TRINIDAD vendors are being blocked from plying their trade during next month's World Cup qualifier scheduled to be held in Tobago, a popular nuts man has claimed.
According to Thomas, Trinidadian vendors were on Monday told by accreditation officials of the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 World Cup that "the venue was too small to accommodate both Trinidadian and Tobagonian vendors"
On June 6, Trinidad and Tobago's senior football squad is scheduled to play Costa Rica in a World Cup Qualifying game at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago.
And in order for vendors to legally ply their trade inside the stadium, they must first be accredited by the LOC. But Trinidadian Thomas said vendors are not being accredited because of the size constraints at the sister isle's lone stadium. Instead, they are being advised to ply their trade outside the stadium while their Tobagonian counterparts have been given preference to operate inside the stadium.
The Dwight Yorke Stadium, named after the country's current Tobago-born team captain has a capacity of just 7,500 compared to the 22,500 seater Hasely Crawford Stadium, where national team games are traditionally played.
Thomas, who has been a nuts man for over 15 years, said it was the first time he has ever been faced with an issue like this. He said he had no problem with the sister isle's vendors getting the go-ahead in front of their Trinidadian counterparts, but was aggrieved because Tobago has no known nuts men and this was therefore depriving spectators.
"Tobago have no nuts men. I could understand if they say Tobago have two nuts men and they want to make a dollar, but Tobago have no nuts men," Thomas said.
Because of the restrictions, Thomas said he would be missing out on some $3,000 that he usually makes in World Cup qualifying matches. "This only leaving people the option of doing the wrong thing, taking a different route to be able to sell," Thomas said.
The Express yesterday made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the accreditation officer of the Local Organising Committee.