Who’s paying the piper?

However, is it his belief that he should retain the right to established contracts unilaterally regarding the future of TT football and expects the Government, or more specifically the people of TT to pick up the bills regardless? What exactly are his expectations? Is it that the Soca Warriors are his to do as he pleases and Government must be literally a silent partner, simply towing the line?

I was amazed to see what has transpired over the last week with regards to how the coach of the TT team was appointed. Despite an invitation to meet the Government of TT to discuss a way forward for TT football with specific emphasis on the World Cup in 2010, Mr Warner announces unilaterally the appointment of Rijsbergen as head coach and almost sought to implicate the Government for Beenhakker’s move to Poland — only to remind the journalist at the last moment that the travelling was the major reason for Beenhakker’s decision.

Simple courtesies suggest that a meeting with the appropriate Government officials be held to at least alert the persons who will be picking up the bill as to what is going on.

I don’t believe that it is good enough for the TT Government to read in the papers about Rijsbergen being the newly appointed coach and Beenhakker, in addition to being Poland’s head coach, being paid by us as a technical adviser. It is not only an insult to the Government but also to the people who have put the Government up as its representative.

If Mr Warner really expects a partnership to exist between the TT Government and the TTFA then his approach leaves a lot to be desired. He seems to enjoy riding roughshod over people to get his way.

The way things are going now it won’t be long before this lack of courtesy rubs the Government the wrong way and a battle of testosterone ensues; with the eventual losers being the people of TT. But he can be assured that the people of TT have matured a lot since the debacle of 1989.