The history of the TT Pro League (formerly known as the Professional Football League) has its roots spanning back to the 1970s and 1980s when Trinidad and Tobago experienced an upswing in support for its domestic football. Several of the national team players featured for Defence Force during its dominance of the National League, which included the Teteron Boys becoming the first Trinidadian and only second club from CONCACAF to accomplish the continental treble in 1985. In addition, the national team also rose to prominence in the late 1980s after falling short by one match of qualification for the nation's first FIFA World Cup in 1989. Optimism for the growth and community interest of football in Trinidad and Tobago was at an all-time high. However, the early 1990s would mark 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 1993 Caribbean Cup after finishing a disappointing third, which was preceded by an early exit from its '94 for Sure campaign to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States.

In response to the downward trend in the sport, several initiatives were implemented by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association to repair its credibility and return confidence among the clubs and businesses to support domestic football. In 1994, the Football Association secured a four-year agreement with Umbro to sponsor the national team with equipment and apparel. This was soon followed by an announcement that local beer manufacturers Carib agreed to become the title sponsor of the National League, which included the injection of prize money for the first time in domestic football. The following year, Trinidadian and former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner proposed that the creation of a professional football league in Trinidad and Tobago was needed to strengthen its national team and improve the development of its domestic players. In order to establish a professional football league in the country, the Football Association created the Semi-Professional League in 1996 to provide teams and players a three-year period to meet admission criteria and transition to life in a professional league.

The league's inaugural season of the all-professional league, called the Professional Football League, was held in 1999 and became the first professional football league in the Caribbean. Eight clubs contested the league's first season with Defence Force continuing a theme set during the National League and Semi-Professional League years by winning the club's twentieth league championship. The league's first year also witnessed the rise of several domestic stars including Arnold Dwarika after the Eastern Lion scored 45 league goals. However, after three years, the Professional Football League ceased operations following a decision from its owner and founder, Jack Warner, to withdraw funding for the league in February 2002. After early positive results, club owners agreed a month later to develop a new professional league and formed a limited company known as the T&T Pro League Limited owned by the member clubs and a continuation of the Professional Football League. Although operating rather as a corporation, the TT Pro League continued to see several of its initial homegrown players depart for more prominent leagues in Europe and North America. However, their departures ultimately benefited the league as the Trinidad and Tobago national team, composed of several current and former Pro League players, qualified for the nation's first FIFA World Cup in November 2005. Consequently, the league garnered praise for its development of homegrown professional footballers and implemented a series of marketing plans to establish itself as a viable professional league.

Origins

Early history (1974–1989)

Prior to the 1990s, professionalism in Trinidad and Tobago football was non-existent. In the 1970s and 1980s, domestic clubs fielding primarily amateur players competed in the National League, which served as the country's highest level in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system from 1974 to 1995. During its twenty-two year existence, the league was dominated by Defence Force, composed of players serving as officers, soldiers, and sailors in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, with the club claiming fifteen (15) championships. In 1978, Defence Force became the first Trinidad and Tobago club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. However, the Teteron Boys''' most successful campaign came in 1985, when the club became the first Caribbean and only second team in CONCACAF to accomplish the continental treble after winning the National League, FA Trophy, and CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Following the rise of domestic football within Trinidad and Tobago, the national team backed by several experienced and talented players came within one game of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Nicknamed the Strike Squad during its qualification campaign, the national team needed only a draw in their final game played at home against the United States on 19 November 1989. In front of an over-capacity crowd of more than 50,000 at the National Stadium on what later would be known as Red Day, Paul Caligiuri of the United States scored the only goal of the match in the 30th minute dashing the Soca Warriors qualification hopes. Although suffering from its disappointing loss, optimism for the country's first appearance at the World Cup was at an all-time high.

Low point in Trinidadian football (1990–1993) The early 1990s marked a low point in Trinidad and Tobago football. With its suspicious failure in 1989 still clouding the atmosphere, the national team began its qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup with the theme 94 for Sure. However, after a 2–1 loss and 1–1 draw to Jamaica the Soca Warriors made an early exit from qualification. Moreover, this was followed by a streak of poor performances that ended with the national team giving its worst ever showing in the 1993 Caribbean Cup after finishing a disappointing third and failing to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In the aftermath, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association came under close scrutiny and the public demanded an explanation for the decline in the national team's performance. Brian Ghent, an unapologetic critic of the Football Association who later became a member of the Finance Committee, stated in 1993:

Trinidadian and former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner also spoke out describing Trinidad and Tobago's football as being "in shambles", crowd support was "non-existent", and that people were "depressed". After a series of false starts, Football Association administrators and clubs came together on a plan to construct a new constitution in November 1993. The document helped ease much of the tension surrounding the Football Association after the constitution expressed the ideals of "one club, one vote" to eliminate some of the negativity attached to the sport and return confidence among the clubs and businesses.

Foundation

Drive towards professionalism (1994–1995) The foundation of the Professional Football League in Trinidad and Tobago football occurred in 1994 after a series of events involving the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, which provided momentum for the establishment of a professional football league. The first occurred with the announcement that the Football Association had signed a US$5 million contract with Umbro to sponsor the national team with equipment and apparel until 1998. In the case that the Soca Warriors qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the international sportswear manufacturers would further donate US$50,000 to the newly formed Football Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT). The organisation, which included some of the twin-island Republic's top businessmen, held the responsibility for administration and funding of the Football Association. The second major announcement involved local beer manufacturers Carib injecting US$200,000 in prize money for the National League. The eventual league champions, Police, received US$100,000 – the largest amount ever awarded during the league's history. Consequently, the 1994 season was the start of a professional trend in the country where large amounts of money were introduced on the domestic football scene.

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 clubs the ability to operate as business entities, laid the foundation for professional football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Semi-Professional League (1996–1998) In order to successfully develop a professional football league in the country, the Football Association established the Semi-Professional League in 1996 to provide teams and players with a semi-professional 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.

During its first two years, Carib remained as sponsors of the Semi-Professional League with US$200,000 each year in prize money. Defence Force continued a theme set during the National League en route to consecutive league championships. However, in its final season the league saw the rise of a new club owned by Jack Warner, when Joe Public won its first league title. After the final season of the Semi-Professional League, several clubs were denied admission into the professional league after failing to meet the aforementioned criteria. Clubs were also faced with supplying the professional league a bank draft guaranteeing TT$400,000 to meet the requirements for admission.

Although the Semi-Professional League was established in Trinidad and Tobago as a foundation to professional football, public response was consistent with what had become the norm during the amateur years of the sport. In particular, attendance was about 50 at each match with highest figures peaking just over 100. Prior to its final season, the Football Association and Jack Warner employed the services of local sports marketing agents with the objective to increase match attendances. After an aggressive, short-term marketing campaign was developed and launched, the league witnessed general attendance rise to 200 with highest single match figures growing to approximately 1000.

In addition, it was also during this time that Trinidad and Tobago witnessed the establishment of the first football academy and development suite in the Caribbean in 1996. The Dr. João Havelange Centre of Excellence, named after former FIFA president João Havelange, was constructed on the outskirts of Port of Spain and included a sanctuary, swimming complex, hotel, conference center, three practice fields, and a 6,000-seat football stadium. The football centre was the idea of Jack Warner and was funded through a FIFA development grant in excess of US$16 million. Although the development was financed by FIFA, the football centre was registered in the name of two companies owned by Warner, which remains a controversial issue. Moreover, the football stadium located on the complex, Marvin Lee Stadium, serves as the home to Warner-owned club Joe Public.

Development

Early years (1999–2001)