Anthony Harford, the Northern Football Association (NFA) president who is a member of the football Commission formed to guide local football into the new era of the UEFA/FIFA-recommended T-League, has resigned from the commission to make himself available to contest the T&T Football Association Elections in November.
Harford's resignation was a principled one, driven by his desire and ambition to turn football around in T&T. He is a member of a group formed recently with similar aspirations. Recently the group, at a press launch two weeks ago, told the media it will put forward a slate to contest every position of the coming TTFA elections, but decisions had to be made on who will contest the various positions available first.
Harford admitted his resignation was not as a result of any promise of a position, or any issue with the commission, as the group has held no talks about that to date. However, he noted that he has made it public that he will contest the football elections. Speaking to Guardian Media Sports yesterday he said, "I made the decision to resign from the commission because my focus now is on trying to shape a future for football in T&T through the group we have formed, to contest the upcoming TTFA elections. My work with the commission was enjoyable. The chairman Lindsay Gillette did an excellent job, members of the commission were enthusiastic and deeply committed, and I have enjoyed all our interactions over the period."
According the veteran sports administrator, "however, I have recently learnt that the chairman also is considering a run for the TTFA presidency or office in the TTFA, and I did not feel that we should allow for people with opposing views, people with different views, to work inside the TTFA on a TTFA project, when in fact our views are opposed, and in some cases, almost irreconcilable so, with those of the TTFA, so I did what I thought was the honourable thing, and that is to step away from the commission. But I do wish them well and I think their work is work that should continue."
Harford's resignation letter was submitted earlier this week to the chairman and copied to the T&T Super League president Keith Look Loy, T&T Pro League through its acting chairman Brent Sancho, and the TTFA through its general secretary Camara David.
Harford noted, "No member of our group, as all understand that our position is, that we must first develop a plan for football, and that plan is a plan that can only be developed after we have conversations with stakeholders, who will also guide our decision-making into finally choosing the right candidates for the job. In fact, there is a qualifying criterion, as per TTFA constitution, our first step is to ensure that all will be done to ensure that the people who are interested qualify, before we can even entertain such discussions and there is some time left between now and nomination day."
Harford's group includes a wide cross-section of people in the sport including Keith Look Loy(Super League), William Wallace (SSFL), Clynt Taylor (CFA), Shymdeo Gosine (CFA), Raymond Tim Kee and Sam Phillips among many others.