TRINIDAD and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) has already begun its plans for World Cup 2006 in Germany and has acquired the assistance of football marketing professionals from Jamaica and the US, according to FIFA Vice President and T&TFF special adviser Jack Warner.
"We are far ahead in our planning than people would ever imagine," said Warner during a live interview with TV6 from Bahrain yesterday.
Warner said that the plans will be sanctioned by the TTFF but will be controlled by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Germany 2006 Ltd. He said that a two storey office in Woodbrook has been secured for the Committee and Executive Director of the Caribbean Football Union Marketing Division, Horace Reid from Jamaica, has been hired to assist with planning and marketing.
The US Soccer Federation will also be assisting with the local marketing programme, he said.
Warner said that there will be three matches in the first three months of 2006 as part of the lead up to the World Cup. While not providing the details of these matches he said that the final match on March 26 will be "the biggest the country has ever seen".
He said that for 40 years he has "taken every abuse, every criticism, every vilification, every degradation" but has kept focused and wanted to thank all the people who kept the faith with him. He credited the qualification of the team to their syncretism and the commitment of the technical staff and expressed high hopes for the team's performance in Germany.
"We shall make FIFA proud, we shall make CONCACAF proud, but most importantly this nation," said Warner.
He predicted that the players and their supporters will "light up Germany like no other country ever has or ever will" by carrying its calypso, culture, flora, fauna, people and music to the European country.
Warner also commented on the violent behaviour by some of the Bahrain supporters who threw bottles and rocks at local supporters after the match
He described it as "most disgraceful" and expressed his belief that FIFA would address the situation "in due course".