ROSS RUSSELL is the new president of the Northern Football Association (NFA).
The former national goalkeeper was elected, on Monday night, after the association held its virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Russell’s slate defeated national football team manager Richard Piper’s roster 10-6.
Anthony “Dada” Wickham and Rodney Stowe (vice presidents), Michael Thomas (assistant administrative secretary), Nevick Denoon (assistant operations secretary), Kareem Paul and Dexter Harris (ordinary members) were also appointed to the new NFA executive.
Russell’s team replaced the outgoing executive which was headed by veteran sport administrator and businessman Anthony Harford.
Harford, however, did not stand for re-election.
Piper’s slate comprised of Derek Edwards, Triston Charles, Marvin Small, Hellwyn Junior Maxwell and Mark Benny.
The NFA’s AGM was originally scheduled to take place on September 2 but was postponed owing to the pandemic.
(NFA election results)
President: Ross Russell unopposed;
First vice-president: Anthony Wickham 10 votes, Tristan Charles 6 votes;
Second vice-president: Rodney Stowe 10 votes, Derek Edwards 6 votes;
Assistant secretary admin: Michael Thomas 10 votes, Hellwyn Maxwell 6 votes;
Assistant secretary operations: Nevick Denoon 10 votes, Marvin Small 6 votes;
Ordinary member one: Kareem Paul 10 votes, Mark Benny 6 votes;
Ordinary member two: Dexter Harris 11 votes, Russell Bristol 5 votes.
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Russell is new NFA president
T&T Guardian Reports.
Finally, former national goalkeeper Ross Russell has been legally elected as the next president of the Northern Football Association (NFA) of The T&T Football Association during a meeting on Monday night in which his slate won by a landslide to secure all seven positions that were at stake to manage the zone from 2021-2023.
Russell, the La Horquetta Rangers goalkeeper coach, who was first elected president of the zone at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) arranged by Anthony “Dada” Wickham and his supporting clubs at Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s on Boxing Day. It was a reconvened meeting after the first meeting on December 12 failed to attract a quorum.
However, that gathering was deemed to be unconstitutional by the zone since it had no information about the meeting.
Nevertheless, Russell, 53, of Diego Martin, was elected unopposed in the presence of 16 clubs at the Zone's annual general meeting which took place at the St James Youth Centre, Fort George Road, St James.
A former title-winning coach in the T&T Pro League with Defence Force, Russell was due to face off with national football administrator Richard Piper for the position, but Piper, who worked with Harford for over a decade as operations manager, cited outside interference in the zone's elections and decided not to participate and withdrew his nomination Form.
Rayshaun Mars, the out-going general secretary of the NFA told Guardian Media Sports on Tuesday that Piper informed the executive off his decision to pull out of the race for the presidency on Sunday evening, and they were only informed of that decision via the third party during their preparations for Monday’s elections.
The meeting also had to address the issue of the nominations Forms which were not completed according to the requirements of the constitution.
However, Wickham made a motion to have the Forms accepted and he was successful with 14 clubs voting in supports of it and two abstaining.
According to Mars, "We stuck to the agenda everything went smoothly. For the incomplete nomination Forms. Wickham called me to resubmit corrected Forms, I informed him that the deadline had already passed and it's only on the 28th he can address the issue. A motion was put to the floor for the members to accept the corrected forms that needed a two-thirds majority vote to allow any changes on election day. At the end, 14 clubs voted for the motion and two abstained. We then proceeded with the elections."
He said, "At the end of the day, all that was said and done what was acknowledged was that the right thing "is the right thing. NFA's AGM and the election came off smoothly a new executive was installed and I want to take this time to congratulate Ross and his BoM and wish them success in their future endeavours in the Zone."
Akel Baig, a former player with Morvant Caledonia United, will replace Mars as the zone's new general secretary.
As promised, Robert Hadad, chairman of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) Normalisation Committee (NC) provided neutral observers for the meeting with Secondary Schools Football League general secretary Azaad Mohammed Khan, who served as the returning officer, with support from chairman of the SSFL East Zone, Merrere Gonzales and former football official and T&T Football Referees Association vice-president Osmond Downer.
THE 2021-23 NFA EXECUTIVE
President: Ross Russell unopposed
First vice-president
Anthony Wickham 10 votes, Tristan Charles 6 votes
Second vice-president
Rodney Stowe 10 votes, Derek Edwards 6 votes
Assistant secretary administration
Michael Thomas 10 votes, Hellwyn Maxwell 6 votes
Assistant secretary operations
Nevick Denoon 10 votes, Marvin Small 6 votes
Ordinary Member 1
Kareem Paul 10 votes, Mark Benny 6 votes
Ordinary Member 2
Dexter Harris 11 votes, Russell Bristol 5 votes.