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Warner: No W/Cup games here !
By: Mark Pouchet (Express).
FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner yesterday advised that local football fans will not get the opportunity to see the Trinidad and Tobago senior team's South African World Cup campaign live and in person.
At a media conference at the President's Box at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday, the outspoken Warner said: "We have applied to the FIFA to have all our home matches played away at venues favourable to our players" and on such terms and conditions which are considered "fair and right for us".
The USA is one such country being presently considered, citing the example of the Meadowlands Stadium that can seat 78,000.
"I want the people and public of Trinidad and Tobago to keep the faith," the T&TFF special adviser exclaimed, " We will qualify, believe me!"
Warner's statement came against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute over the use of state-owned stadia with Minister of Sport, Gary Hunt.
At the conference, Warner told the press he had made some decisions, "with the support of the (Trinidad and Tobago) Football Federation," that would be binding until the conclusion of the 2010 South Africa campaign.
This despite T&T's stunning 2-1 defeat to Bermuda Sunday at the Marvin Lee Stadium that threatened to derail the entire campaign before it had properly kicked off.
In a more than hour-long address entitled: "In Defence of Local Football," Warner outlined how the T&T campaign would continue from here on.
"Our 2010 South Africa World Cup campaign will continue, successfully, when we meet Bermuda on Sunday next." he stated. "And our national team has our full support towards this end."
The CFU and CONCACAF president also said a feasibility study will be conducted on the Marvin Lee Stadium immediately with a view to building a new all-seater structure to accommodate a minimum of 20,000 persons. Adjacent to this structure will be a multi-storey car park. Both projects are expected to be completed in the shortest possible time but definitely before 2010.
Warner also declared that football events for which the T&TFF had already been committed to hosting-the CONCACAF Women's Qualifying Championship in July, the CFU Youth Cup (Boys and Girls) in August, the Brazilian Youth Team against a Tobago XI in September/October and a host of other fixtures, including the Digicel Cup- shall "either be re-scheduled to other countries and or other venues," with negotiations currently underway.
Asked if the position of the T&TFF would now be to not demand funding for the 2010 campaign from the Government, Warner replied that : "For me, Jack Warner, I will not go begging the Government for any money...The T&TFF, they may or may not if they decide to but as far as I'm concerned, I have no intention of going cap in hand to the Government. We will of course have to strap our boots and cut in other areas, but I will make sure this team has everything it needs to qualify."
Earlier, Warner had reiterated and gone through in chronological order, the dispute between himself and Hunt who he suggested had a personal vendetta against him that was being aided and abetted by the Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his cabinet.
Warner had also indicated that the T&TFF's audited accounts for 2006 and 2007, performed by international auditing firm KPMG, were still outstanding and would be presented in August and September, a situation, he claimed, Hunt was well aware of.
He also ridiculed Hunt's recommendation for local stadia to be used free of charge by the T&TFF once the T&T public is allowed to enter these compounds free also.
"But even if all of these things are not important and one were to even foolishly accept the Minister's offer, how can it safely be implemented? Since his offer is for citizens of Trinidad and Tobago only, will every spectator have to walk with his/her passport? What controls will he have to prevent over-crowding? How will he determine who sit in Grounds and who sit in Stands? Who will pay for expenses of both teams?
By: Mark Pouchet (Express).
FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner yesterday advised that local football fans will not get the opportunity to see the Trinidad and Tobago senior team's South African World Cup campaign live and in person.
At a media conference at the President's Box at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday, the outspoken Warner said: "We have applied to the FIFA to have all our home matches played away at venues favourable to our players" and on such terms and conditions which are considered "fair and right for us".
The USA is one such country being presently considered, citing the example of the Meadowlands Stadium that can seat 78,000.
"I want the people and public of Trinidad and Tobago to keep the faith," the T&TFF special adviser exclaimed, " We will qualify, believe me!"
Warner's statement came against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute over the use of state-owned stadia with Minister of Sport, Gary Hunt.
At the conference, Warner told the press he had made some decisions, "with the support of the (Trinidad and Tobago) Football Federation," that would be binding until the conclusion of the 2010 South Africa campaign.
This despite T&T's stunning 2-1 defeat to Bermuda Sunday at the Marvin Lee Stadium that threatened to derail the entire campaign before it had properly kicked off.
In a more than hour-long address entitled: "In Defence of Local Football," Warner outlined how the T&T campaign would continue from here on.
"Our 2010 South Africa World Cup campaign will continue, successfully, when we meet Bermuda on Sunday next." he stated. "And our national team has our full support towards this end."
The CFU and CONCACAF president also said a feasibility study will be conducted on the Marvin Lee Stadium immediately with a view to building a new all-seater structure to accommodate a minimum of 20,000 persons. Adjacent to this structure will be a multi-storey car park. Both projects are expected to be completed in the shortest possible time but definitely before 2010.
Warner also declared that football events for which the T&TFF had already been committed to hosting-the CONCACAF Women's Qualifying Championship in July, the CFU Youth Cup (Boys and Girls) in August, the Brazilian Youth Team against a Tobago XI in September/October and a host of other fixtures, including the Digicel Cup- shall "either be re-scheduled to other countries and or other venues," with negotiations currently underway.
Asked if the position of the T&TFF would now be to not demand funding for the 2010 campaign from the Government, Warner replied that : "For me, Jack Warner, I will not go begging the Government for any money...The T&TFF, they may or may not if they decide to but as far as I'm concerned, I have no intention of going cap in hand to the Government. We will of course have to strap our boots and cut in other areas, but I will make sure this team has everything it needs to qualify."
Earlier, Warner had reiterated and gone through in chronological order, the dispute between himself and Hunt who he suggested had a personal vendetta against him that was being aided and abetted by the Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his cabinet.
Warner had also indicated that the T&TFF's audited accounts for 2006 and 2007, performed by international auditing firm KPMG, were still outstanding and would be presented in August and September, a situation, he claimed, Hunt was well aware of.
He also ridiculed Hunt's recommendation for local stadia to be used free of charge by the T&TFF once the T&T public is allowed to enter these compounds free also.
"But even if all of these things are not important and one were to even foolishly accept the Minister's offer, how can it safely be implemented? Since his offer is for citizens of Trinidad and Tobago only, will every spectator have to walk with his/her passport? What controls will he have to prevent over-crowding? How will he determine who sit in Grounds and who sit in Stands? Who will pay for expenses of both teams?
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