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“[…] The fans at last night’s match had the best of intentions: to support their team and celebrate the legacy of Dwight Yorke in his first home game as head coach.
“Instead, many left the stadium angry and frustrated despite Dwight’s troops putting Cuba to the sword—their experience soured by a lack of basic event planning. It’s a shame that the TTFA continually fails to learn from past mistakes…”
The following Letter to the Editor on the experience of many football fans at Trinidad and Tobago’s Concacaf Gold Cup Prelim contest against Cuba at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva was submitted to Wired868 by Cheyenne Hector from Diego Martin:
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Last night, I attended the Trinidad and Tobago Gold Cup qualifier against Cuba at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. What should have been a memorable occasion to witness Dwight Yorke’s home debut as national coach, quickly turned into a logistical nightmare—leaving thousands of fans, including myself, frustrated and disappointed.
The event’s poor planning and lack of foresight by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) were an embarrassment to both the supporters and the sport.
I left Port of Spain at 4.30pm, expecting to arrive well before the start of the match. Yet, I found myself stuck in gridlock traffic just five kilometers from the stadium, struggling to move in every direction. This was at 6.15pm.
Lee scored twice in the first half when thousands of supporters were still trying to get into the venue.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
By the time I finally entered the stadium, it was already halftime: 7.45pm.
The root of the issue was the TTFA’s decision to stop all vehicles from entering the stadium grounds to check tickets. While the intent may have been to prevent unauthorized parking, the execution was flawed.
There is little to no incentive for anyone to park illegally near the Ato Boldon Stadium on a Tuesday night.
This wasn’t the Hasely Crawford Stadium where you could understand the decision with the Avenue bars and Movietowne in walking distance.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The decision to block access to the stadium itself only created a massive bottleneck. Rather than allowing vehicles to park and ticket stewards to do their job at the stadium entrance, the entire traffic flow came to a standstill.
Even more frustrating was the lack of police or security at key traffic points. Specifically, the absence of law enforcement or any form of traffic direction at the top of the ramp on the southbound side of the highway caused a chaotic situation.
By law, cars are meant to turn left, however desperate fans with eyes on the clock trying to avoid the growing delay resorted to turning right, resulting in a multi-lane bottleneck that halted progress and further exacerbated the problem.
There were less than 4,000 spectators who had gotten to their seats by that time.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
This incident is not an isolated one. The Ato Boldon Stadium has hosted several events marred by similar logistical failures.
Each time fans are left feeling neglected and the players and coaching staff are forced to deal with a distracted and disgruntled crowd or more so feel let down by the low numbers in the ground at kickoff—unaware that thousands are trying to get in to support them. Some of which are likely their own family and friends.
The fans at last night’s match had the best of intentions: to support their team and celebrate the legacy of Dwight Yorke in his first home game as head coach.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Instead, many left the stadium angry and frustrated despite Dwight’s troops putting Cuba to the sword—their experience soured by a lack of basic event planning.
It’s a shame that the TTFA continually fails to learn from past mistakes. The association has an obligation to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience for the fans who come to support their national team. But once again, they have let us down.
The TTFA must do better. Organising such a significant event requires thoughtful planning, attention to detail, and a focus on the fans who are the backbone of Trinidad and Tobago football. We deserve better than what we experienced last night.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Let’s see what “plan” and venue selection they go with for the massive home World Cup qualifier on 6 June versus Saint Kitts and Nevis. And, of course, potentially a final round of World Cup qualifiers from September to November 2025.
I am supporting the team as always, through the good, the bad and the traffic.
Editor’s Note: Click HERE for a Letter to the Editor by a football fan, which details her issues with the parking setup for Trinidad and Tobago’s Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary match against Cuba.
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The entire footballing Administration/operations etc is appalling. Much more has to be done on the part of those administering the sport to convince the most diehard among us that they are serious about taking the sport forward in any meaningful way.
I remember my wife (she hadn’t attended a game involving the national team prior to that occasion) attending a game at the Natl Stadium (might have been a WC qualifier with not much on the line) and swearing never to attend another game. All because of the way the gate entry process was chaotic/totally mismanaged. That wasn’t 1990 or 2006.
So the long and short of it all is that the the administrators of football are doing little to encourage the seasoned supporter to continue to attend these games or to win new ones.
Atrocious by TTFA . No Planning for parking.
Where is the publicly available evidence that the TTFA as currently constituted has any notion that administration and off-the-field issues are also a part of its responsibilities?
Where is the publicly available evidence that the TTFA as currently constituted is more than a one-man-and-his-dog show?
Are we perhaps privy to a hopefully doomed attempt to damblay the Eric James and Jack Warner presidencies?
And with a major sponsor having already stepped forward…
You are for the moment a voice crying in the wilderness. Let us wait for the first home defeat which, I sincerely hope, will be long in coming… That’s when the crap will hit the fans!
Sadly, I endorse all the sentiments expressed. I went to the game expecting the traffic nightmare, it happens every intercol except this time multiplied 10 times. There is absolutely no respect for spectators (and players) in TT sport, only talk. Why No traffic management in these modern times, within 1 mile of the game? I made it on time because I decided very early to park a mile away and walk. Many only caught the second half of the game. Interestingly no apologies from TTFA for the fiasco so it will be repeated. SMH.
I done, not one penny, i am nearly 70 and have been attending football matches since befor Fifa was in charge, i am also a Pensioner who LOVES MY COUNTRY And to see the way FANS WERE DISRESPECTED.. I DONE.. NOTHING SHORT OF THE RESIGNATION OF THE HEAD OF TTFA , WILL SATISFY ME. THE SHIT STOP WITH ME.