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Waiting for Jack
Jack Warner shows Chris Mitchell around his boardroom
By Chris Mitchell
The pictures on the wall are very impressive. Look there's Jack Warner with Nelson Mandela, there's Jack with Tony Blair, Jack with Kofi Annan, and there he is meeting Her Majesty The Queen.
They all look down at me as I sit outside Jack Warner's office, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He's three hours late. Actually, he's four days late and
World Football: Jack Warner Interview
my flight leaves tomorrow. My hands are getting a little clammy.
I had travelled almost three thousand miles to see one of the most powerful men in the world of football. Mr Jack Warner is a FIFA Vice-President, President of CONCACAF, the organisation that runs football in the Caribbean and Central and North America and many other things too, a rich businessman and vice-president of Trinidad's main Opposition Party, the UNC. He's a busy man.
Ahhh… Chris, I meant to call you. There's been an emergency. Jack's left the country.'
Shaun, Jack Warners PR Man
Letters and emails came and went but Jack was always too busy. When I pointed out to Jack's PR Man, Shaun Feuntes, that I was a journalist at the BBC World Service, he was impressed. The BBC has a Caribbean Service and people respect it. It opened the door. For Shaun, BBC World Service was different. I got an email. If you come to Trinidad, Jack will see you. I was in.
I arrived on Monday night and had arranged to meet Jack on Tuesday. I called Shaun in the morning. There was a long pause "Ahhh… Chris, I meant to call you. There's been an emergency. Jack's left the country."
I couldn't believe it, but Shaun rang back and said Jack might be back in the country on Wednesday at 6am. I got a cab to the airport as dawn broke, to catch Jack coming off the plane. But he didn't show.
Driving around the small island is not easy. Traffic jams make the going slow, so too the tropical rainstorms. So there was plenty of time to talk to Everist and Biswanath. The two drivers have strong views about Jack. It seems you either love or hate the man.
"He took Trinidad to the 2006 World Cup, he's a hero!'' Says Everist
"He's only in it for the money." Says Biswanath.
Shaun rings. More apologies. Jack will be back on Thursday, for sure. He'll meet me then.
Three days stuck at the Hilton in Trinidad sounds good. Thursday has come and gone. The only good news? Shaun assures me Jack is back in the country. He will meet me at 3pm on Friday at his offices in Port of Spain.
But back outside Jack's office it's 6pm and there's still no Jack. My time is definitely running out. Suddenly a sheepish Shaun appears at the top of the stairs. He rushes up to me.
"Jack's here and you're in luck; he's in a good mood!" Sure enough Jack appears, older than I remember but smiling and ready for a chat.
I ask him to talk me through the pictures of him and the dignitaries on the wall. That's nothing, he tells me as he throws open the door to his board room. It is stuffed full of amazing memorabilia.
He shows me his fake world cup, his dagger from the Prince of the UAE, a cricket bat from Brian Lara. Cricket?
"It's a stupid game," he says. "Five days for a draw? Stupid."
We sit in his office and talk for an hour. He'll fight to bring the World Cup 2018 to the CONCACAF region and dismisses any chance England have of hosting the tournament. He talks about racism in the game, funny he tells me how black people play the game but only white men run it. He talks about his religion, his mother and how he doesn't like Chelsea, or Manchester United.
"Jack's here and you're in luck; he's in a good mood!"
What about the 2006 ticket scandal? Jack says he sleeps soundly at night. His conscience is clear he tells me. Later it transpires he only gets three hours sleep a night and his doctor has recommended he starts taking sleeping pills! One thing's for sure. I slept soundly that night. And in the morning I headed straight back to the BBC World Service.
Pirate of the Caribbean - A World Football Special can be heard Saturday 18th August on BBC World Service.
Jack Warner shows Chris Mitchell around his boardroom
By Chris Mitchell
The pictures on the wall are very impressive. Look there's Jack Warner with Nelson Mandela, there's Jack with Tony Blair, Jack with Kofi Annan, and there he is meeting Her Majesty The Queen.
They all look down at me as I sit outside Jack Warner's office, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He's three hours late. Actually, he's four days late and
World Football: Jack Warner Interview
my flight leaves tomorrow. My hands are getting a little clammy.
I had travelled almost three thousand miles to see one of the most powerful men in the world of football. Mr Jack Warner is a FIFA Vice-President, President of CONCACAF, the organisation that runs football in the Caribbean and Central and North America and many other things too, a rich businessman and vice-president of Trinidad's main Opposition Party, the UNC. He's a busy man.
Ahhh… Chris, I meant to call you. There's been an emergency. Jack's left the country.'
Shaun, Jack Warners PR Man
Letters and emails came and went but Jack was always too busy. When I pointed out to Jack's PR Man, Shaun Feuntes, that I was a journalist at the BBC World Service, he was impressed. The BBC has a Caribbean Service and people respect it. It opened the door. For Shaun, BBC World Service was different. I got an email. If you come to Trinidad, Jack will see you. I was in.
I arrived on Monday night and had arranged to meet Jack on Tuesday. I called Shaun in the morning. There was a long pause "Ahhh… Chris, I meant to call you. There's been an emergency. Jack's left the country."
I couldn't believe it, but Shaun rang back and said Jack might be back in the country on Wednesday at 6am. I got a cab to the airport as dawn broke, to catch Jack coming off the plane. But he didn't show.
Driving around the small island is not easy. Traffic jams make the going slow, so too the tropical rainstorms. So there was plenty of time to talk to Everist and Biswanath. The two drivers have strong views about Jack. It seems you either love or hate the man.
"He took Trinidad to the 2006 World Cup, he's a hero!'' Says Everist
"He's only in it for the money." Says Biswanath.
Shaun rings. More apologies. Jack will be back on Thursday, for sure. He'll meet me then.
Three days stuck at the Hilton in Trinidad sounds good. Thursday has come and gone. The only good news? Shaun assures me Jack is back in the country. He will meet me at 3pm on Friday at his offices in Port of Spain.
But back outside Jack's office it's 6pm and there's still no Jack. My time is definitely running out. Suddenly a sheepish Shaun appears at the top of the stairs. He rushes up to me.
"Jack's here and you're in luck; he's in a good mood!" Sure enough Jack appears, older than I remember but smiling and ready for a chat.
I ask him to talk me through the pictures of him and the dignitaries on the wall. That's nothing, he tells me as he throws open the door to his board room. It is stuffed full of amazing memorabilia.
He shows me his fake world cup, his dagger from the Prince of the UAE, a cricket bat from Brian Lara. Cricket?
"It's a stupid game," he says. "Five days for a draw? Stupid."
We sit in his office and talk for an hour. He'll fight to bring the World Cup 2018 to the CONCACAF region and dismisses any chance England have of hosting the tournament. He talks about racism in the game, funny he tells me how black people play the game but only white men run it. He talks about his religion, his mother and how he doesn't like Chelsea, or Manchester United.
"Jack's here and you're in luck; he's in a good mood!"
What about the 2006 ticket scandal? Jack says he sleeps soundly at night. His conscience is clear he tells me. Later it transpires he only gets three hours sleep a night and his doctor has recommended he starts taking sleeping pills! One thing's for sure. I slept soundly that night. And in the morning I headed straight back to the BBC World Service.
Pirate of the Caribbean - A World Football Special can be heard Saturday 18th August on BBC World Service.