Scotland Training Camp off
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Footballers will depart for St Kitts/Nevis on Friday afternoon for Sunday’s friendly international but will not jet off on July 22 for Scotland as previously planned due of a shortage of funding.
This was revealed by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation on Wednesday as National Senior Team manager David Muhammad was asked to put a halt to all arrangements for the trip to Edinburgh and seek alternative arrangements relating to the National Team’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifier against El Salvador in Port of Spain on August 12.
Initially the trip to Scotland was supposed to include three matches over a ten-day period against Glasgow Rangers, Falkirk and Hibernian but then the period had to be cut to four days due to at least five members of the team needing to be back in Trinidad to join their club (W Connection) for a Concacaf Champions League assignment. As such it meant the “Soca Warriors” would then only play two training matches.
TTFF Special Adviser Jack Warner disclosed that the trip to Scotland was costing the TTFF in excess of TT$300,000 and the fact remains that the majority of the financial responsibilities with regards to competitions, tournaments and overseas training camps continue to lie on his shoulders.
“The TTFF just does not have the sufficient funds at this time to send the team to Scotland,” Warner told TTFF Media.
“It’s not a case whereby efforts will not be made to ensure the team gets the kind of preparations it requires but at this time, a lack of funding means that alternative arrangements will need to be made.
“And when you consider too that our National Under 20 team also has to intensify its preparations for the FIFA World Youth Cup in September, then you see that it has become increasingly difficult for us from a financial standpoint.”
Warner added that the Under 20s will soon been off to Venezuela for a four-nation tournament and will also undergo a ten-day training camp in England next month. Australia’s National Under 20 team will also play T&T Under 20s at month end while the Zoran Vranes-coached outfit will also travel to Tunisia next month for two further matches.
“All of this makes such an investment, though beneficial to the Senior Team, well nigh impossible at this stage,” Warner said.
Warner added that there was still optimism towards T&T’s chances of qualifying for South Africa 2010 and details regarding the teams build up to August 12 will be revealed in due course.