Bahrainis fail to silence panmen.
By: Zaid Mohammed (Newsday).
Bahrain officials did their utmost to frustrate the strong Trinidad and Tobago support for the crucial World Cup football play-off last Wednesday.
At one time there was the great possibility that the sound of steelpan would be eerily silent at the match between Trinidad and Tobago and Bahrain at the National Stadium in Riffa.
It is understood that Jack Warner, a FIFA vice-president had been told that the panmen of the Angostura Woodbrook Playboyz would not be allowed in to the stadium for the match.
The panmen and the Laventille Rhythm Section, a drum side, arrived with the team hoping to spur on the Warriors with sounds of home in the match which decided which team qualifies for the World Cup finals in Germany next year.
Trinidad and Tobago defeated Bahrain 1-0 for a winning 2-1 aggregate.
The Woodbrook Playboyz were blocked once before, while practising at the Best Western Elite Hotel where they were staying, the music apparently upset persons in the nearby residential suites.
They were forced to go to the nearby beach to continue their practice where an impromptu jump-up attracted several Bahrainis who joined in the fun.
The Woodbrook Playboyz have been accompanying the national football team for some time, under the invitation of Jack Warner, both at overseas matches and at home.
They are now regarded as part of the Warriors outfit.
Trinidad and Tobago football officials also voiced their displeasure at the lack of co-operation they received from their Bahraini counterparts leading up to the match. Although they would not go on record for fear of disturbing the friendly relations between the nations, the TT officials have been fuming silently as they came up against dead-ends during their stay in the Middle East. One official speaking on condition of anonymity said the Bahrainis did all they could to frustrate the Trinidad and Tobago football team management and the media team the match. One of the first to feel the pressure was national team coach Leo Beenhakker who was said to be very upset when he took his players for their first training session after arriving in Manama last Monday evening.
Apart from planning the session on a training field adjacent to the national stadium, the Warriors were only given five balls for the session, which were much less than Beenhakker required.
However, he made do with what he had, although when Bahrain were in Trinidad and Tobago they were given about a dozen balls and were afforded unrestricted use of the Hasely Crawford Stadium at Mucurapo which was the match venue.
The organiser of the special airplane charter from Port-of-Spain to Bahrain, Tony Harford of Allsport Promotion was also given a runaround when he sought to get press passes for the dozen or so media personnel travelling with the team.
After submitting the names of the media personnel and camera men to the Bahraini Football Association, he made at least two fruitless trips to their office to collect them.
And although the Bahrainis had the documents in their possession they denied this on two occasions when asked about them by other members of the Trinidad and Tobago media. The cameramen from CNC Channel 3, NCC Channel 4, TV 6 and Gayelle The Channel were also slighted when they sought to set up their equipment at vantage points around the ground.
"We were promised certain areas to set up our cameras but suddenly we were told that we would have to put up shop elsewhere. They broke their agreement," one irate television man said.
At least one television journalist said he was given more space than he needed for his live colour broadcast from the stadium back to Trinidad and Tobago.
"I was told by this guy how hard he was working to accommodate me but I told him I had more space than I needed which was one big room where at least three crews could easily fit in," said Ruskin Mark of NCC Channel 4 TV.
"I suggested that other people from the visiting media pack could share the space but I don’t know what the decision will be," he said.
There was also some dispute as to the fee the Bahrainis would charge the TV and radio crews to film and broadcast the match respectively.
It was reported that when the Bahrainis were in Trinidad two weekends ago for the first leg match they were given unhindered access and charged a nominal fee.
But the Trinidad and Tobago broadcasters were kept waiting with bated breath for an official announcement on what they would have to pay.
