The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) bowed to pressure yesterday and agreed to vigorously recover accounts pertaining to revenue collected during this country's successful 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

Yesterday, the TTFF and its former president Oliver Camps were before Justice Vasheist Kokaram to answer a contempt of court charge in the Port of Spain High Court. The action was brought after the TTFF failed to comply with an earlier ruling by Justice Devindra Rampersad, who ordered them to produce documents relating to 2006 World Cup revenue collected. Thirteen members of the history-making 2006 T&T football team that competed at the World Cup in Germany have sued the Federation, seeking to recoup a share of the estimated US$40 million in World Cup revenue that was promised to them.

Among the 25 persons present in court yesterday were Camps; TTFF general secretary Richard Groden; former national players Brent Sancho and Cyd Gray; along with a myriad of lawyers. Queen's council Nicholas Stewart represented the TTFF, while the players were represented by George Hislop, Dave De Peiza and Phillip Lamont. And following lengthy submission by legal representatives for both sides, the TTFF agreed to follow the court's directives, and the matter was adjourned to 12 noon today. Lawyers for both parties were due to meet yesterday to determine the time frame the players representatives will allow the TTFF to recover the accounts. And today, the parties will be back in court briefly to officially set times and dates.

"The TTFF is now willing to comply following the submissions that our lawyers have given. So, we are giving them a little bit of time and leeway to get the appropriate documents, albeit that it has been six years and they have had the opportunity to do it," player representative Sancho said yesterday. "It has taken pressure from this court and the pressure from our legal team to finally get them in a position where they are now willing to do what is right".

Yesterday Lamount argued that Camps could not shunt his responsibility, and so escape legal sanction, by simply stating that National Security Minister Jack Warner had all responsibility for 2006 World Cup revenue collected. As its special adviser, Warner was said to be an agent of the TTFF, but it was established that Camps was a LOC director and also in a position to obtain information about collected revenue.

It was further argued that Groden also faced contempt of court charges because as TTFF general secretary he did not make sufficient effort to abide by Justice Rampersad's order. It was suggested that the TTFF could have sued Warner to get World Cup accounts, or petition the Ministry of Sport and contributing sponsors to determine monies given to the World Cup efforts. Funds from World Cup matches could have been quantified. Finally the TTFF was given a last chance to gather the accounts. Afterward, Sancho said the pressure will be kept up until the TTFF do the right thing.

"We will be unrelenting in what we do. We will never give up this fight easily. We still want to see the documentation, and the accounts.

"It is more important in lieu of what is happening in Trinidad football. We have players going off to St Kitts and barely making it out of St Kitts because of financial reasons.So, it not just about the 13 players."

"It just about justice," stated former national team right back Cyd Gray. "I believe in justice. I fighting for my son. He is a born Trinbagonian. He loves football....he want to play football. I don't want him to come and reach this same situation that I am in. It must be a better future."

By Ian Prescott

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com