TTFF appeals judge’s ruling

The Federation was also ordered to pay the legal bills which amounted to be in excess of $3 million. Justice of Appeal Rajendra Narine yesterday adjourned to next week Monday, the motion, which was called in the appellate court for directions to be given for the management of the appeal.

Last July, acting Justice Devindra Rampersad accused the TTFF of time-wasting and ordered that it honour its agreement to pay bonuses to the Soca Warriors. Named as respondents in the appeal are Marvin Andrews and 15 others.

Rampersad had dismissed the TTFF’s application for a stay of proceedings in the High Court, which sought to prevent the players from enforcing the judgment of the London-based Sport Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP), on the grounds of a supposed breach of confidentiality by the claimants “severely undermined” the defendants’ faith in the SDRP and, as a result, “they no longer agree to be bound by the agreement”.

The SDRP had ruled in 2008 that the Warriors, as the result of a contract made by TTFF Special Adviser, Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner and the players, they were owed 50 percent of all 2006 World Cup commercial revenue and ordered an immediate independent audit of the federation’s financial books for that period.

Rampersad, in ruling in favour of the players, said it found that the breaches complained of by the TTFF did not go to the root of the arbitration agreement and admonished them for time-wasting. The World Cup players who initially filed suit against the TTFF were Marvin Andrews, Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack, Atiba Charles, Cyd Gray, Ian Cox, Avery John, Brent Sancho, Chris Birchall, Aurtis Whitley, Collin Samuel, Evans Wise, Anthony Wolfe, Cornell Glen, Kenwyne Jones and Stern John.