EDITORIAL

The True Spirit Of Cayman

Friday, March 19, 2004

Let us all pay a belated but unreservedly fulsome tribute to the brave performance of the Cayman Islands football team in the recent World Cup qualifying match against Cuba at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

Their team spirit, dedication and determination to stick to a task in the face of adversity is an object lesson to all of us, no matter what our position or walk of life.

Congratulations also to the dedicated fans who turned out in hundreds to voice their support for the team.

What a shame it was that there were not even more spectators. Perhaps the event could have been much better promoted. Where were the posters around town? Where were the special deals? How much more could the Cayman businesses community have done to support the event?

How far a cry it was from some of the major soccer playing nations where the true fans complain they can never get tickets for major games because the seats go to people on corporate hospitality who are more interested in the social occasion than the sporting action. Most of them wouldn't know a free kick from a free lunch.

Surely at a face value of just $7 a ticket, many of our larger and even medium-sized firms could splash out on tickets for several of their employees or clients. Perhaps there could be some team building off the pitch as well as on it.

And why can't we get posters up in the local shops advertising the game and get the taxi drivers to co-operate with a shuttle service and special fare for residents and visitors who would like to visit the game? How many Americans, Canadians or other visitors get the chance to see genuine, live World Cup action?

The rest of us as individuals can play our part too by making an effort to get to the game and demonstrate some vocal support for our nation or adoptive home.

The atmosphere at the Cuban game was wonderful... passionate yet relaxed, friendly and a real family occasion.

Once again, how many of the major soccer nations would have been able to put on such a show?

Perhaps a few of the FIFA guidelines did go out of the window concerning ticket-only matches, segregating the two teams' fans and policing and security levels... and thank goodness they did.

Where else in the world would you able to wander up to single ticket vendor sitting at a table just outside the gate, buy your ticket ten minutes before kick-off, stroll into the game, choose your own seat and even use the bathroom at half-time without having to queue? And a clean, pristine bathroom at that!

Even better, Cubans and Caymanians, not to mention a host of other nationalities, sat alongside one another enjoying the match and a little friendly banter in a way one just would not see in almost any other stadium in the world. 

And was there a police officer at the game? If so, let us hope they enjoyed it as much as the fans. Certainly they weren't over-worked.

The whole occasion was typically Caribbean. No, typically Caymanian. It represented all that is best about these islands. 

Let us all get out there make sure that spirit continues at the next game... and cheer our heroes to a glorious victory in true Caymanian spirit.

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