Soca Warriors win High Court case over World Cup bonuses

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

August 1 – Trinidad and Tobago’s 2006 World Cup squad, including Shaka Hislop (pictured), have won their long battle to receive the multi-million dollar bonuses they claim they are due for playing in the tournament in Germany.

Acting Justice Devindra Rampersad has ordered the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to pay the bonuses and admonished them for time-wasting, running up a legal bill of more than T$3 million (£310,000) that they will also have to pay.

The proceedings were filed in November 2008 by 16 players who demanded that the High Court in Port-of-Spain enforce the judgement of the London-based Sport Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP).

They had ruled in May of that year that, under the terms of a contract, agreed by FIFA Executive Committee member and TTFF Special Adviser Jack Warner that the Soca Warriors were owed 50 per cent of all 2006 World Cup commercial revenue.

But the TTFF claimed that a breach of confidentiality by the players meant they were no longer bound by the agreement.

Justice Rampersad has now dismissed the TTFF’s appeal and ruled in favour of the players.

The World Cup players who initially filed suit against the TTFF were Marvin Andrews, Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack, Atiba Charles, Cyd Gray, Ian Cox, Avery John, Brent Sancho, Chris Birchall, Aurtis Whitley, Collin Samuel, Evans Wise, Anthony Wolfe, Cornell Glen, Kenwyne Jones and Stern John.

Andrews and Birchall are understood to have subsequently settled privately.

The players claim that each is owed between T$1.9-T$3.4 million (£210,000-£370,000).

The remaining footballers will request an interim payment of roughly T$1.8 million (£180,000) each – their share of the T$88 million (£8.9 million) the TTFF claimed to receive as World Cup commercial revenue – when the High Court reopens next month before auditors decide the complete figure due.

Hislop, the former Newcastle United and West Ham United goalkeeper, was relieved that the players had been vindicated.

He said: ”The judgment is exactly as we had all hoped, and believed it should be.

“Over the four years this has become less and less about the financial reward than about what is right and what is wrong.

“Obviously it was very easy for quite a few to accept an early and easy settlement and as much as I respect an individual’s decision and reasons to do so,

“I think it was cowardly.

“I hold no grudge against the TTFF, I always felt that this was about two parties seeing things differently and we wanted a third party to rule on that.

“My father is a lawyer, so I was raised respecting the legal and judicial processes but I’ve been desperately disappointed by a number of people’s actions or inactions, by what people have had to say, by the lies that have been told and probably will continue to be told as everyone tries to save some face or curry favour.”

Justice Rampersad dismissed the TTFF’s case as frivolous and described the TTFF’s conduct in the matter as “troubling”.

He said: ”It is difficult for this court to understand the defendants’ submission.

“Indeed, as the claimants rightly submit, even in light of their admitted breach, the defendants have failed to advance any proof to the Court in this regard.”

The players’ London-based solicitor Michael Townley hailed the decision.

He said: ”I knew we should win but the length of time it was taking to get the judgment made it all a bit uncertain and nerve-wracking. In the end, it was worth the wait.

“The judge has done a superb job and this is a really thoroughly researched and detailed analysis of the law of arbitration going back many, many years.

“I want to make a serious point to those people that have called the players greedy, mercenary, etc.

“A contract was made.

“The Federation knew how much it was making and what it could afford to offer and was not forced to agree to the bonus split.

“They did agree to pay this money, through their experienced special advisor [Jack Warner] so it’s what the players are owed.

“I have heard that one public figure even called the players ‘thieves’ and that is that pure defamation.

“They are heroes not thieves.”

But Townley admitted that the battle is far from over.

He said: ”It is at least a moral victory that there was a contract promised and they were right to pursue it.

“Now getting paid is the next step and we recognise that we are dealing with a party who seems determined to carry on regardless of any amount of evidence.

“Nobody forced their hand to enter in an agreement so at what point will they seek to recognise it?”

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