Super League commit injustice against 7 clubs - Kieron Edwards

His call comes from a T&TFA letter sent the day before the TTSL election (September 18) in which it was stated that seven clubs that were said to be suspended by the TTFA at a 2018 Emergency General Meeting (EGM) were never suspended.

Defence Force, Central 500 FC, Harlem Strikers FC, Marabella FCC, 1976 Phoenix, WASA FC and the Youth Stars were given observer status at the election Sunday but were not allowed to vote. They were eventually reinstated as the last item of the meeting agenda.

Edwards who was defeated 8-2 by Prison officer Lee Davis in the final round of voting, described the development as tragic, saying all members should have immediately been reinstated with full voting rights, upon the football association's letter which cleared them of being suspended.

Speaking to Guardian Media Sports yesterday Edwards also took a swipe at the way Sunday's virtual process was conducted: "It is a genuine fact that the clubs were deprived the rights as bonafide members to vote.

At the AGM, the business arising from the previous AGM would have brought into question the suspension of the clubs and they not being allowed to vote by the Board of the Super League for the coming election.

When that discussion was being had, someone raised a motion to defer item Z, which is the business arising from the AGM and referred it to agenda item K, which the constitution provides for.

The constitution provides for, if on the agenda there is a need to amend it, you have to put it to a vote, which was had, but the problem that occurred was that you need a two-thirds majority for an agenda item to be deferred or be brought forward, which the chairman of the meeting did not acquire.

At that time the member for Petit Valley then sought to have the matter sorted out before the election, but the chairman of the meeting said that a vote was already cast and it was victorious when in truth and fact, it was not victorious. I believe it was not done in any malice by the chairman because he just was not informed, however, a wrong was done and it should be corrected."

New president Davis said the matter seems to be a constitutional one, but declared that no one railroaded the meeting or tried to overturn any decision.

"Based on the constitution that the clubs were suspended by the TTFA for whatever reason, the next AGM would then hear the suspension matter and either continue the suspension or not. I would assume that the AGM that brought them to be suspended was duly done.

If the SL has their own procedures, I don't know if the TTFA could over-turn the suspension unless they appeal to TTFA and I don't know if that was done," Davis explained.

The TTFA on August 27 via its general secretary Amiel Mohammed, responded to a letter from the TTSL secretary Peter Thomas that the seven clubs were suspended. Mohammed in his letter said his association had no documentation to support the claims that clubs were suspended, and requested documentation from the TTSL to support its claim- that the clubs were suspended.

Thomas told Guardian Media Sports two weeks ago, that the minutes of the TTFA AGM of April 2018 were sent.

However, following more than two weeks of deliberations the TTFA submitted its final response, noting: " The TTFA was asked to consider whether suspensions and expulsions are in effect for members of the TTSL. After careful review and analysis, the TTFA holds the view that the suspension and or expulsions of TTFA members cannot be supported at this time.

In coming to this conclusion the TTFA took into account the provisions of Articles 14 and 15 of the TTFA Constitution and the minutes of the 21st April 2018, 24th November 2018, 12th September 2019 and the 24th of November 2019 General Meetings in particular.

According to Articles 14(2) of the constitution, provisional suspensions must be confirmed at the subsequent General Meeting by two-thirds of the members present and eligible to vote, failing which such suspensions are automatically lifted. The suspensions were not confirmed in the manner prescribed.

The motion passed at the 21st April 2018 Extraordinary General Meeting called for expulsions to take effect for non-compliant members by 31st December 2018. On an initial review, the motion was found to be of dubious construction and invalid by virtue, of it not being prescribed according to accepted rules of drafting (Robert's Rules of Order Part 1). Also given consideration was the failure of the TTFA at that time to constitute follow-up action on the motion to expel and allowing the Members in question to participate in a competition and other sporting activities organised by the TTFA, as supported by the 12th September 2019 EoGM Minutes, making it seemingly unjust for the TTFA to initiate follow-up action now."

For fresh elections to take place, an EGM could be had in 30 days, according to the by-laws of the Super League. Edwards said: " If more than 50 percent of the members sign an EGM letter calling for fresh elections, the board has to convene that meeting.

If it is not convened after 30 days, the members, who called for the meeting could convene it themselves. And if in that meeting a request is made for fresh elections, they have 21 days to go through the process of having fresh elections."

SOURCE: T&T Guardian