WITH United TTFA’s High Court action against FIFA proceeding despite attempts by delegates to stop it, Women’s League Football (WOLF) president Susan Joseph-Warrick is being accused by executive members of seeking to use the organisation to her own gain.
Joseph-Warrick was elected Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) second vice-president last November after being on a “United TTFA” slate that also included TTFA president William Wallace, Clynt Taylor and Sam Phillip.
The WoLF executive is claiming its president scheduled a WoLF extraordinary general meeting (EGM) set for September 14, without the input of her executive, then cancelling it once United TTFA’s High Court injunction action succeeded.
Joseph-Warrick is named as a party to United TTFA’s High Court action against FIFA. United TTFA on Monday successfully obtained an injunction blocking the majority of TTFA members from holding a similar EGM which had been scheduled for Tuesday, where they would have voted on whether to sanction or stop United TTFA’s court action against FIFA.
United TTFA had repeatedly deemed the TTFA EGM illegal because of the manner in which it was called. United TTFA had argued that TTFA delegates should not have gone to FIFA Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad to convene the meeting, but rather the TTFA general secretary Ramesh Ramdhan, who is currently suspended.
On condition of anonymity, WoLF executive members have indicated their objection to the WoLF president’s action on similar grounds. Having met previously, the WoLF executive had taken a position against United TTFA’s court action against FIFA.
Joseph-Warrick is accused of breaching article 29 of WOLF constitution, in by-passing executive members, and calling the meeting herself.
Article 29 states: “The executive committee may convene an extraordinary general meeting at any time.”
Queries were also made about the legitimacy of holding a virtual EGM.
“I am very disappointed with the flagrant disregard for the constitution that we all voted to uphold. The fact that today’s meeting was not even brought before the executive of WoLf for discussion, shows that this organisation has lost its sense of democracy and is moving more toward mob rule. One person’s view cannot supersede the fact that we are guided by the laws embedded in our constitution. We cannot and must not let our emotions guide us,” a WOLF executive member communicated.
Replying to queries from her executive on September 10, Joseph-Warrick agreed that the “executive committee” should have been the ones calling an EGM. And citing Covid-19 restrictions, she stated that any discrepancies can be “revised at our next AGM”.
“I am writing in response to the question of who should call an EGM of executive and membership,” stated Joseph-Warrick, “I am in agreement of Article 29 of TTWoLF Constitution which speaks clearly to the requirements of a conventional meeting.”
Joseph-Warrick put forward the right of the WoLF membership to have their say, as the reason for her action.
“We the elected officers of TTWoLF, represent the membership and they must have a say on the future of women football in Trinidad and Tobago,” Joseph-Warrick’s communiqué stated, “Whatever is the decision of the membership is what we should represent.”
Similarly, both T&T Pro League acting chairman and former Sport Minister Brent Sancho and Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad had argued that as the majority, TTFA members deserved to have their views heard, when Joseph-Warrick and her United TTFA colleagues were seeking an injunction from Justice Carol Gobin to thwart the EGM.
Commenting on the injunction matter on I95FM on Monday, Hadad said: “Thirty-five of 47 of your (TTFA) membership, the people who put you in power, are saying they want to meet with you. If I am not the conduit and you have taken me to court to stop me from having the EGM, then you should have the EGM.”
Prior to Gobin granting United TTFA the injunction, Joseph-Warrick also advised her executive that should United TTFA successfully obtain the injunction, then the WoLF September 14 EGM would be called off.
“An injunction has been filed by United TTFA against tomorrow’s (Monday’s TTFA EGM) meeting. So if the result is in favour, our (WOLF) meeting will be cancelled,” the WoLF president advised.
Once United TTFA obtained its injunction, Joseph-Warrick subsequently communicated that WoLF’s EGM was cancelled.
“Good evening executive and membership. Consistent with today’s order from Justice Gobin regarding a proposed meeting called by Robert Hadad to discuss the FIFA vs TTFA matter, today’s TTWoLF meeting is cancelled in order to avoid any semblance of contempt of court, “Joseph-Warrick stated.
SOURCE: T&T Express