THE Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) will have a new home in a few weeks time when it takes up base at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
TTFA president, Raymond Tim Kee made the disclosure early yesterday morning, expressing sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Sport and the SporTT Company for presenting this unique opportunity for the local governing body to occupy the office space at the South Eastern end of the Stadium.
The new location will accommodate the TTFA’s current office staff as well as space for the technical personnel of the TTFA. This includes senior national team head coach Stephen Hart, the referees and marketing department, as well as a board room and merchandise centre which will sell official TTFA licensed product. The local football fraternity head explained.
“We are quite thrilled about this move and extremely grateful to the Ministry of Sport and the Sportt Company for presenting us with this opportunity to take up residence at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. This will be the new home of Trinidad and Tobago Football which entered a new era in recent months and continues to make positive strides.”
Tim Kee also disclosed that the change in location will enable the TTFA to save a significant amount in rental fees annually and allow funds that were earmarked for rent to be redirected to development programming. TTFA general secretary Sheldon Phillips, who negotiated the move, heaped praises on the sport ministry and its associates for providing the local governing body with a new location to conduct daily activities.
“The move to HCS is yet another example of the developing partnership between our organisation and the Ministry of Sport. The TTFA would like to specifically thank Minister Anil Roberts for his leadership in making the stadium space available and recognition of the immediate and sustained benefits this move would yield for football. We look forward to continued collaborative efforts with MSYA and SPORTT.”
Meanwhile, The Trinidad and Tobago football team, dubbed “the Soca Warriors”, may be hosting New Zealand, also known as “the All Whites”, on October 15 in their final warm-up before November’s FIFA World Cup playoff.
But the New Zealand outfit will have to do it without striker Chris Killen who has undergone Achilles surgery, according to a report yesterday on the Otago Daily Times newspaper.
New Zealand Football (NZF) have been chasing an international game for the October window for months without success but are understood to be close to a deal to play Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. The match is likely to be tagged onto others against MLS outfit Chivas and Mexican club side Queretaro FC in Los Angeles.
It will see three games in seven days and, given the first will be outside the international window, will probably see New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert take a bloated squad of 22 players.