Trinidad and Tobago footballers owed over TT$4 million

By David Gold

October 12 – Trinidad and Tobago’s Football Federation (TTFF) will pay more than TT$4 million (£2.4 million/€3 million) to 13 players who played in the 2006 World Cup as compensation following a dispute between the two parties over revenues from their participation in the tournament, which was held in Germany.

An agreement with former TTFF chief Jack Warner had meant that players were owed 50 per cent of commercial revenues from the World Cup, something they had claimed no longer applied due to an alleged breach of confidentiality by the players.

Earlier this year the TTFF was ordered to pay in excess of TT$7 million (£3.4 million/$5 million) when it was ruled that they had breached the agreement, and Judge Rampersad has now ruled at the Port of Spain High Court that they are owed a further compensation payment.

Whilst making his judgment Rampersad said that the state of the organisation’s accounts was unknown and needed clarification.

Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who resigned from his football posts earlier this year over alleged conspiracy to bribe voters during the organisation’s Presidential election, must also convince the judge that he should not be present as a defendant in the case.

The players want him to appear to clarify the position of the organisation’s accounts, so that they can find out both who was in charge of their financial affairs and how much was generated during the competition.

It is the latest part of a case, which dates back to 2008, when the Sport Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP) had said that the players were owed their bonuses from the World Cup, and the squad then filed proceedings at the High Court in the Port of Spain calling for the ruling to be adhered to.

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