Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes has petitioned the Trinidad and Tobago Football Feredation (T&TFF) to use the excess money they will earn from next Wednesday's international warm-up between Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup-bound Soca Warriors and Peru to fund the development of local football.
Boynes was speaking on TV6's Morning Edition yesterday when he addressed the cost of entry for the May 10 match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, with tickets priced at $500 (covered stand) and $300 (uncovered).
The Minister's position is that on the basis of the $45 million funding package which Government recently approved for the T&TFF, prices for the match should have been no more than $200.
On Monday, Boynes presented a cheque for $14 million to T&TFF president Oliver Camps, as the first installment of Government's package.
The Minister maintained that the Trinidad and Tobago Government had already subsidised the upcoming international and, in applying for funding, the T&TFF had agreed that entry prices would be $100 for the uncovered stand and twice as much for the covered stand.
Instead, Boynes said, the T&TFF have increased the ticket prices.
"I am saying that the basis of the funding is that you (T&TFF) charge $200 by $100. I am saying I have it here...it is in writing. The budget that was submitted to us is not my budget, it is the T&TFF budget.
"You (T&TFF) have written in your budget that you are going to charge 200 by 100. That is your budget and I agree with it. It was on that basis we funded it."
Boynes said he has since been informed that, even at the higher prices, two-thirds of the tickets have already been sold for the Soca Warriors' game versus Peru.
He therefore put forward a compromise by suggesting that the T&TFF put the excess funds from the match directly into the local football development programme.
Boynes estimated the T&TFF will generate an excess of S5.5 million from higher ticket prices. He added there was a football development programme costing $30 million annually, of which Government puts in $18 million.
The T&TFF was responsible for raising $12 million of that amount and Boynes suggested that the excess funds from the Peru match should be part of the Federation's contribution to the development fund.
Boynes said he has had no direct reply from T&TFF special adviser Jack Warner since raising the matter.
"The matter has been going on for a few days now, where I am very solid in my position and the T&TFF have been very solid in their position," stated Boynes.