The association was known as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) between 1992 and 1 July 2013.
History
The first World Cup qualification campaign for the national team began in 1965 in preparation for the 1966 World Cup. The team failed to qualify after finishing last in their group in the First Round of qualification. However, in 1973, Trinidad and Tobago came within two points of qualifying for the 1974 World Cup in controversial fashion. Trinidad and Tobago lost a crucial game on 4 December 1973 against hosts Haiti 2–1 having five of their goals disallowed.
It was not until qualification for the 1990 World Cup that the national team would be in contention again. Needing only a draw to qualify in their final home game against the United States, Trinidad and Tobago's hopes were dashed by Paul Caligiuri who scored the game's only goal in the 38th minute to give the United States the last qualification spot for the World Cup.[2]
Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, its first-ever qualification for the tournament. They became the smallest country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2006, succeeding Haiti for the title. In Germany, Trinidad and Tobago were grouped with England, Sweden and Paraguay in Group B. The team earned some international respect after a draw with Sweden in their opening game and managing to hold England scoreless for 83 minutes. Trinidad and Tobago finished with their first-ever point from World Cup play after finishing 0–1–2 for the tournament.
2006 World Cup players' bonus dispute
Following the 2006 World Cup, the national team was thrown into turmoil by a dispute between the players from the World Cup squad and the TTFF. Prior to the competition, the players had agreed to a bonus scheme with the TTFF, where the players would share 50% of the federation's income from the World Cup.
Following the competition, the TTFF declared the income and expenses of TT$18.25 million and TT$17.97 million, respectively. This left TT$282,952 in net revenue and offered each player TT$5600, whereby the players rejected the offer. Subsequently, the TTFF revised their figure to TT$950,000. The amount the Federation received during their qualification campaign prior to the 2006 World Cup. The players also rejected the revised offer and requested to see the TTFF's unaudited accounts. The Federation refused the player's request.
On 30 June 2007, the players initiated a lawsuit against the TTFF.[4] Following an August 2007 inquiry by their lawyers to the Trinidad and Tobago government under the Freedom of Information Act, it was revealed that the TTFF had understated its income by at least TT$173.5 million. This was not including a TT$32 million bonus paid by the government and television revenue from friendly matches played in Europe prior to the World Cup. As a result, the players were deprived of at least TT$6.5 million each.[5]
Following the inquiry, the TTFF immediately lifted its ban on the players, and agreed to go to arbitration in London rather than to court. On 18 May 2008, British arbitrator Ian Mill QC ruled that the Soca Warriors were entitled to 50% of the profits of the Federation obtained from 2006 World Cup qualifying, as well as friendlies prior to the World Cup. However, on 9 Jan 2009 the proceedings never progressed as the TTFF were no longer interested in arbitration hearings in London and shifted their dispute to the Port of Spain Higher Court. The TTFF argued that the change was due to lawyers representing the 16 players breached the confidentiality clause in comments made to a local newspaper and other international media houses. A hearing of the application to lift the order which prevents the Port of Spain High Court from hearing the case is expected on 16 June 2009.[6][needs update]
In February 2011 the High Court ruled that an interim payment of US$100 be paid to the footballers. The judge also rejected the accounting documents submitted by the TTFF.[clarification needed]
In August 2012, the Federation relocated to new offices in Woodbroke as a consequence of having its equipment seized in a court order relating to unpaid payments.[7]
In March 2020, following 12 years of neglect, the digital presence of the TTFA was upgraded by JellyBean Agency and the TTFA transitioned away from ttfootball.org, to thettfa.com a more modern and impactful statement of the Associations quest to grow digitally and embrace a new era of sports engagement.
The FIFA Council suspended the TTFA on 24 September 2020 after the federation filed a claim in a local court against FIFA's decision to appoint a normalisation committee to reform the TTFA.[8]
The FIFA Council lifted the membership suspension on 19 November 2020 after the federation agreed to terminate all legal court action being pursued against FIFA. This consequently led to all FIFA membership rights being reinstated; this includes the inclusion in international football tournaments.[9]
It is estimated that there is currently an outstanding debt level at the TTFA of TT$500 million owing to both footballing creditors such as the men's national team, and to non-footballing creditors including the backroom staff. It is understood a number of sponsors such as Caribbean Chemicals, AVEC, and Digicel are owed vast amounts of money through undelivered sponsorship agreements.[10]
The TT Pro League is a first division football league in Trinidad and Tobago founded in 1999 and comprises eight teams. The Women's Football League is the top-level women's football league. It was established in 1986 and consists of 15 teams in two divisions, Premier and First.
The TTFF has also, since 1927, sponsored a nationwide tournament open to all TTFF affiliated clubs known as the FA Trophy.
Awards
The association awards the Trinidad and Tobago Footballer of the Year yearly to a male and a female professional footballer. Below is a partial list of recipients of that award:
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed the "Soca Warriors", represents the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in international football. It is controlled by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, which is a member of CONCACAF, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), and the global jurisdiction of FIFA.
The TT Premier Football League is the Trinidad and Tobago professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. Contested by ten clubs, the league is one of the world's few football leagues that does not operate on an automatic system of promotion and relegation. Seasons run from September to May, with teams playing 18 games each totaling 90 games in the season. Most games are played in the evenings of Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. TT Premier Football League clubs also play in other competitions, such as the FA Trophy, League Cup, TOYOTA Classic, Goal Shield, and Pro Bowl against domestic clubs from other divisions; and against clubs from other countries in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Angus Eve is a Trinidadian former professional footballer who is the head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team since 2021. With 117 caps he is his country's most capped player of all time.
Jack Austin Warner is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician, businessman, and former football executive. Warner was Vice President of FIFA and President of CONCACAF until his suspension and eventual resignation from these roles in 2011. He is also the former Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago and was an elected member of the country's parliament from 2007 to 2015. He was also the owner of Joe Public F.C., a professional football club in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. Warner has been implicated in numerous corruption scandals and was banned for life from football related activities by FIFA in 2015. He currently faces extradition to the United States to face corruption charges.
Aurtis Whitley CM is a Trinidad and Tobago former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He captained the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Everald "Gally" Cummings is a former football midfielder who played for six years in the North American Soccer League. He also played professionally in Mexico. He was a mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the 1960s and 1970s and later became the national team coach of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1980s during the Strike Squad years. He is listed in the Top 100 Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Millennium (1900–1999) by the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Sports and was inducted into the T&T Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.
The 2009 TT Pro League season was the eleventh season of the TT Pro League, the Trinidad and Tobago professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1999. A total of eleven teams contested the league, with San Juan Jabloteh the defending champions. The season began on 8 May, with Super Friday, and ended on 27 October. The format of the season was changed from each club playing three rounds to two rounds in the regular season to facilitate the national team with its attempt to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Shahdon Shane Andre Winchester was a Trinidadian professional footballer who played as a winger for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Joevin Martin Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for T&T Police and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Sheldon Bateau is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Belgian club Beveren. Bateau also represents the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
The history of the TT Pro League has its roots spanning back to the 1970s and 1980s when Trinidad and Tobago experienced an upswing in support for its domestic football. Several of the national team players featured for Defence Force during its dominance of the National League, which included the Teteron Boys becoming the first Trinidadian and only second club from CONCACAF to accomplish the continental treble in 1985. In addition, the national team also rose to prominence in the late 1980s after falling short by one match of qualification for the nation's first FIFA World Cup in 1989. Optimism for the growth and community interest of football in Trinidad and Tobago was at an all-time high. However, the early 1990s would mark a low point in Trinidad and Tobago football. In 1993, after a streak of poor performances, the Soca Warriors gave its worst ever showing in the 1993 Caribbean Cup after finishing a disappointing third, which was preceded by an early exit from its '94 for Sure campaign to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States.
Elton David Wallace John is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.
Dwight Quintero is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for TT Pro League club Central FC.
Aubrey Robert David is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga FPD club Alajuelense. Born in Guyana, he plays for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Jamaal Shabazz is a Trinidadian football manager, who is the current head coach of the Guyana national football team. He is known for four different stints in charge of Guyana.
Neil Tevin Michael Benjamin, Jr. is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a winger for TT Pro League club W Connection.
Levi Samuel García is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Greek Super League club AEK Athens and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Jomal Evans Williams is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera División club Once Deportivo and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Molik Jesse Khan is a Trinidadian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Minnesota United FC 2 and the Trinidad and Tobago national football team.
References
↑ "Jamaica get 1966 soccer tourney". Kingston Gleaner in newspaperarchive.com. 2 April 1964. "The Federation approved the re-incorporation of the Dominican Republic into the organization, while Trinidad and Puerto Rico were accepted as new members."
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