TTSL board wants Look Loy to stay on

Look Loy, a long-standing figure in local football resigned his positions of T&T Football Association Board member, T&T Super League president and chairman of the Technical Committee of the T&TFA on Friday, thereby clearing the way for Jameson Rigues, the former Guaya United manager to take over in an interim position until the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which Guardian Media Sports understands will take place in December despite the organisation constitution which states that it need to take oplace in November.

However, at a meeting of the TTSL Board on Monday night, that included Rigues, Colin Murray, Anderson Veronique, Terry Joseph and Eddie Dean, the members voted to ask Look Loy to hold on a while longer until the AGM.

A letter sent to Look Loy after the meeting stated: "The Board of the T&T Super League (TTSL) held its first virtual Board Meeting yesterday afternoon, Monday 19th October 2020 since your resignation of immediate effect on Friday 17th October 2020. The 1st Vice President, Jamieson Rigues opened the meeting by discussing your resignation from the Board and stated what a valuable contribution you have made to the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL) during your tenure and to football as a whole in our twin-island republic. The other members of the Board echoed his sentiments. After some discussion, and in light of the turbulent time T&T football is currently undergoing, the Board unanimously asked me- Eddie Dean, to write this correspondence on their behalf requesting the postponement of your resignation until the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the TTSL. The Board of the T&T Super League (TTSL) hopes you will give this request consideration and eagerly awaits your response."

However, Rigues in an immediate response said the members went against the constitution of the TTSL.

According to Rigues: "I made it known to the board that I am not in agreement with that, because if we abide by the TTSL By-Laws, which is a legal document, this document is clear, in various articles, as to what has to happen if the president resigns.

Currently, I sit in the chair, as per what the By-laws outlines, therefore, I represent the organization legally. If any legal issue arise out of this matter, I will have to answer. The president was elected by the membership, he was not appointed by the board and it should be up to the members to decide if Mr. Look Loy's resignation should be rejected or accepted following his decision to sever ties with the organisation on Friday.

So, for me, we must consider those who are for and those who are against. The board should be writing to the membership to ask their opinion on rejecting Keith's resignation, not writing Keith to beg him to come back."

Rigues said he knew he never had any support on the Board but was hoping. One member of the Board who did not want to be identified said he believed the TTSL was the best-run competition in the T&T under Look Loy, but he made it clear though, that that was not the basis for the decision to ask Look Loy, the Santa Rosa FC coach and owner to stay on.

When contacted on Tuesday by Guardian Media Sports on the Board's decision and willingness to have him stay on until the AGM Look Loy response:

"Comrades of the Super League Board,

I appreciate your assessment of my importance to both the league and Trinidad and Tobago football. The relationship we have cultivated over the past years require me to treat your request seriously. However, I have not taken the decision to resign flippantly and you know me to be a man of my word. As I said in my resignation letter, "I have run my race". I have given what I have to give and now you, the members of the Board, in whom I have every confidence must continue to move the league forward without me.

Moreover, in the era of FIFA's Normalization Committee, which we evidently are about to embark upon, I consider my departure to be in the best interest of the league, i.e. to eliminate any victimization from the FIFA sponsored and other power brokers.

Once again, I wish you every success and you have my support."

Meanwhile, Look Loy, a former national youth player, had played a key role in the United TTFA legal battle against FIFA since March.