TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner touched on the current impasse between the Trinidad and Tobago World Cup team members and the TTFF. Currently the senior players who represented this country at the World Cup in Germany have been blanked from national duty as an impasse continues with regards to payments of bonuses they claim are owed to them.
By Shaun FuentesThe players have since taken the TTFF to court. Warner however, even after allowing the situation to linger on, confessed that he did it purposely but is now ready to meet with the same players and come to a resolution. He hinted that he will go to London in between his trips to Korea and Toronto within the next month to meet with them and hold discussions with an aim of resolving the disappointing issue.
Warner explained, "I went to the players dressing room after the World Cup game against Sweden and after their achievement of drawing the game with ten men on the pitch, I made a promise to them".
"I told them that we had originally promised to give them 30 per cent of the net gain from the matches but I was now willing to give them 50 per cent. Since then they have insisted that we give them 50 per cent of the gross. The TTFF has given the players all their money and some of the guys who are not able to play for T&T again, are just looking for another pay day".
"I told Dennis Lawrence that I am not a bad person who would not keep a promise. I told him I even took his mother to Germany to see him play in the final game. His response was that he never asked me to do that".
"I intend within the next month to meet with the guys who still have a playing future and explain to them the folly of their ways. I have allowed this situation to drag on for a while, so that the guys can see the wrong they do. Who knows, after I meet with them one on one, I may even pay them what they want but they must know the errors of their ways," Warner said as he addressed a gathering at a Guardian sports symposium which closed on Saturday morning.
