The new T&T Premier Football League is facing the possibility of a shutdown via the High Court if the T&T Football Association/Normalisation Committee does not respond to pre-action protocol letter by Matthew GW Gayle, Barrister and Attorney-at-Law, who is representing former footballer turn administrator Damian Prescod by May 1.
The renown sports attorney, has issued two pre-action protocol letters before, (August 19 2021 and August 22, 2022) sent what they described as their third and final warning letter before action is taken, to determine the rightful owner of T&T Premier Football League project, as well as compensation.
Prescod played for Malabar football team - Drummers FC back in 1992/93 as a defender before transitioning to football administration where he decided to embark on a project called the ‘Empire of Dreams’ that would be of benefit to the nation as a whole.
He told Guardian Media Sports on April 20, that he dealt specifically with Technical Director of the TTFA Anton Corneal, who gave him the assurance verbally that his project would be implemented and he would be recognised for it.
Matthew GW Gayle in their letter to Corneal and the embattled football association said: “My Client is a company primarily engaged in the creation of a unique Soccer League built on a Public-Private-Partnership Model (‘PPP Model’) to ensure sustainability centred around young athletes and their community in the Caribbean towards a national level.”
“The PPP Model allows for the local communities, businesses, governments and sponsors to get involved during the entire recruitment process and during the season where profits will be split between the company, sponsoring corporate partners, local and national governments and the community through youth rehabilitation programmes. At all material times, you purported to be the Technical Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, (‘TTFA’), a governing corporate body of the sport of football, based in Port-of-Spain Trinidad, established under the Laws of Trinidad and Tobago by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Act. No. 17 of 1982 (‘The Act’) with registered address at TTFA Home of Football, Couva Main Road, Couva, in the Island of Trinidad.”
They added further: “My Client first contacted you in or around June-October 2015, thereafter on a fairly regular basis through a series of detailed discussions about their confidential proposal and provided a detailed plan on the upgrading of the TTFA (‘Empire of Dreams’).
This was presented in confidence and with a disclaimer, ‘that no part of the plan/work should be reproduced or shared with any other party without their express permission’. In or around 2019, 2020, and 2021, my Client spoke with you on several occasions where you gave assurances that you would personally approach the new TTFA members, who would ‘ no doubt get behind such enterprise.”
“ In or around the early half of 2022, my Client, having not received any response, updates or commitment on the Empire of Dreams, they proceeded to launch their own League carded for in and around October 2022. They embarked upon a heavily advertised campaign with the local media over the course of eight (8.) weeks.” “In or around the early part of 2022, within four (4) weeks of that time period of my Client’s media campaign, it was brought to my client’s attention that the TTFA had begun promoting the launch of a new professional league in Trinidad and Tobago.”
“ My Client asserts that most aspects and characteristics of the new League’s proprietary work plan were almost identical to the Empire of Dreams which was adopted and reimagined to suit the League’s project.”
“ My Client further avers that this project was being carried out by you without any dialogue, confirmation nor any intention that you intended to move forward, to reproduce and/or incorporate any part of the Empire of Dreams without express permission.”
“ Since becoming aware of your breach of confidentiality, My Client has attempted on numerous occasions to plead with you to engage open discussions but this has proven futile.”
Robert Hadad, chairman of the normalisation committee said recently that Corneal has had nothing to do formation, structure or start of the T&T Premier League and noted that it was a proposal he received from Giovanni Pavarotti, who was hired by the CONCACAF and the sport’s world governing body.
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