TT Premier Football League
| Founded | 5 January 1999 FA Trophy Digicel Charity Shield |
|---|---|
| League cup(s) | First Citizens Cup TOYOTA Classic Lucozade Sport Goal Shield Digicel Pro Bowl |
| International cup(s) | CONCACAF Champions Cup CONCACAF Caribbean Cup CONCACAF Caribbean Shield |
| Current champions | Defence Force F.C. (2023) |
| Most championships | W Connection F.C. (6 titles) |
| Top goalscorer | Devorn Jorsling (144 goals) |
| Website | thettfa.com |
| Current: 2023 TT Premier Football League | |
The TT Premier Football League (formerly known as the TT Pro League) is the
The TT Premier Football League was founded as part of a need for a professional league to strengthen the country's national team and improve the development of its domestic players.[3] The league is a corporation in which the member clubs act as shareholders and was inaugurated on 5 January 1999 under the name Professional Football League before switching to its current name after three years of existence.[1] The TT Premier Football League headquarters is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago in St. Augustine. The league is currently sponsored by Digicel and thus officially known as the Digicel Pro League.[4] The TT Premier Football League is currently ranked 135th in the world and 12th in CONCACAF based on results during the previous calendar year according to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).[5][6]
Since 1908, a total of 24 clubs have been crowned
History
Origins (1974–1993)
Prior to the 1990s,
However, the early 1990s marked a low point in Trinidad and Tobago football. In 1993, after a streak of poor performances, the
Foundation (1994–1998)
In November 1995, Jack Warner proposed that creating a professional league to produce homegrown players would function as the building blocks to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. In fact, speaking on the importance of a professional league for the future, Warner stated "professionalism or death for Trinidad and Tobago football." His proposal, which included the clubs' ability to operate as business entities, laid the foundation for professional football in Trinidad and Tobago.
In order to successfully develop a professional football league in the country, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association established the Semi-Professional League in 1996 to provide teams and players with a
- The incoming club must show proof of a home venue to stage matches,
- The incoming club must provide a minimum wage of TT$2,000 per month to a contracted player,
- The incoming club must have a minimum of sixteen (16) contracted players, a manager, and a physiotherapist.
After the final season of the Semi-Professional League, several clubs were denied admission after failing to meet the aforementioned criteria. Clubs were also faced with supplying the professional league a bank draft guaranteeing TT$400,000 for admission.[7]
Development (1999–2008)
| Season | Champions | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Defence Force | |
| 2000 | W Connection | |
| 2001 | W Connection | |
| 2002 | San Juan Jabloteh | |
| 2003–04 | San Juan Jabloteh | |
| 2004 | North East Stars
| |
| 2005 | W Connection | |
| 2006 | Joe Public | |
| 2007 | San Juan Jabloteh | |
| 2008 | San Juan Jabloteh | |
| 2009 | Joe Public | |
| 2010–11 | Defence Force | |
| 2011–12 | W Connection | |
| 2012–13 | Defence Force | |
| 2013–14 | W Connection | |
| 2014–15 | Central | |
| 2015–16 | Central | |
| 2016–17 | Central | |
| 2017 | North East Stars
| |
| 2018 | W Connection | |
| 2019–20 | Defence Force | |
| 2023 TTPF | AC Port of Spain | |
The Trinidad and Tobago all-professional league, called the Professional Football League, was founded on 5 January 1999 with its inaugural season held in the same year to become the first professional football league in the Caribbean.[1][10] The eight inaugural members were Defence Force, Doc's Khelwalaas, FUTGOF, Joe Public, Point Fortin Civic, Police, San Juan Jabloteh, and W Connection.[7] In the first professional season, Defence Force continued a theme set during the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, which saw the club win a record twentieth league championship.[7]
The Professional Football League would continue for two more seasons before a decision from its owner and founder,
.After establishing itself on the talents of homegrown players during its initial years, the league continued to see several of its stars move to leagues in Europe and North America.
In the build-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, community interest in local football was at an all-time high and the Pro League garnered praise for its development of homegrown professional footballers. As a result, the league implemented a series of marketing plans to establish itself as a viable professional league.[15] Two major initiatives were to increase league membership back to ten teams and establish a reserve league in 2007 for players that were previously on the bench during league matches to have a league of their own to show scouts their skills on the field.[16]
Recent years (2009–present)
After the league's first decade, the TT Pro League has taken steps to internationalise the league in an effort to raise the level of its competition. One of the first moves in this regard was to align its calendar with those of major
The Pro League has also started to market itself on the talents of its Trinidad and Tobago players, both experienced and young talents. Beginning in 2009, the league witnessed a return of several former national team stars, including Stern John,[20] Russell Latapy,[21] Dennis Lawrence,[22] and Dwight Yorke. Several more Pro League players have made a significant impact on the league after spending a majority of their career on the twin-island Republic. In the 2009 season, Arnold Dwarika of United Petrotrin became the first Trinidadian player to score 100 Pro League goals. Moreover, breakout stars such as Keon Daniel, Cornell Glen, Kevin Molino, and Lester Peltier began making names for themselves in the Pro League before starring for the Soca Warriors and securing transfers to Asia, Europe, and North America. This exchange of top prospects for veterans to the Pro League signifies an increased international awareness and potential for popularity.
Corporate structure
The TT Pro League is operated as a corporation and is owned by the ten member clubs known as T&T Pro League Limited. The
Each Pro League club is required to have a board of directors, chairman, chief executive officer, administrator,
Having started on such a corporate structure, the league has recently taken several steps to establish itself as one of the premier leagues in CONCACAF. Upon creation, the league's first goal was to establish better crowd attendances for its matches. With the construction of several football stadiums during the first few years of its development, the league created a foundation of fan support. More recently, the league has now set a new mission to create more local talent and make the players not just available for the Trinidad and Tobago audience, but for the world.[23]
Competition format
League competition
There are twelve clubs in the TT Premier Football League. During the course of a league season (from September to May) each team competes against every other team twice (a double
Cup competitions
The TT Pro League organises five
The league introduced in 2012, the
Continental qualification
Beginning with the
During its first four seasons, the top three Caribbean clubs entered the Champions League in a preliminary round and with a win from the two-legged knockout tie entered the sixteen-team group stage (four groups of four), then followed by an eight-team home-and-away single elimination tournament. However,
Sponsorship
The TT Pro League has been sponsored under its current format under various
- 1999: Craven A (Craven A Professional Football League)[30]
- 2000–2009: No sponsor (Professional Football League (until 2001) then TT Pro League)
- 2009–2017: Digicel (Digicel Pro League)[4][31]
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Pro League has a number of official partners and suppliers. These partners include companies involved in
Finances
The TT Pro League has faced major obstacles towards its sustainability and viability as a professional football league within the Caribbean since its inception.[32] Among the main issues that ail many Pro League clubs, apart from insufficient sponsorship, is the lack of community football grounds. Although the country has five football stadiums, which were constructed to stage the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship, none of which are located within a club's respective community and are owned by the Ministry of Sport. Consequently, clubs have found it difficult to obtain a significant portion of gate receipts from their home matches.[33] Several clubs have voiced their displeasure in playing home matches in various stadiums around the country and feel that having home grounds within their respective communities is a key to their financial viability.[34]
| Club | Main sponsor(s) | Annual value |
|---|---|---|
| Morvant Caledonia United | Neal & Massy and NLCB | Undisclosed[35][36] |
| Central FC | Super Industrial Services | Undisclosed[37] |
North East Stars
|
Japs Fried Chicken | Undisclosed |
| Point Fortin Civic | Worldwide Safety | Undisclosed |
| San Juan Jabloteh | NLCB | Undisclosed[38] |
St. Ann's Rangers
|
PlusOne Fashion | US$75,000[39] |
| W Connection | DirecTV | Undisclosed[40] |
| Clubs without a shirt sponsor: Defence Force and Police[a] | ||
Clubs have also encountered problems in lack of merchandising and television revenue. In fact, a majority of Pro League clubs fail to have a marketing plan and a lack presence within their respective communities, which has significantly impacted crowd attendances and ability for clubs to earn sufficient revenue. Consequently, the league has witnessed a high team turnover with seven clubs suspending their football operations and withdrawing from the Pro League during a four-year period, citing financial difficulties and inability to secure long-term sponsors.[41]
In order to off-set the lack of revenue from match attendances, clubs may be sponsored by national and international companies. The first club to secure a corporate sponsor was
In addition, clubs may also sell ad space on the front of their shirts, following the practice of international sport, specifically
Clubs
A total of 22 distinct clubs have played in the TT Premier Football League from its inception in 1999, but only six teams have won the league title. Two teams have also been members of the league every season since its inception (
The following twelve clubs are currently contesting in the TT Premier Football League during the 2023 season:[42]
