And now, there is a doom and gloom story from the T&T Professional Football League. With the dropping out of Petrotrin and the losses of investments by some of the major clubs, the league seems about to be shaken by a football earthquake, probably the only one which could have been detected even before the league had begun.
One would have thought that any businessman who decided to enter a franchise in the pro league competition, would have taken into consideration many of the factors which various leagues across the football world will have experienced.
The record books will show that the English Professional League clubs who pioneered the now famous competition, never made a profit for the first 19 years of the existence of the league.
There was only one club to enjoy that benefit and the margin of profit was miniscule by any standards. So the initial lesson should have been obvious to all the investors, and any inclusion of a team should be backed by the possibility of losses for a few years before turning the corner.
The second lesson will have been the business management who should ensure that the financial bar is not set too high to maintain, especially when it comes to salaries for the players and staff. These figures should have been based upon market surveys which indicate a certain degree of crowd participation, the exposure of television, and the stability of the league.
In just a few years, there have been many dropouts in the league, while the anxiety of the organisers to take new clubs superceded their desire to scrutinise the financial capabilities of each institution.
It is clear that much of the financial details which were placed before the applicants were not stringently adhered to before these teams were accepted. My reason for this comment stems from the fact that the league has from time to time failed to produce the funds for referees on time, and failed to pay prize monies at their closing ceremonies.
We need to understand very clearly that this country does not have sufficient players of professional competence to accommodate 24 teams,hence the reason why the quality of play is improving so slowly.
The task of educating players who are aspiring to become true professional players, and the definitive features which they must understand before they enter the prestigious profession, should have been part of the essentials for a solid base of true professional football.
It would also be worthwhile to strengthen the supporting roles of referees vis a vis their levels of competence, the employed coaches who may need more education in order to improve the quality and most importantly, a code of discipline from all persons within the framework of professional football.
It would be untrue to say that all is lost, because it is my sound belief that professional football is a key factor towards a progressive state of the game. I do recall my early days as a young footballer at Fatima College, when John Millar, the training officer of the Trinidad Petroleum Company Limited, embarked upon a plan to extend their responsibilities into the field of sport.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to a scholarship programme inaugurated by the company to identify firmly with sports in the country. Numerous outstanding players in different sporting disciplines, such as Son Baptiste, Jim Lowe and Harold Cox (both deceased), Edgar Vidale and Kent Babb to name a few were given jobs with the company in areas which were relevant to their academic ability.
With proper management and interest in being a good corporate citizen, this organisation has all the ingredients to take sport to a higher level, almost unilaterally.
They should check their record books to understand the magnificence of the athletes from places like Point Fortin, Palo Seco, Siparia, Fyzabad, San Fernando and Point a Pierre, before making key decisions like opting out of institutions like Cricket, Football, track and field, and possibly Basketball.
Employment for sportsmen should be an added incentive to the young people of our nation, who wish to mix an employment future with their desire to become top sportsmen. There is no loss in that type of investment and more companies should be eager to go that route.
Investment in human resource is probably the greatest step forward in today’s society and I hope the relevant authorities are listening. Editor’s note: Alvin Corneal is a former national footballer and cricketer. He coached the national senior football team. He was awarded the HummingBird Silver Medal in 2009.