FIFA vice president Jack Warner has warned Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the Government that they cannot intervene in the sale of tickets for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Warner, also a special advisor to the T&T Football Federation, was responding to Manning’s statement at Thursday’s post-Cabinet press conference. The Prime Minister said the Government would have to discuss the availability of World Cup tickets with “those in authority in football in T&T.”
But Warner said no government in the world could intervene in FIFA’s business.
“That’s the bottom line,” Warner said on Friday.
“If this (confusion) is what qualification (for T&T) meant, I would have had second thoughts. Why are we making this an issue?
“Mr Manning represents the Government of T&T. Fifa doesn’t deal with Governments.”
He also accused Manning of getting involved in the tickets sales issue so he could appease his political supporters.
The issue of ticket sales came to the fore last week following a controversy arising from Warner’s announcement that the TTFF had appointed his family firm, Simpaul’s Travel, as the exclusive charter operator for the 2006 Football World Cup.
Warner said the entire issue was having a negative impact on T&T internationally.
“It’s embarrassing us all over the world when people read about these things, it’s embarrassing,” Warner said.
“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; 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 on Friday wrote to TTFF president Oliver Camps advising him of the Government’s intention to acquire tickets from the organisation for the event.
“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 indicated.
In the letter, which was also copied to Warner, Boynes said this move would be undertaken because Government had been approached by football supporters throughout the country seeking access to tickets.
Boynes said he endorsed the T&TFF’s commitment to have tickets made available to the general public, while noting that the T&TFF’s proposed budget for Government funding would be submitted to Cabinet soon.
T&T will make its debut at the World Cup showpiece this year in Group B against England, Sweden and Paraguay. (CMC)
