Plenty Sport : EZINE 22 PRO League Football | Page 3
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ISSUE № 22, MAY 2016
“TT Pro League”
Initially included :
-The clubs must show proof of a home
venue to stage matches,
-The clubs must provide a minimum
wage of TT$2,000 per month to a contracted player,
-The clubs must have a minimum of
sixteen (16) contracted players, a manager, and a physiotherapist..
The momentum for the Professional Football
League in Trinidad and Tobago football occurred in 1994 with the establishment of the
first “high prize” league. The attempt at this
point was to start a professional trend in the
country where large amounts of money were
introduced on the domestic football scene.
Police actually received a US$100,000 first
prize early on in the history of the league.
In order to successfully develop the professional player aspect, in 1996 teams and players were allowed to transition during a threeyear period from being clubs with semiprofessionals players to one where the players were fully contracted. The criteria
By 1999 The Trinidad and Tobago allprofessional league, called the Professional Football League, was founded.
leagues across the globe. The league re-
The eight inaugural members were Defence
formed in 2002 and as agreed by the interest-
Force, Doc's Khelwalaas, FUTGOF, Joe Pub-
ed clubs at the time, the decision was taken
lic, Point Fortin Civic, Police, San Juan
to develop a new professional league that
Jabloteh, and W Connection. Over the recent
would operate rather as a corporation, known
years most of the Pro League fixtures occur
as the T&T Pro League Limited, owned by
in government run facilities such as the Has-
the member clubs. Financial difficulties have
ley Crawford, Ato Boldon and Larry Gomes
seen a few clubs come and go but the most
Stadia. The league may well be challenged
notable addition to the Pro League recently
by the need to incorporate a community
has been the junior pro league to promote the
based look and feel for the league to grow
development of youth players to hopefully re
attendance. The league however currently
-build a community approach to the fixtures.
well serves as a vehicle for potentially talent-
Cover Photo by Allan Crane/CAImages
ed players to secure transfer to prominent
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