When Fifa appointed a Normalisation Committee (NC) in March 2020 to oversee the administration of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), many in Jamaica’s football fraternity feared a similar fate for the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

The TTFA was deemed by Fifa unfit to continue managing its affairs and the world governing body decided to put this committee in place to enact governance on its behalf. But would such a scenario benefit Jamaican football?

The JFF has been maligned for its managing of duties over the years, and its current administration has come under increased scrutiny, with a number of issues about its managing of affairs being made public. Issues regarding debts owed, payment of technical staff and national players, delays in its process of constitutional reforms to meet Fifa regulations, and delays in bringing its football clubs in line with the professional standard required across the region by Concacaf, have led to the belief that perhaps the JFF could be in for a similar fate to the TTFA.

However, with all those issues, Fifa, which has sent officials to visit the island on a number of occasions, has not seen the need to impose a similar system on Jamaica’s football.

Fifa, however, temporarily restricted the JFF in the past from receiving development funds, but lifted those restrictions when a subsequent audit proved the federation had got in line with its regulations. This is where the TTFA fell short.

Based on Fifa mandate, the NC is supposed to run the TTFA’s daily affairs, establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA, review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the Fifa Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress. The NC is also mandated to organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-year mandate.

However, the NC’s tenure overseeing the TTFA has not been without scrutiny, especially about its transparency.

The NC, whose board was put in place by Fifa, has total oversight of Trinidad and Tobago’s football and reports to the Fifa Congress. This, Dennis Taye Allen, a Trinidad-based journalist, says creates a problem with regards to the TTFA’s constitution.

“As far as the common understanding of the powers of the normalisation committee, it is my interpretation that those powers are unrestricted,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “The TTFA’s constitution has essentially been suspended in favour of the Normalisation Committee. I do not think that the Normalisation Committee has any restrictions on what it can or cannot do. I don’t even think there’s anybody in Fifa that has governance over these normalisation committees.

“It is my opinion that they are basically unrestricted agents in this so-called restructure. They can do anything and there is no one who can tell them yes, no, or maybe,” he said.

Trinidad-based Wired868 reported in March 2021 that businessman Nicholas Gomez was appointed to the NC without informing the TTFA delegates or stakeholders, or the public.

“Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura informed [NC Chairman Robert] Hadad of Gomez’s involvement on the day of his appointment: March 15,” Wired868 reported.

This controversy, regarding information about the change of board members, reminds of issues locally with JFF General Secretary Dalton Wint’s promise of resignation from his role. However, whether a signed resignation letter has been submitted is still not known by stakeholders or the general public.

Allen says that the NC has brought no real change to football governance in Trinidad and Tobago and that the transparency issues faced by the JFF would not be aided by the appointment of an NC.

“If anything at all, it might prove to be a good full reset,” he said. “But the question of where the JFF will be after the handover by the NC through the constitutional actions and running of the day to day functions of Jamaica football is a question that cannot be answered right now based on model set right now by the TTFA NC running football here. It is my opinion that this process is one that is fraught with even more risk of self serving interest and I would not advise it for my worst enemy. Don’t wish it on your best friend or your worst enemy.”

Those Fifa’s officials that have visited the island have shared suggestions with the JFF on how to reorganise its constitution and the local governing body is now making steps to get in line with Fifa mandates. It is seeking to amend its constitution on delegates and voting powers and a meeting between the JFF and local stakeholders is expected soon, with an aim to meeting the Fifa mandate by November 1.