PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago football chief Raymond Tim Kee has lamented the cash-strapped situation of the local FA, but believes as the national team’s fortunes improve so will the financial state of the organization.
Tim Kee pointed out that CONCACAF rivals such as the United States and Mexico enjoyed far superior funding while the TTFA continued to lose money, especially from the hosting of international friendlies.
“USA’s budget for football a year is over US$100 million while Mexico’s is more than US$150 (million), but here in T&T we struggle to raise US$5 million,” he explained.
“And one of the reasons is that we don’t have the population to push the turnstiles to come in the stadiums, to generate funds that will even offset the cost of hosting an international match.”
He added: “Generally 95 per cent of the matches we host here in T&T, we end up in deficit because we just don’t have the numbers. The players and the teams we have been looking at are top quality teams because if we want to go and be with the top teams we need to be playing top quality teams.”
Tim Kee was speaking against the backdrop of T&T’s senior national team’s impressive outing at the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they were good enough to reach the quarter-finals before bowing out.
Not only did they top Group C but they came from behind in their final group stage match to snatch an amazing 4-4 draw with eventual champions Mexico.
Tim Kee said T&T’s international performances had improved because of increased friendlies against top tier teams and sees continued positive results as the way to attract corporate support.
“That why we have been performing in recent times as we have been because we have been liming the eagles,” the outspoken president said.
“Our performances are beginning to match our expectations and through those kind of displays as well, it is then we will attract patronage and support.
But to get there is a real uphill task, so all we can do is plead to the citizens of this country, corporate and private to come forward and support our team.”
He continued: “We have a new constitution, and we have re-adjusted our organisation but have not filled all the positions because that calls for money again, but we are looking forward and focus on the field to be a real challenge to any team in CONCACAF and we will demonstrate that again.
“We did it recently at the Gold Cup against Mexico, and to the USA I say here we come when CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers begin on November 17.”
