A woman almost lost her pants, leaving her assets exposed, several people fainted, some were crushed and others were beaten by the police in a mad rush at Skinner Park, San Fernando, yesterday to get tickets for today’s World Cup football qualifier.
Those who were unsuccessful in their bid to secure tickets wept openly, cursed out loud, or drowned their frustration in Carib beer at the nearby Atherly’s By the Park pub.
Some football fans had spent the night at the only southern ticket venue hoping to get at least one of the 3,000 tickets which went on sale there.
Before the police arrived, as dawn broke, hundreds of enthusiastic fans converged on the main entrance to the park, trampling those in their path to get to the lone ticket outlet.
In the melee, the iron railing leading to the park’s entrance on Cipero Street broke, causing fans to fall on top of each other.
By the time the police got to the scene around 6 am, it was difficult to control the crowd, as fans who had spent the night waiting were bypassed by others who pushed their way through to get their tickets.
Four mounted police, the first on the scene, had to call for reinforcements as the crowd swelled, pushing, fighting and trampling each other.
One woman with her arms outstretched screamed, “Officer, officer, help me, help me,” as she was being crushed in the melee after buying her tickets.
With no way out of the crowd the woman pushed up, climbed on the shoulders of other fans and jumped.
Guard and Emergency, Crime Suppression Unit and riot police officers totalling close to 20 arrived at the park and used their batons to control the crowd.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Oswyn Allard also visited the area.
One senior police officer said he was disappointed at the organisers, saying, “They should have known what was going to happen. Look at this madness.”
People climbed onto the wire fence around the park, and some climbed onto the roof of the ticket booth. Police pulled down them and chased them.
A man was kicked when a police horse’s hoof got caught in the wire mesh on the ground after a fence was broken down.
One man who fainted outside the park was revived with a bottle of water and fed a chocolate by concerned people.
Even students in uniform joined the crowd to get tickets.
Some of those waiting, patriotically dressed in red, complained about the poor organisation of the ticket sales and lack of police control.
Mario Garcia, of Chaguanas, one of the first to get his ticket, said he slept outside the park.
“I here since 9 pm yesterday (Thursday). Some people sleep, some line up, stand up and some wake.
“We knew there would be lots of problems to get tickets. I find there was no planning, no consideration for people,” said Garcia.
Gary Phillip, of Curepe, danced and jumped up and down after he made it through the crowd with his tickets.
“I am elated, I feel ecstatic. This is all good. I think it is worth it,” he said.
Patrons complained that scalpers were getting into the line and buying more than the maximum allocation of four.
One man approached the Guardian with 14 tickets in his backpack, calling for $300 for a $100 ticket and $500 for a $200 ticket.
At 9.45 am the tickets, which came late, were sold out.
Dejected fans cursed, venting their frustration. “This unfair, it real unfair. Jack (Warner) should have known better.”