FIFA Vice President Jack Warner has said that Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his Government cannot intervene in the sale of tickets for World Cup 2006.
"No Government in the world can intervene in FIFA's business, and that is the bottom line," Warner said yesterday in response to Manning's statement at Thursday's post-Cabinet press conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain, that the government was "going to have to engage in appropriate discussions with those in authority in football in Trinidad and Tobago to ensure that we have the requisite number of tickets to be able to do that".
Warner is not impressed by that statement.
"If this is what qualification (for Trinidad and Tobago) meant, I would have had second thoughts. Why are we making this an issue? Mr Manning represents the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. FIFA doesn't deal with Governments," Warner said.
He accused Manning of doing this for his supporters.
Warner said the entire issue was having a negative impact on Trinidad and Tobago internationally. "It's embarrassing us all over the world when people read about these things, it's embarrassing!
"Let Mr Manning intervene. How and when I don't know that will be done, but let him intervene if he has to. If that sounds good for the electorate, then so be it."
He added: "This thing is of no interest to me, no value to me. I want to move ahead."
Warner said Manning should be asked to say how he planned to intervene in the matter and that the PM should give "at least one example in the world where such a thing was ever done."
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Roger Boynes yesterday wrote to T&TFF president Oliver Camps advising him of government's intention to acquire tickets from the organisation for the games.
"...The government will be approaching your organisation with a view to acquiring a block of tickets for the respective games as it is the government's intention to arrange charters with the national airline," Boynes told Camps.
In the letter, which was also copied to Warner, Boynes said this is because the Government had been approached by football supporters throughout the country.
Boynes said he endorses the T&TFF commitment to have tickets made available to the general public and its "commitment to provide my Ministry with the list of persons who have applied and have acquired tickets from the Federation at the earliest opportunity."
He assured Camps that the T&TFF's proposed budget for funding from government will be submitted to Cabinet in the shortest time and reiterated his government's intention to brand Trinidad and Tobago globally by sending cultural troupes to the World Cup.