The 2008 edition of Caribbean Football Union Youth Cup slated for next month will be played on the grounds of Secondary Schools, rather than the Government-owned Stadiums. This was revealed by Fifa vice-president, Jack Warner in a press release yesterday.
The decision to play the matches at the school venues is the latest in a running wrangle between the T&T Football Federation and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs over the rental fee for the use of the stadiums, which began prior to T&T hosting England in an international friendly on June 1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
For that match, the Government had asked the T&TFF to pay a rental fee of $150,000 among other things, and while an agreement was eventually reached a permanent resolution over the continued use of the stadiums, has not been reached.
The release stated that the T&TFF does not have the use of the stadiums and they have turned to some of the schools for the use of their venues.
Warner added, “I say ‘Thank God’ that the schools have been very kind to us by allowing us to play these matches at their facilities. Originally I would have wanted to play them at the Government owned stadiums but you know that those facilities are out of bound to us and particularly for this kind of football. I want to publicly thank the schools for their support.”