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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 11 2002 : 08:09:32 AM
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Taken from www.jamaicaobserver.com
Stadium closes door on football
... Resurfacing of field could take rest of year
Sunday, August 11, 2002
JAMAICA'S ailing football programme could continue to suffer for some time yet as the National Stadium might not be available for football for the remainder of this year.
This is because the field which was dug up and relaid to facilitate field events at the recently held World Junior Athletics Championships, will have to be resurfaced to accommodate football.
Ted Duncan, project manager at the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), who supervised the renovation work under the San Jose Accord programme, told the Sunday Observer that "the football field is not available because it is not a hard surface that can take that hectic football use ... also there is a long jump pit that is on the field at this time, so we will have to redo the field".
The non-availability of the National Stadium's football facility means Jamaica will not be able to host "A" grade football internationals in the immediate future -- a major source of funding for the cash-strapped Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
And the federation's president, Captain Horace Burrell, whilst awaiting a formal response from INSPORTS, was not pleased about the situation when contacted for a comment last Thursday.
"... It would certainly be a terrible disappointment if we are not able to play any games in there," an obviously irritated Burrell said.
Last October 22, the Stadium was closed to the public in order to accommodate renovation work by the joint venture company, Marshall/Tankweld Limited, under the supervision of the UDC.
Included in the contractor's portfolio, which was estimated at the time to cost US$4.1 million, was the general renovations to the grandstand and bleachers areas, including the bathrooms; fencing of the compound; laying of a new all-weather mundo track; upgrading of electrics; provision of a standby generating facility and the installation of an irrigation system.
Already, most of that work has been completed, much to the satisfaction of the thousands who attended the World Junior Games.
In preparing the field for the Games, Duncan noted that they dug to a certain "level, then applied two inches of sand with fertiliser".
He advised that the resurfacing to facilitate football will require "removing the two inches of sand and installing a drainage system that drains off water ... and then put on the turf, which is a build up of soils, and the planting of grass".
The UDC project manager was also very clear in pointing out that this project (resurfacing) was not a part of the overall renovation being undertaken by Marshall/Tankweld Limited.
"It won't be funded from the foreign loan (San Jose funds) ... because most work that is done that is going to be funded from the foreign loan you have to put (use) materials from the foreign country, which is Venezuela in this case, and there is no element in the football field that we need to put in material from Venezuela," Duncan declared.
He added: "It should take four to five months, at this time. We are preparing documents for tendering, which is the way to go, because it's going to require a substantial amount of money and we also have to make allowance for the cost," he suggested.
According to Duncan, tendering could take "a month to six weeks and the installation of the work could take two and a half months... three months, depending on the weather conditions.
"The funds have to be available before we even tender so we are looking at that. The fact that we have started the process means that we intend to get the funds," he said.
Whilst Duncan was unwilling to quote a cost for the project, a Sunday Observer source estimated US$250,000.
However, according to Duncan, sporting fans in general and the football fraternity, in particular, can expect a surface of the highest quality.
"We are going for an "A" class field, top-of-the-line, because we are dealing with the international FIFA standard," he argued.
While conceding that the facility is "not a football stadium but instead a multi-purpose stadium" Captain Burrell thought a further closure of the National Stadium to football -- the most popular sport in Jamaica -- would be a disservice.
"We have no other reasonable facility to play friendly internationals because you have to look at the opponents. They are not going to come here and play in substandard facilities.
"Secondly we would not be able to collect enough funds at other venues outside the National Stadium to make it viable because to bring teams here is really a costly affair. If we are seriously talking about football development then certainly there is absolutely no reason why we should not be playing inside the National Stadium.
"I have said we are willing to wait but certainly I would urge the authorities to have this ready by the first week of November because we are going to be involved in the Gold Cup qualifying and we would like to be able to play games at home.
"As we have seen here, and it is there for all to see, we not only have the Reggae Boyz team, we have the senior women's team, who are playing international tournaments, we have the national under-17s, national under-20s, the national under-23s ... we have all these teams to look after and without adequate funding it is going to be very, very difficult.
"The greater part of our funding comes from gate receipts at the National Stadium and without the facility to play games inside there and not being able to collect then I say that the way ahead would be very tough. But I am cognisant of the fact that the authorities are aware of this and there is no reason why efforts should not be made to ensure that we have the facility ready by the first week of November," Burrell said.
Karl |
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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2002 : 08:38:45 AM
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The unwillingness to recognize that the National Stadium does not belong to the JFF... and further, is an entity that cannot be continuously available because there will always be maintainance issues, is unbelievable.
Plain and Simple - The JFF should be creating alternate sources of revenue.
It is also obvious that the creation of another world class stadium is a must. Can the JFF spearhead a drive to have this done? Certainly!
It will mean a look at many different possible methods of making that second stadium a reality. The very fist thing is to have the will to get such a project off the ground.
The mind-set of "we are not into the business of building stadia" must be laid to rest. Getting a second stadium is not necessarily about the JFF, alone building or even necessarily be involved in the physical creation of that structure. It could be all about using the "bully pulpit" to have the structure up. It could be about spearheading the drive to make that second stadium a reality.
My thinking suggests an in house "brainstorming session" to explore various possible approaches. As starters a look could be taken at the possibility of an association of the various sporting bodies, who would be the beneficiaries of a second sports arena, meeting to plan and drive the effort.
a) Information can be readily had on the cost of putting up various size stadia and associated maintainance costs.
b) Funding? Experts are available to assist in sourcing. This may involve research into public/private sector cooperation. Accessing international funding agencies, etc.
The questions of location, impact on environment and associated solutions to such questions, uses/possible agenda to maximize use are mere child's play.
The wherewithal to forge the necessary cooperation to present the finished product is the real task.
I am convinced that the minds exist within Jamaica to make this project successful. Can the present JFF leaders spearhead such a task? That's the million dollar question!
Edited by - Karl on Aug 11 2002 08:41:29 |
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Tillamawnin
Moderator
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2002 : 08:50:23 AM
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Well said Karl. A football specific stadium will not be a reality if the JFF continues with the same mindset. They have to see themselves as the catalyst to start or encourage efforts and the necessary powers to making it happen. They should not expect that a financially strapped government to put aside scarce resources to make another stadium a reality.
Start the campaign, get the right people involved, then get out of the way! You do not need to be in the stadium building business to make it happen.
Tilla
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Live simply so that others may simply live.
Mohandas K. Gandhi |
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Funding? Unavailability of the National Stadium...
