Having fumbled for a way through after humble beginnings, the Football Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT) can finally afford to stand on their feet.
The financial boost will pump some life back into the Players Association, which has been dormant due to a lack of funds. It involves annual contributions over the next three year periods, after which Sport Minister Gary Hunt said FPATT must become "self-sufficient and self-reliant".
Hislop, the ex-national goal-keeper, who left the country yesterday after flying in the day before for the press conference, thanked Hunt for, "his support, his vision" and the "financial input from his Ministry".
"Every penny will go back into the game," was Hislop's assurance.
The monies promised for the final two years will be granted to FPATT, "predicated upon the receipt of audited statements", a major criterion Hunt has repeatedly demanded from sport organisations benefitting from the Ministry's generosity.
Yesterday, Hunt paid out the first installment, the sum of $1,500,000 to the players association. For the second year they will receive $1 million, and the final payout will be $750,000.
Among FPATT's immediate agenda will be player mobilisation, "to get the Players Association off the ground" according to Hislop.
"We will be focussing on starting a membership drive and establishing a voice for the players," he said, adding that, "...the only tangible assets in football are the players, so the players must have a voice".
FPATT was formed in 2003, and have been at odds with the T&T Football Federation (T&TFF) over players issues for some time. Still, Hislop said FPATT are not "against" the T&TFF, despite "broad and slanderous statements" being made against the Association:
"FPATT is not against the TTFF. We are just here to give the players a voice in the game. I don't know how that translates to being against the T&TFF. I didn't get that translation."
Asked about the money they received from the Ministry last year, Hislop reported that the sum of $99,000 they got was only a loan, and will be repaid from the funds they received yesterday "with some accrued interest, of course".
He also described as "absolute fallacy" claims that the ongoing arbitration involving members of the 2006 World Cup squad and the T&TFF over World Cup bonuses was being paid for by funds provided by the Government.
Hislop said that FPATT will continue to look after players' interests, and referred to insurance for national players at all levels as an important issue. He pointed to an incident where he claimed the T&TFF had given verbal assurance that there would be insurance for senior national players in February last year.
"Lo and behold, when Kenwyne Jones got injured (in June last year versus England), there was a rather embarrassing exchange of words between Roy Keane and Jack Warner over the lack of insurance for Kenwyne Jones."
FPATT are also planning their AGM, which Hislop said is high on their agenda.