Super League comes to Pro League’s rescue

Government provided eight of the 10 pro league clubs with grants of $50, 000 each for the past years, but has hinted it could not continue due to the tight economic situation. Only recently the Sports Company of T&T, the implementation arm of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, was forced to ask its employees to seek employment elsewhere, as it could not pay salaries etc.

But yesterday Look Loy, who heads the country’s second-tier football tournament, said he cannot sit by and watch established local clubs go back to the different zones. “We can sit down with the clubs and have a discussion on how we can move forward” Look Loy said.

The TTSL which was managed by the clubs for the first time in the SL’s history produced an equally entertaining competition this year, which Hydro Tech Guaya United dominated by winning both the Caribbean Football Trust League (CFTL) League Cup title and prestigious League title, preventing Look Loy’s FC Santa Rosa from taking a second League title this year.

Minister of Sports Darryl Smith, yesterday did not respond to a question on whether funding will be provided to the clubs and League next year, but Look Loy’s TTSL could potentially be the country’s top flight competition if government does not intervene soon. Look Loy who recently quit as his club’s head coach to focus more on the administration of the super league, said his league is desirous of climbing as high as it can go in the sport of football.

Its rescue of the pro league could mean preventing hundreds of players, administrators, coaches, vendors and other stakeholders etc from going on the breadline, as well as well as maintaining a proper feeder programme for national teams.

The super league currently comprises of 12 teams in League One which was previously the Premier Division, and seven teams in League Two, called the Championship Division before.