TTFA reclaims Super League

ASP owner Anthony Harford has written the TTFA, indicating an interest in relinquishing the last two years of his contract which runs until 2015.

I informed the TTFA in writing that I would like to relinquish the Super League,” stated Harford. “My company has no other choice.”

TTFA general secretary Sheldon Phillip was not available yesterday when several efforts were made to gauge the financial impact of the TTFA’s running of a new competition. However, in a brief telephone interview last week, TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee briefly acknowledged that the Association will take over the running of the League.

“Yes,” Tim Kee said when giving confirmation about the Super League coming under the TTFA’s control. “We are looking at it, but there are still things to be worked out.”

Harford said that in 2002, he approached the TTFA with a proposal to run a semi-professional league. But, he said that in recent times it has become more difficult to run the league. He said recent changes in the TTFA administration had also prompted the final decision to opt out.

“The TTFA wanted to do some review of the competition, and I also got the feeling they wanted to be independent, “ Harford said. “So, with a new administration (under Raymond Tim Kee) and our deteriorating relationship with the Ministry of Sport, I though it made no sense to continue running the Super League.”

The Super League had become a financial burden to All Sport Promotion. Harford said agreements put in place between the stakeholders when he took up running the Super League were not being honoured.

Back then, Government agreed to take care of referee’s fees and inter-island travel for teams, while Harford’s company would cover all other expenses and take a 15% commission. Harford said that since 2012, the Ministry of Sport refused to reimburse All Sport promotions for money paid to referees and for team travel.

“Every single week we have had to fork out $6,000 to pay the referees and we have had to pay the $18,000 to have teams travel to and from Tobago, and still no indication from the Ministry that we will be reimbursed,” Harford declared. “By the end of this year, I will be out of pocket close to one million dollars. It has almost made my company bankrupt.”

Speaking further of the League’s financial trouble, Harford said: “The permanent secretary paid us for the previous five years, but when we sent in our bill for 2012, we were told that there was no cabinet note for that.”

Contacted yesterday, permanent secretary Ashwin Creed declared that currently, the Ministry of Sport had no formal arrangement with the Super League, but he acknowledged that there was some arrangement in place under another Government in 2002-2003, when the Super League was formed.

“The only competition by Government is the Pro League and that is for just one year and would have expired in September. We have now where we have to go back to cabinet to get further approval for the Pro League, “Creed said. “The Super League was only part of an arrangement for a short period back in 2002-2003. But that arrangement with the Super League ended some years ago.”

“That does not mean we do not help the Super League,” he added. “The Sport Company and the Ministry has helped many Super League teams.”