Former national midfielder now turned coach Angus Eve is calling on the Football Players Association of T&T (FPATT) to come to the assistance of the Soca Warriors now.
The footballers are locked in talks with the T&T Football Association (TTFA) over match fees for the Concacaf Gold Cup, the International Friendly match with Nicaragua, the World Cup Qualifier against Guatemala on November 13 and the game against the United States here at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on November 17.
On Wednesday, the board of directors of the TTFA formed a three-member committee to address the issue of payments to the players and they are to meet with the players’ representative Jan Michael Williams or Kenwyne Jones this week.
The FPATT was formed in 2007 out of a similar battle for monies owed to the players from the TTFA and then special adviser Jack Warner regarding the 2006 World Cup campaign.
Among the items the organisation had promised to negotiate with the authorities on behalf of the players were: match fees insurance for the players; to provide a vehicle to facilitate collective bargaining on behalf of the membership including pre-set international appearance fees; a maximum standard contract of employment for professional footballers and youth players; security for clubs and players; a system that would offer access free legal advice and the implemention of a professional footballers group pension scheme, among many others.
Contacted yesterday, Eve called on the FPATT to assist the players, saying both Michael Williams and Jones should not have to be representing the players now. According to the St Ann’s Rangers coach a number of players were at the forefront when the organisation was formed, such as Central FC managing director Brent Sancho, former national goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and another goalkeeper Kelvin Jack.
Eve said: “As soon as those players were paid by TTFA and the government their World Cup monies, it seem as though FPATT became non-functional. I have not heard from FPATT after monies were paid to those players and the sad thing is that we have a situation similar to what happened back in 2006 here.”
According to Eve, the coach of Naparima College, the reigning InterCol and premiership champion school team: “Players are not supposed to be fighting battles to be paid. What that does is take away from their focus on the game. This is why players have managers and agents and its what FPTT should be doing.”
He told the T&T Guardian he felt disappointed by the latest episode of players having to fight for money that belonged to them.
“When a player enters a national team, a number of things must be listed out to him, such as how much he will earn in match fees among many other things. It cannot be like now where players have to lobby for match fees months after the game because when players leave their professional clubs to represent their country, they are putting themselves at risk of getting injured,” Eve said.
He added: “I have seen a situation where a TT player left his club to represent his country and he was injured in a match and eventually lost his contract. Now if players are not properly compensated for their service while on national duty, what will happen to them?” Eve asked. Attempts to reach Sancho, Jack or Hislop proved futile.
Some of the FPATT objectives
1. To provide an elected representative body that can address the concerns of professional footballers in T&T.
2. To achieve 100 per cent membership of professional footballers in T&T.
3. To provide professional footballers with the ability through a representative body to help govern and shape the future of profesional football in T&T.
4. To provide a vehicle to facilitate collective bargaining on behalf of the membership including pre-set international appearance fees.
5. To provide a maximum standard contract of employement for professional footballers and youth players to provide security for clubs and players alike and to give players access to free legal advice.
6. To arrange sponsorship and funding to put into place insurance for players in case of career ending injuries.
7. To work alongside TTFF to help encourage football in the community projects to help to increase the attraction of the professional game in T&T with both supporters and prospective players.
8. To arrange an affordable professional footballers group pension scheme with the long term aim of clubs contributing on behalf of players.
9. To provide education and advice to assist players leaving the game to obtain new careers outside football.
10. To liaise with FIFPRO and the other CONCACAF players associations to develop similar working practices across the region, improving the attraction of football as a profession and increasing the standards of professional football in the Caribbean.
11. To lobby for changes in the governing of the game at all levels to provide financial transparency.
12. To provide player representation for the benefit of players and clubs alike, to reduce much needed finances going to outside parties, and to arrange in association with the TTFF more stringent agent licensing.
byWALTER ALIBEY
