Clubs take charge of running Super League

Keith Look Loy, owner and coach of the 2016 Super League Premiership Division champions Sports and Games FC Santa Rosa, is the president of the interim board of directors, with Lt Ryan Ottley (Defence Force), Kestor Lendor (Real Maracas FC), George Joseph (Bethel FC) and Quincy Jones (Siparia Spurs) completing the list of directors. 

According to Look Loy, “on the 13th of December we voted to adopt a constitution to form ourselves into a League. Until the end of this season, the Super League was a TTFA (Trinidad and Tobago Football Association) competition, like the FA Cup, it wasn’t a proper league. 

“So what we’ve done is voted on a constitution that has been agreed by (14) clubs, out of the 23 that we had last season.” The clubs who voted for the new League were Barrackpore FC, Bethel FC, Central 500 Spartans, Club Sando-Moruga, Cunupia FC, Defence Force, FC Santa Rosa, Guaya United, Palo Seco FC, Petit Valley FC, Real Maracas, Siparia Spurs, UTT and WASA FC. 

“The rest are invited to adopt the constitution that would automatically make them members,” Look Loy noted. “We’re going forward. We have registered our name and we’re going ahead with incorporating to form a company that would own the league and run the league on our behalf. 

“In addition to that, in the early days of January, we have that date fixed as the 9th of January, we’re going to be formally applying for membership in the TTFA. On the 7th we have a general membership meeting where we’re going to finalise on certain things, and then send in the formal application on the 9th. We would be responsible for running the Super League, as it is called now the Trinidad and Tobago Super League. It will be two divisions as we had (in 2016) and maintaining promotions, and relegations, with the zones.” Concerning his role as coach of FC Santa Rosa, Look Loy admitted, “that is something that clearly, in Santa Rosa, we’re going to have to address. We’re going to have that resolved long before the new season starts. 

“I have thought of that and, in fact, when we had that meeting on the 13th, I took this role because the clubs asked me to do it. I wasn’t looking for any pole position but the clubs unanimously asked me to do it. I recognise it has implications in my club so the club would have to address that.” With regards to the clubs who did not vote for the new format (1976 FC Phoenix, Prisons FC, Queen’s Park and Saddle Hill Hotspur), Look Loy said, “as members of the 2016 National Super League, they’re entitled to membership. But, because we’re forming a new organisation, they have to adopt the constitution. 

When we had that meeting, we had 18 clubs there and four abstained because they were not prepared, although we had circulated the constitution and agreement two weeks before. 

“There were some clubs absent, although they were invited. The people who would have to qualify would be the people coming through Champions of Champions, from the zones, just like before.” He went on to add, “now the clubs would own the league, instead of the TTFA.” As far as the sponsorship aspect was concerned, Look Loy pointed out, “we have a draft budget for 2017. We recognise that we’re going to have to attract some sponsorship. 

What we’re trying to work on is to ensure that we’re financially viable. And the starting point for that is to make sure that our membership fees cover the cost of operations.”