Warner: Stadium OK for qualifier
T&T Express
The Hasely Crawford Stadium will be ready for the March 28 World Cup qualifier against Honduras despite initial worry over the state of the pitch at the Mucurapo venue.
Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special adviser Jack Warner, who expressed initial fears that the ground would not be fit to host the match, yesterday confirmed that the venue is coming along and will be ready.
The pitch was damaged after the hosting of both Machel Montano's AC7 concert on February 14, and the Soca Monarch competition six days later. Major concerns were then raised by Warner after he and other TTFF officials inspected the ground the next day. The northern part of the ground was not covered, and was most adversely affected by the staging of the first event.
However, Warner is now convinced the game can go on. So much so, that tickets for the match go on sale next week.
'It was touch and go before," Warner told the media following a FIFA press conference to discuss findings on T&T's Women's Under-17 World Cup inspections, which were carried out last week. "...We are now convinced that we can do it, and it is unfortunate the team wouldn't be able to train there as they should."
The FIFA vice president, though, was not happy that T&T will not be able to train at the stadium.
"We are hoping to get at least one match there before the 28th, and we are looking at the options if we (can't) play there, then we'll play somewhere else.
"We would have loved to train, but the reality is we cannot, so then we have to do something else."
