Watched the sports show on CNC 3 last night hosted by Roger Sant.
His guest was Jack Warner.
Some of the highlights of the interview were:
1) Jack has been paying the T&T technical staff salary since July 2006…still no official word from Govt on what they going to do. JW said after Jan 07, he will not continue this gesture.
2) Over the next 4 years, the TTFF will need ~$30million to adequately prepare teams for their respective tourneys (camps, friendlies, travel, fees, etc etc). Nothing has been heard from Govt yet on the matter, although the budget was submitted last July.
3) The players strike was the work of 2-3 players with agendas. Dwight Yorke was not the instigator, as JW said money is of little consequence to him. He went on to say that no other players in the history of T&T football history was treated as good as these players….. Time will tell on this situation, but it looks like he is a bit sad about the whole situation.
4) FINALLY, someone else besides me has come out and described T&T's qualification last year for Germany as a lucky hit! JW described it as a lucky abberation, and it will not happen again, we need to get our house in order from now. When we play Ja in a couple years time and if they beat us, let us not cry, cause they have a fixed program already, hired a US million dollar a year coach in Bora, while T&T still can't get any sponsors to help its team. What a shame for a team that participated in the WC 6 months ago.
5) For the U17 WC qualification in Ja in April, 3 of 5 competing teams will qialify, that very good odds. JW disclosed all the other teams are in camps/tours and training in prep..T&T's is waaaay behind on that isue.
6) T&T dropped the ball in terms of football development coming out after the WC.
7) JW was told to stay away from local cricket and planning.
JW has had some contact with beenhakker since the WC, but in terms of technical support - NIL, mainly because of lack of funding to make official proposals and draw up plans.
9) JW and Blazer begged for CONCACAF's 4th place team to remain playing Asia, as they all agreed that South America's 5th placed team will be much more difficult. FIFA used the argument that the long travel times was too much of a factor in CONCACAF-ASIA, with a huge disadvantage for the team playing away from home in the first leg.
10) JW approached a local TV station to convince them to bring more coverage of the pro-league games, to build up interest...they rejected it. Says Dexter Skeene is really trying hard, but cant do it by himself.
11) Says that Joe Public players may be getting discriminated against for national call ups, just because people might perceive it as jack's players walking onto national teams…case in point - dwarika, who is having a serious resurgence, but still no call up…Still has faith in the technical staff though.
12) JW lambasted the maintenance of the WC 2001 stadia, and the poor state of pitches now…
13) Praised Lincoln Phillips for the work he is doing at the grassroots level, but says that financing is making it very difficult for him to move mountains...
The general jist of the interview was Govt's lack of $$ support. If they don’t come on board now, private companies will be skeptical too.
I rememebr in the celebration rally after the WC, Manning said that 2010 was a national objective, and would spare no effort in helping T&T recognise this. It looks like politics all over again on this one. Jack was real worked up and passionate, he even a couple times say that he getting carried away and need to calm down..Roger Sant was ketching kicks on him a bit.
Will be nice to get a gov't respons to some of these issues...
CRIME STOPPERS: Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik (left) as he leaves Piarco International Airport yesterday accompanied by United National Congress (UNC) Deputy Political Leader, Jack Warner, who invited the crime expert for a series of discussions on crime in the country.
(2007-01-03) ...Author: VASHTI SINGH
