CHAIRMAN of the normalisation committee Robert Hadad said the TT Football Association (TTFA) will continue working with the Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith as local football needs all the help it could get.
In a Facebook post on June 4, Griffith said he would no longer support the national men’s senior football team. Griffith’s announcement came shortly after he was questioned by an Express reporter whether his support for the team was in an effort to get his son Gary Griffith III selected.
In the post, Griffith said he has been supporting TT football for many years.
At a police briefing on Tuesday, Griffith said he has continued to help the national team.
New interim head coach Angus Eve recently contacted Griffith as one player and three staff members were in need of visas to travel to Ft Lauderdale for the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers.
Griffith said he contacted the US Embassy and helped those who were in need of visas.
Responding to questions asked via Whatsapp about Griffith's involvement, Hadad said, “Football in our country requires help and support from as many people as you can find. Gary has been there to help and support football and for that, we are grateful and appreciative. We will use any resource we can find to help us get over the problems we face.”
Hadad said he saw no conflict of interest in the commissioner’s involvement.
“No, there is no issue. Gary has never asked for any special treatment from any of the normalisation committee members. He has helped of his free will."
He added, "Gary Griffith III deserves a fair chance of proving himself and I think you also should leave the young man to develop his own identity.”
[caption id="attachment_898214" align="alignnone" width="809"] TT men’s football team head coach Angus Eve. -[/caption]
Griffith III, 18, has been a part of the TT men’s senior football training squad for more than a year. The CoP and former national coach Terry Fenwick shared a friendly relationship and partnered as well in the hosting of the Commissioner Cup in 2019 through Fenwick's Football Factory Foundation. During Fenwick’s tenure, the national team trained regularly at the St James Police Barracks.
Asked if the Ministry of Sport and Community Development or the management of the team should have assisted with the visas instead, Hadad said, “The ministry has helped and continues to help football. Gary is just supporting and giving a helping hand. The entire country needs to jump on board and work in a positive manner to help get football out of the low place it is in.”
Former TTFA president and former manager of the national team William Wallace said receiving help from Griffith was not unusual.
He told Newsday, “We would have had help to get them (visas) – help in the sense of facilitating the process, but it is not a strange thing.”
Wallace added, “If you know somebody who is working there and (they can) help facilitate the process (of a) national team, i
