, the problem may be exogenous to the respective associations and instead may be more personal. As always in sports, many of our errant administrators cannot accept criticism. It is time for this dismissive behavior to end and for the TTFF to chart a new course in this a different chapter in their life.
We have even heard that the refereeing official who was on the TTFF executive was banned because she spoke out in a television interview. Let us hope that is only a rumour. This would certainly not be the correct message to send to those in authority from whom the TTFF are seeking funding. If football is to move forward, the TTFF must recognise the role of both groups.
There is a suggestion that the TTFF President Oliver Camps and secretary Richard Groden are sometimes understanding but are overshadowed by others. If that is the case, we can understand why Camps has the pained look much more now because he knows that if Jack Warner was still in football, this matter would have been resolved already.