Referees put pressure on TTFF

The TTFRA and the TTFF have been at loggerheads over the Federation’s refusal to establish a Refereeing Department as required by regulations from the game’s governing body FIFA.

According to a media release, the TTFRA General Council, on October 9, met to “bring to the attention of the various stakeholders in the football community the risk which the TTFF continues to expose the game in Trinidad and Tobago.”

On April 2010, FIFA adopted into their statutes new regulations to govern the organisation of refereeing in all Member Associations within the international body.

After a grace period of one year to facilitate compliance, all Member Associations were required to comply with the regulations from April 1, 2011.

“To date the TTFF has not established its Refereeing Department as required by the regulations,” the release, issued by the TTFRA, noted. “While it has established a Referees Committee as required by the regulations, that Committee has not been meeting to take the decisions in keeping with its responsibilities since July 29, 2011.” As a result, the committee is non-functional and the TTFF stands the risk of being slapped with disciplinary sanctions from FIFA.

“Such non-compliance can result in Trinidad and Tobago being banned from engaging in international competition, both teams and FIFA match officials,” the media release pointed out. “Such a turn of events will affect (all) national teams and TT Pro League teams which contend for Championship League qualification.”

The TTFRA went on to state, “the TTFF having made the required changes to its constitution to accommodate the regulations has fallen short in implementing the regulations. The TTFF therefore is continuing to act in a manner contrary to its own constitution.”

The TTFRA has decided to plead to the TTFF “to act in a responsible manner and observe and adhere to the provisions of its own constitution.

“We have been concerned that as a member of the organisation, the TTFF has refused to allow the TTFRA to participate fully in decisions which affect us directly,” the media release continued.

“The TTFF’s failure to comply with FIFA regulations coupled with an unwillingness to work harmoniously constituent members, while supporting the breaking of democratic rules by preferred members is setting up the stage for fast-tracking the end of football in Trinidad and Tobago as controlled by the present administrators,” the TTFRA statement ended.