August 12, 2026 — The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is reviewing its legal options following the controversial decision by the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) General Council to drop Tobago’s top-tier teams—Signal Hill Secondary and promoted Speyside Secondary—from the upcoming 2026 Premier Division tournament.
The move, which marks the first time in 12 seasons that Tobago would be omitted from top-flight secondary school football, has sparked widespread condemnation across the island’s sporting and political landscape. Farley Augustine Refutes Claims & Pushes for Legal Remedy
In a strong public statement, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine pushed back against suggestions that the THA failed to support local teams, clarifying that the Assembly consistently finances Tobago schools traveling to Trinidad:
- The Travel Expense Reality: Augustine pointed out that because there are only two Tobago schools in the top division, Tobago teams travel far more frequently to Trinidad than Trinidadian teams travel to Tobago.
- Statutory Duty to Protect Student-Athletes: As the legal authority responsible for education and sport on the island, the THA has engaged its Division of Legal Affairs to explore legal avenues against the exclusion, maintaining that student-athletes from Tobago must not be disenfranchised.
- A True National Competition: Augustine emphasized that a tournament cannot genuinely claim national status while treating travel to Tobago as an optional burden.
“A national competition cannot meaningfully call itself national while treating travel to one part of the country as an optional expense or an inconvenience. Tobago’s young footballers deserve the same opportunity to compete, develop, and be seen as every other young footballer in Trinidad and Tobago.” — Chief Secretary Farley Augustine
TFA Support and Widespread Pushback
President of the Tobago Football Association (TFA), Everton Alfred, called on the SSFL executive to immediately rescind the decision, criticizing it as a narrow-minded move that unfairly penalizes Tobago footballers for national logistics issues.
Reporter Aaliyah Balgobin has the full details on the Assembly’s legal review and reactions from the secondary schools football fraternity.