The TT Premier Football League (formerly known as the TT Pro League) is the

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

professional league for

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. Contested by twelve clubs, the league is one of the world's few football leagues that does not operate on an automatic system of

promotion and relegation Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...

. Seasons run from September to May, with teams playing 18 games each totaling 90 games in the season. Most games are played in the evenings of Fridays (''Super Fridays'') and Saturdays (''Fiesta Saturdays''), with a few games played during weekday evenings. TTPFL clubs also play in other competitions, such as the FA Trophy, League Cup, '' TOYOTA Classic'', Goal Shield, and

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

against domestic clubs from other divisions; and against clubs from other countries in the CFU Club Shield,

CONCACAF Caribbean Cup The CONCACAF Caribbean Cup is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top regional tournament for clubs from the Caribbean. Beginning with the inaugural edition in 2023, the new competition serves as a quali ...

, and the

CONCACAF Champions Cup The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...

. The TT Premier Football League was founded as part of a need for a professional league to strengthen the country's

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

and improve the development of its domestic players. 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. The TT Premier Football League headquarters is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago in St. Augustine. The league is currently sponsored by

Digicel Digicel is a Jamaican-based Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 25 markets worldwide. Digicel has operated in several countries, including Guyana, Fiji, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Samoa, St. Lucia, Surinam ...

and thus officially known as the Digicel Pro League. The TT Premier Football League is currently ranked 135th in the world and 12th in

CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; typeset for branding purposes since 2018 as Concacaf), is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 4 ...

based on results during the previous calendar year according to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). Since 1908, a total of 24 clubs have been crowned champions of the Trinidad and Tobago football system. Of the 22 distinct clubs to have competed in the TT Pro League since its inception, six have won the title: W Connection (6 titles), San Juan Jabloteh (4), Defence Force and Central FC (3), Joe Public (2), and

North East Stars Athletic Club of Port of Spain (previously known as North East Stars FC) is a Trinidad and Tobago professional association football, football club based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, that plays in the TT Premier Football League. The team plays its ...

(2). The current champions are W Connection after the club won their 6th Pro League title in the

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

season, 13 years after their first in 2004.

History

Origins (1974–1993)

Prior to the 1990s,

professionalism Professionalism is a set of standards that an individual is expected to adhere to in a workplace, usually in order to appear serious, uniform, or respectful. What constitutes professionalism is hotly debated and varies from workplace to workplac ...

in Trinidad and Tobago football was non-existent. In the 1970s and 1980s, the ''National League'', composed primarily of

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

players, served as the highest level in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. However, it was during this period

experienced an upswing in support for

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

following a rise in international success at both club and

levels. In 1985, Defence Force became only the second team from

to accomplish the continental treble after the club won the National League, FA Trophy, and

CONCACAF Champions' Cup The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...

. Coupled with the ''Strike Squad's'' near qualification for the

1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...

, optimism for the country's first appearance at the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

was at an all-time high. However, the early 1990s marked a low point in Trinidad and Tobago football. In 1993, after a streak of poor performances, the '' Soca Warriors'' gave its worst ever showing in the Caribbean Cup after finishing a disappointing third, which was preceded with an early exit from its

1994 FIFA World Cup qualification The 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 1994 FIFA World Cup featured 24 teams with one place reserved for the host nation, United States, and one place for the defending cham ...

attempt. In response, Trinidadian and former

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Jack Warner spoke out describing Trinidad and Tobago's football as being "in shambles" and crowd support was "non-existent".

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 The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...

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 A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

football in

. 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

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a cons ...

environment, as they transitioned during a three-year period for life in a professional league. In particular, clubs were issued three important criteria that would be used for professional league admission: * 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.

Development (1999–2008)

The

all-

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. The eight inaugural members were Defence Force, Doc's Khelwalaas, FUTGOF, Joe Public, Point Fortin Civic,

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

, San Juan Jabloteh, and W Connection. 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. The Professional Football League would continue for two more seasons before a decision from its owner and founder, Jack Warner, to withdraw funding for the league. Early league results suggested an improvement in player development with several domestic professionals named to starting roles in the

. Consequently, club owners agreed in March 2012 to develop a new professional league that would operate rather as a corporation, known as the ''T&T Pro League Limited'', owned by the member clubs and a continuation of the Professional Football League. One month later, the TT Pro League began with eight members: Arima Fire, Caledonia AIA, Defence Force, Joe Public,

, San Juan Jabloteh, South Starworld Strikers, and defending champions W Connection. 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. Collin Samuel was the first to leave when he signed for

Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

in August 2002, and was joined at

Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...

a year later by Jason Scotland. Kenwyne Jones, former standout for Joe Public and W Connection, signed with

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

, whereas Cornell Glen of San Juan Jabloteh joined the MetroStars of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

during the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

season. The departures ultimately benefited the Pro League as the national team, composed of several current and former Pro League players, qualified for the nation's first

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...

in November 2005. In the build-up to the

2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...

, community interest in local football was at an all-time high and the Pro League garnered praise for its development of homegrown

footballers. As a result, the league implemented a series of marketing plans to establish itself as a viable professional league. Two major initiatives were to increase league membership back to ten teams and establish a reserve league in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

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.

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

leagues around the world. Prior to

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, the Pro League operated on a spring-to-fall format which caused several conflicts with the FIFA calendar. Consequently, many of the league's top players abandoned their Pro League clubs during June and July to compete in international competitions, which made it difficult for the league to attract supporters for its matches. The schedule change has provided several players greater transfer opportunities to more prominent leagues. The second move was to expand club rosters from 25 to 35 players to provide clubs flexibility during the prolonged calendar featuring three rounds of league competition, five domestic cup competitions,

CFU Club Championship The Caribbean Club Championship, also known as the CFU Club Championship or CFU Club Champions' Cup, was an annual international football competition held amongst association football clubs that are members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). ...

, and the

CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, ...

. The Pro League has also started to market itself on the talents of its

players, both experienced and young talents. Beginning in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, the league witnessed a return of several former

stars, including Stern John, Russell Latapy, Dennis Lawrence, 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

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

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

, consisting of a representative from each club, sets out the policy to oversee league operations and selects a neutral

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

. The chairman is elected by the board and cannot be associated with any of its member teams. In addition, the operational aspect of the league is carried out by a management team led by the CEO. The office employs

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

, media,

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...

, and administrative staff. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Pro League, but has veto power during the elections of the chairman and chief executive officer, and when new rules are adopted by the league. Each Pro League club is required to have a board of directors, chairman, chief executive officer, administrator,

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

and an assistant, marketing and public relations manager, equipment manager,

physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

, and a youth development officer. In addition, clubs are also required to have a dedicated home venue, which is secure allowing for the collection of gate receipts and with a good playing surface. The size of the playing field must meet international standards and must be approved by the league's technical committee. As part of each club's financial stability off the field, clubs must submit a marketing plan that illustrates how the club will generate financial and physical support to meet monthly commitments. Having started on such a corporate structure, the league has recently taken several steps to establish itself as one of the premier leagues in

. 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

audience, but for the world.

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 round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. In the last nine matches of the regular season each team competes against every other team at neutral venues for a total of 27 games. Each match sees the winning team awarded three points, or in the case of a draw, the teams receive one point each. No points are awarded for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the

goal difference Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...

, followed by total goals scored, and then by head-to-head records between tying teams determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. There is no automatic

between the Pro League and

National Super League The TT Premier Football League 2 (formerly called TT Super League) is a league for semi-professional association football clubs in Trinidad and Tobago. It is the second-highest division of the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. The league ...

, the second-level in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. Club members of the Pro League vote to determine which, if any, applications for admission into the league will be permitted with preference given to the Super League champion.

Cup competitions

The TT Pro League organises five

knock-out A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several Contact sports, full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of World Taekwondo Federation#Sparri ...

cup competitions each league season: the League Cup (commonly called the '' First Citizens Cup''), the ''

'', the ''

TOYOTA is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

'', the Goal Shield (or for sponsorship reasons, the ''

Lucozade Sport Lucozade is a British brand of soft drinks and energy drinks manufactured and marketed by the Japanese company Suntory. Created as "Glucozade" in the UK in 1927 by a Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle pharmacist, William Walker Hunter (trading as W ...

Goal Shield''), and the TTPFL Knockout Cup, which was established in 2023. The League Cup and Pro Bowl, established in 2000 and 2004, respectively, are cup competitions open exclusively to Pro League clubs. The Pro League agreed to create another knock-out cup competition in

for its clubs named the ''Goal Shield'' with a unique prize system. The Classic, established in 2005, comprises a sixteen club knock-out competition open to all teams in the Pro League, with remaining positions filled by teams from the

. In addition, Pro League clubs also compete in the annual FA Trophy organised by and named after the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association. The knockout tournament is the oldest football competition in

, dating back to 1927, and is open to all clubs affiliated with the Football Association. The league introduced in 2012, the Charity Shield to mark the start of each TT Pro League season. The Charity Shield contests the winners of the previous year's

and the champions of the Pro League. In the case that the league champion also is the holder of the Pro Bowl, then the top two teams in the previous league season compete for the Charity Shield. Generally regarded as below the FA Trophy and First Citizens Cup in terms of importance, the fixture is a recognised football

Super Cup A super cup is a competition, in association football, basketball, handball, volleyball and rugby union which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competi ...

. The TTPFL Knockout Cup was introduced in the 2023 season which includes teams from the TT Premier Football League and TT Super League.

Continental qualification

Beginning with the

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

season, qualification changed to allow the Pro League two automatic berths into the

. In order to qualify for the annual subcontinental tournament, Pro League teams need to finish the previous league season either as champion or runners-up. Both teams enter the competition in the first round, which comprises a single round-robin with each group winner advancing to the final round. Since the inception of the CFU Club Championship, the winner of the competition has qualified for the

. However, with the formation and restructure of the Champions' Cup into the Champions League in 2008–09, the Caribbean gained two qualification places. Consequently, the top three Caribbean clubs in the annual Club Championship earn qualification into the Champions League. In the case any Caribbean club is precluded, it is supplanted by the fourth-place finisher from the Club Championship. 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,

announced a new format beginning with its 2012–13 Champions League. Under the new format, all teams begin play in the group stage (eight groups of three), which includes each year's top three Caribbean finishers.

Sponsorship

The TT Pro League has been sponsored under its current format under various title sponsors. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition: * 1999:

Craven A Craven A ''(stylized as'' Craven "A"'')'' is a British brand of cigarette, cigarettes, currently manufactured by British American Tobacco. Originally founded and produced by the Carreras Tobacco Company in 1921 until merging with Rothmans Internat ...

(''Craven A Professional Football League'') * 2000–2009: No sponsor (''Professional Football League'' (until 2001) then ''TT Pro League'') * 2009–2017:

(''Digicel Pro League'') 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 car dealership, financial services, food and

beverage A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

, sports-wear and equipment, and

pharmaceuticals Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

Finances

The TT Pro League has faced major obstacles towards its sustainability and viability as a

league within the Caribbean since its inception. 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 The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2001, the ninth edition of the tournament, was held from 13 to 30 September 2001 in the cities of Trinidad and Tobago; in Port of Spain, Malabar in Arima, Marabella in San Fernando, Couva, and Bacolet in Scarbo ...

, none of which are located within a club's respective community and are owned by the

Ministry of Sport A ministry of sports or ministry of youth and sports is a kind of government ministry found in certain countries with responsibility for the regulation of sports, particularly those participated in by young people. It is led by the minister of s ...

. Consequently, clubs have found it difficult to obtain a significant portion of gate receipts from their home matches. 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. 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. 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 San Juan Jabloteh when the club signed an agreement with CL Financial. As a result, the club used its sponsorship to significantly expand its operations from a youth organisation into a

football club. Several more Pro League clubs have agreed to title sponsorships to provide each club financial stability. The most prominent title sponsor agreement occurred when W Connection ended their partnership with Vibe CT 105.1 FM in favour of an undisclosed deal with

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

. In addition, clubs may also sell ad space on the front of their shirts, following the practice of international sport, specifically

. There are currently seven clubs that have signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their shirts. The most lucrative shirt sponsorship occurred when St. Ann's Rangers announced a six-year agreement with PlusOne Fashion of the United States to supply training, travel, and match-day shirts valuing US$75,000 for each season of the six-year deal.

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 ( Defence Force F.C. and W Connection F.C.). Among the current ten clubs, eight ( Club Sando F.C, Defence Force F.C,

Morvant Caledonia United Morvant Caledonia United (formerly known as Caledonia AIA) is a professional Association football, football team in Trinidad and Tobago's top-level TT Pro League. It is based in Morvant, Trinidad and Tobago, Morvant; its home stadium is Hasely Cr ...

, Point Fortin Civic F.C, Police F.C, San Juan Jabloteh F.C, St. Ann's Rangers F.C, and W Connection F.C.) existed before the TT Premier Football League was formed. In October 2023, FC Phoenix was approved by the TTPFL and became the first Tobago based club, since the now defunct Tobago United did in the former TT Pro League, to compete in the league. For a list of league champions, club expansion and contraction, and top scorers for each season, see

List of TT Pro League seasons The TT Pro League (formerly known as the Professional Football League) is the Trinidad and Tobago professional league for association football clubs. The league serves as the top division in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system and is ...

. Twelve out of the thirteen clubs competed in the TT Premier Football League during the 2024–25 season:

Honoured clubs

The TT Premier Football League follows the practice of

in honouring clubs that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of a representative golden star above the honoured club's badge. Each country's usage is unique and in

the practice is to award one star for each of the following achievements: * Winners of at least ten championship titles in Trinidad and Tobago, * Winners of the

(1997–2022), * Winners of the

(1962–2008) or

(2008–2023). The following clubs have gold stars featured while playing in the TT Premier Football League and international competition. Defence Force F.C. is currently the lone TT Premier Football League club to place gold stars above their badge during domestic and international competitions. The ''Teteron Boys'' were awarded their first star in 1978 after winning the

1978 CONCACAF Champions' Cup The 1978 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 14th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It determined that year's cl ...

. Their most recent star was earned after winning the 2001 CFU Club Championship in 2001. Although,

, Joe Public F.C, San Juan Jabloteh F.C, United Petrotrin F.C, and W Connection F.C. have won the Caribbean Club Championship, the clubs' badges have not featured gold stars.

Stadiums

Until the early 1980s, the

held its home matches in

Queen's Park Oval The Queen's Park Oval is a sports stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, used mostly for cricket matches. It opened in 1896. Privately owned by the Queen's Park Cricket Club, it is currently the second largest capacity cricket ground in ...

, generally thought of as the most picturesque and largest of the old

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

grounds in the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. The cricket ground is the country's oldest stadium and served as host to domestic football league matches for Defence Force and San Juan Jabloteh during the league's inaugural season. After renovation in preparation of the

2007 Cricket World Cup The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth Cricket World Cup, a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the 2 ...

, the capacity of the ground rose to 20,000 seats. In 1996,

Marvin Lee Stadium Marvin Lee Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago which is housed together with the Dr. João Havelange Centre of Excellence. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Joe Public F.C. The sta ...

was built in

Macoya Macoya is a community located alongside the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway in Trinidad and Tobago. It is located between downtown Tunapuna and Trincity on the island of Trinidad. It is composed primarily of: *Macoya/Trincity industrial estat ...

and is housed together with the Dr. João Havelange Centre of Excellence. The stadium served as the home to former member of the Pro League, Joe Public, and holds approximately 6,000. In 2005, Jack Warner proposed that Marvin Lee Stadium install an

artificial Artificiality (the state of being artificial, anthropogenic, or man-made) is the state of being the product of intentional human manufacture, rather than occurring naturally through processes not involving or requiring human activity. Connotati ...

playing surface, citing that it would bring more credibility to the region. Two years later, through a developmental grant from

, Joe Public became the first Caribbean club to install astroturf, reportedly costing in excess of TT$8 million. Low-profile games, such as international friendlies against other islands in the Caribbean, are also played at the stadium. However, it was not until 2001, with

awarded the FIFA U-17 World Championship, that four additional football stadiums were constructed for the event – Ato Boldon Stadium in

Couva Couva is a town in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain and Chaguanas and north of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, San Fernando and Point Fortin. It is the capital and main urban centre of Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo, and the Greate ...

, Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar,

Manny Ramjohn Stadium The Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, located in Marabella, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, is named for long-distance runner Manny Ramjohn, the first person to win a gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago in a major intern ...

Marabella Marabella is a town in southern Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of Sout ...

, and Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet. In addition, the National Stadium, renamed in honour of Hasely Crawford, underwent major renovation for the competition and expanded capacity to 27,000 to become the largest stadium in the country. The stadium would stage a semi-final, third place, and final matches during the

. Shortly after the international tournament, several TT Pro League clubs moved into the newly constructed football stadiums. Defence Force,

, San Juan Jabloteh, and St. Ann's Rangers moved into the renovated

Hasely Crawford Stadium The Hasely Crawford Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, is located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It was inaugurated and formally opened by Prime Minister George Chambers on 12 June 1982. On 30 December 1996, Prime Minister Basdeo P ...

, Arima Fire relocated from Arima Municipal Stadium into Larry Gomes Stadium, and Manny Ramjohn Stadium served as the new venue for W Connection. Expansion club South Starworld Strikers played host to league matches in Ato Boldon Stadium. The stadium now is the home to Central FC following the withdrawal of the Strikers from the league in 2006. Through the admission of Tobago United into the league for the 2003–04 season, the ''Tobago Boys'' played their home games in Dwight Yorke Stadium until they withdrew from the league in 2010. With the additions of the Mahaica Oval Pavilion,

Palo Seco Velodrome Palo Seco Velodrome is a multi-use stadium in Palo Seco, Trinidad, Palo Seco, Trinidad and Tobago. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of United Petrotrin. The stadium holds 10,000 people ...

, and Sangre Grande Regional Complex, home of Point Fortin Civic, former club United Petrotrin, and

, respectively, Pro League teams have played in sixteen football stadiums.

Managers

Managers Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administr ...

in the TT Pro League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the ownership of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans. Caretaker appointments are managers that fill the gap between a managerial departure and a new appointment. Occasionally caretaker managers have gone on to secure a permanent managerial post after performing well as a caretaker. The league's longest-serving manager was Jamaal Shabazz, who was in charge of

from April 2000 until he agreed to become the Trinidad and Tobago national team co-manager in November 2012 (12 years and 236 days). Stuart Charles-Fevrier is now the Pro League's longest-serving current manager having been in charge of the ''Savonetta Boys'' of W Connection since June 2004. There have been eight managers that have won the Pro League. In addition, four foreign managers have secured the Pro League championship, which comprise two English ( Terry Fenwick, San Juan Jabloteh, three wins, and Ricky Hill, San Juan Jabloteh, one win), a Guyanese ( James McLean,

, one win), and a

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...

n ( Stuart Charles-Fevrier, W Connection, five wins).

Michael McComie Michael McComie (22 April 1972 – 4 December 2018) was a Trinidadian association football, football player and coach. As a player, McComie played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper at both professional and international levels. ...

became the second

manager to win the league, when he won the title with Joe Public in 2006. Derek King later became the third Trinidad and Tobago manager to claim the league title in

, also with Joe Public. In fact, King became the youngest manager to win the league title at 29 years, 198 days. The current managers in the Pro League are:

Players

Foreign players and transfer regulations

TT Pro League clubs have almost complete freedom to sign whatever number and category of players they wish. There is no team or individual salary cap, no age restrictions other than those applied by general employment law, and no restrictions on the overall number of foreign players or nationalities. However, players can only be transferred during

transfer windows Transfer may refer to: Arts and media * ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović * ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film * ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies * ...

that are set by the TT Pro League. The two current transfer windows run from the last day of the season to 15 September and between 15 December and 15 January. Player registrations cannot be exchanged outside these windows except under specific licence, usually on an emergency basis. In addition, Pro League clubs cannot sign free agents at any stage of the Pro League season outside of transfer windows. The Pro League has been growing in popularity within the Caribbean and expanding across the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. In particular, over 200 foreign players have competed in the league, and with

's inclusion in the

, the Pro League was represented for the first time with Cyd Gray, Aurtis Whitley, Anthony Wolfe (all of San Juan Jabloteh), and David Atiba Charles ( W Connection). Furthermore, two foreign players have claimed the ''Player of the Year'' award in league history. Charles Pollard (

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

) won the award in 2003–04 while playing for

, while Gefferson (Brazil) claimed the honour in 2005 with W Connection. ;Notable foreign players ''This list of foreign players includes those who received international caps while playing for a TT Pro League club, made significant contributions to a TT Pro League club in terms of appearances or goals, and/or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for a TT Pro League club, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.'' ; Africa * Mogogi Gabonamong * Kagiso Tshelametsi * Ladulé Lako LoSarah ; Asia * Yu Hoshide ; Europe * James Baird ; North & Central America,
Caribbean * Peter Byers * George Dublin * Gayson Gregory * Mark Leslie * Julian Wade * Jonathan Faña *

Miguel Lloyd Miguel Starling Lloyd Troncoso (born 23 October 1982) is a Dominican professional Association football, footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cibao FC and the Dominican Republic national football team, Dominican Republic national team. Club ca ...

* Jamal Charles * Shemel Louison * Shawn Beveney * Trayon Bobb *

Nigel Codrington Nigel Codrington (born 5 July 1979) is a Guyanese former association football, footballer whose last club was Camptown Georgetown in the GFF Super League. He is the all-time top scorer of Guyana national football team, Guyana with 18 goals. Inte ...

; North & Central America,
Caribbean (cont.) * Randolph Jerome * Kayode McKinnon * Walter Moore * Charles Pollard * Gregory Richardson * Pernell Schultz * Pierre Richard Bruny * Sean Fraser * Jermaine Hue * Roen Nelson * Lovel Palmer * Keith Gumbs * George Isaac * Gerard Williams ; North & Central America,
Caribbean (cont.) * Titus Elva * Kurt Frederick * Earl Jean * Elijah Joseph * Zaine Pierre * Shandel Samuel * Cornelius Stewart * Kendall Velox * Dimitrie Apai * Stefano Rijssel ; South America * João Ananias * Gefferson * José Maria Manoel * William Oliveira * Ronaldo Viana * Alejandro Figueroa * Christian Viveros * Alvis Faure Díaz

Player wages and transfer records

There is no team or individual salary cap in the TT Pro League. However, with the league's founding in 1999, the Pro League established a minimum player salary of TT$18,000 per year. As of the 2013–14 season, the

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

Pro League player wage was between TT$30,000 to TT$50,000 per year; with top players earning up to TT$90,000, which is significantly lower than average salaries in the United States'

(TT$1,032,671)SBNation.com, MLS player salary release illustrates gains of the middle-class, May 16, 2013, https://www.sbnation.com/mls/2013/5/16/4327752/mls-player-salary-release-may-2012 or

Football League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English Football League (EFL ...

, the fourth tier of English football (TT$419,182).Soccerlens, Finance in English Football: Wage Disparities Between the Divisions, April 30, 2012, http://soccerlens.com/finance-in-english-football-wage-disparities-between-the-divisions/92692/ Although individual player salaries are undisclosed, one known player's salary became available with the 4 May 2012 publication of

ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue, with the cover line "NEXT.," was published on March 11, 1998 (cover date March 23, 1998), and featured K ...

. The magazine stated that Shandel Samuel was the highest earning Vincentian athlete in 2011 with a salary of TT$40,000 while playing for Ma Pau. There are few examples of player transfer fees agreed upon between Pro League clubs in the domestic competition for a player to switch teams. One of the first transfers involving a Pro League player occurred when Carlos Edwards signed with

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...

of the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

for £250,000 in 2000. A year later, Dennis Lawrence joined Edwards at the Welsh club for £100,000 from Defence Force. In 2004, in a common practice with Pro League player transfers, Kenwyne Jones was sold to

of the English

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

for a nominal fee, reported to be £100,000, with the Pro League club claiming an additional sell-on clause. After Jones was sold to

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

of the

in 2007 for £6 million, the ''Savonetta Boys'' secured a percentage of the transfer fee in the region of US$1 million.

Top scorers

Following each TT Pro League season, the Golden Boot is awarded to the league's top goal scorer. Defence Force and

international, Devorn Jorsling, holds the record for the most Pro League goals with 144, following the 2015–16 season. Jorsling has finished among the top ten goal scorers in eight of the previous nine seasons in the Pro League. Since the first Pro League season in 1999, 14 different players from seven different clubs have won or shared the top scorers title. Devorn Jorsling became the first player to claim the Golden Boot on four occasions, after scoring the most goals in the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, 2010–11, 2012–13, and 2014–15 seasons. However, complete statistics and goal scoring records are unknown for the 1999 through 2003–04 seasons. Arnold Dwarika holds the record for most goals in a season (45) – for Joe Public. Dwarika's record came in the 1999 season, which consisted of 28 games. The first foreign player to claim the Golden Boot was Guyanese international Randolph Jerome of

who finished with 28 goals in 2003–04. Since then, four more foreign players have finished as the league's top scorer. Gefferson (Brazil) and Earl Jean (

) shared the title in 2005 with 14 goals each. Other foreign players to win include Roen Nelson (

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

) in

and Peter Byers (

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a Sovereign state, sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and List of islands of Antigua and Barbuda, numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi), ...

) in

. The highest-scoring match to date in the Pro League occurred on 13 October 2004 when W Connection defeated Tobago United 17–0. In fact,

n Titus Elva scored nine goals in the match and is currently the holder of the Pro League single game scoring record. Devorn Jorsling has the honour of achieving the most Pro League hat-tricks with nine. Former Joe Public,

, and current San Juan Jabloteh winger Kerry Baptiste has scored three or more goals on eight occasions. In addition, Baptiste, Elva, and

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

are tied for the most league matches with four or more goals (a beaver-trick) with two.

Awards

Player and manager awards

In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual winner's medals awarded to players, the TT Pro League also

awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

a number of position players and goalkeepers for their contributions to their club at the conclusion of each league season. The ''Player of the Year'' award is given to the most outstanding player of the previous season. To date five players to win the award have also guided their respective clubs to a league championship in the same season. In addition, the league also awards the best position players including the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward of the year. The league also names the ''Manager of the Year'' award given to the top manager of each Pro League season. The title has been awarded to four foreign managers, which comprises two English ( Ricky Hill, San Juan Jabloteh, and Terry Fenwick, San Juan Jabloteh), a Guyanese ( James McLean,

), and a

n ( Stuart Charles-Fevrier, W Connection). On five occasions the award was given to the manager that led his club to a league championship. Most recently, Derek King became the third Trinidad and Tobago manager to claim the award with Joe Public. King became the youngest manager to win the award at 29 years, 198 days. Beginning in the 2012–13 season, the Pro League re-instituted the ''Manager'' and ''Player of the Month'' awards given to recognise the best adjudged Pro League manager and player during each month of the league season. The recipient is selected based on points accumulated from coaches, match commissioners, and the media.

International performance

TT Pro League clubs have competed in international competitions organised through

since 1999, when Joe Public qualified for the Champions' Cup. However, the ''Eastern Lions'' qualified for the competition as a member of the Semi-Professional League the previous season. After its inaugural season, the first Pro League representatives ( Defence Force and W Connection) qualified based on final league position for the 2000 CFU Club Championship. Additionally, Joe Public entered the competition as the competition holders, eventually repeating as winners to qualify for the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Although Pro League clubs have never won the

(later renamed the '' Champions League''), clubs have experienced success in its qualification tournament for Caribbean clubs. In fact, Pro League clubs have won the

on nine occasions with an additional nine runners-up finishes — the most among any Caribbean football league. The ''Savonetta Boys'' of W Connection have enjoyed the most success having been finalists on nine occasions including three wins, which represents the most among Caribbean clubs. Based on results during the previous calendar year, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) has the Pro League currently ranked 135th in the world and 12th in

. In addition, according to IFFHS in 2013, the highest ranked Pro League club in CONCACAF is W Connection in 56th followed by San Juan Jabloteh in 68th.

Notes

References

;General * * ;Specific

External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tt Pro League 1

Sports leagues established in 1999 1999 establishments in Trinidad and Tobago Professional sports leagues in Trinidad and Tobago