David John-Williams, the W Connection boss is the new president of the T&T Football Association. Yesterday at a hotly contested annual general meeting and election of officers at the VIP Lounge of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, John-Williams got the nod 25 votes to 19 for the incumbent Raymond Tim Kee after the second round of voting.
After the first round, John-Williams got 18 votes to Tim Kee's 13 with Clynt Taylor in third with eight. Both Ramesh Ramdhan, the ex T&T referee and Veteran Football Federation (VFF) president Selby Browne were eliminated early after each received only three votes.
Tim Kee, when he heard the result of the first round of voting, immediately left the Stadium, saying he was going to have lunch.
After being praised for his role in implementing changes to the TTFA constitution, Tim Kee now appeared to be a victim of his own initiatives.
He told the Guardian when the votes were being counted that he welcomed the change which has seen five people in an election race for the football association's top position.
"I was adamant that there be changes to the constitution as well as a two-term limit for TTFA presidents and I am happy it turned out this way," Tim Kee said.
Meanwhile new president John-Williams gave a promise that he will do his best for Trinidad and Tobago.
He explained that his first order of business will be a budget exercise for a national team–the Under-20 Women's Team, which will be off to Honduras for a Concacaf U-20 Championship this week.
He explained that he will also look at setting up sub committees and get them functional as well as seek an audience with national coach Stephen Hart ahead of the Copa American play-off with Haiti on January 8.
He gave the assurance that he will not be a jacket-and-tie president that will be confined to an office.
"Rather I will lead from the front and set an example. If I have to pick up papers for T&T football I will do that," John Williams said.
He also promised that all attempts will be made to get the country's top players for the Copa America, which he said would be difficult, as the match is being played outside of the international break.
He told a media gathering that his administration will also look at the new constitution to make adjustments.
Due to his elevation to president, John-Williams said his work at W Connection will be taken up by his daughter.
Quizzed on whether he thinks his victory would have stemmed from the 10 votes from the T&T Pro League and the eight from the Superleague, John Williams said it may have been so.
However he made it clear that the world governing body for football FIFA had approved the system of voting.
WALTER ALIBEY