FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Austin Jack Warner has ended his financial assistance to the TTFF 2010 World Cup programme.
A media release yesterday by TTFF General Secretary, Richard Groden stated that Warner—special advisor to the TTFF who was also a key financial figure in the Soca Warriors “Journey To Germany” campaign—had informed the Federation and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of his decision.The TTFF letter stated:
“The Federation, in the light of our benefactor, Jack Warner, officially advising the Ministry of Sport and us that October 31, 2006, is his last payment to our 2010 World Cup programme, which places the financial burden solely on him, has now forced the Federation to meet in emergency session to review our plans for 2010.
Soca Warriors of the World Cup have no grounds for claims to bonuses, says an official statement regarding the demand by the players for bonuses, which came to a head last month when the players said they would not play for T&T again if the bonuses, agreed to in the run-up to the World Cup qualification, were not paid.
The 13 World Cup members of the T&T team who were selected to play in two international friendlies against St Vincent and The Grenadines and Panama had voiced their feelings on the matter on the eve of the friendlies..
This came after the players accused the TTFF of reneging on contract issues which were signed prior to the World Cup Finals in Germany.
Following a number of meetings which proved unsuccessful in resolving the matter, the players, through their London-based lawyers, issued a statement which said they were leaving the matter in the hands of their lawyers who were expected to seek arbitration under the FIFA statutes.
But in the release yesterday, the TTFF stated:
“It is useful to note that a report from their Accounts Department indicated that of approximately $13 million of sponsorship money raised during the campaign, a percentage was consciously diverted to mobilise the 2010 World Cup campaign.
“In addition, several sponsors contributed to both the Germany campaign, as well as South Africa 2010, so that income was treated in the following manner:
“Two-thirds for the Germany campaign and one-third for kicking off the South Africa campaign.“In the meantime, the TTFF has sent to its auditors, KPMG, for audit all the Income and Expenditure for the 2006 World Cup campaign beginning from 2004 until 2006.
“On completion of the audit, the figures will be made public and shall show the hundreds of thousands of US dollars paid to the players, the banks to which these payments had been transferred, including banks in the Isle of Man and the US, bonuses which were given and this has nothing to do with the millions which the players received from the Government of T&T.”
