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A tragedy!
Warner attacks state of National Football Academy in St Elizabeth BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sports Editor
Saturday, February 23, 2008
FIFA vice-president Austin 'Jack' Warner has described the incomplete state of the National Football Academy in Malvern, St Elizabeth, as a "tragedy".
Warner, who toured the facility with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell and JFF general secretary Horace Reid yesterday, did not spare words in expressing his disappointment with the location and existing infrastructure of the FIFA GOAL Project.
"I must say that I am disappointed, very disappointed," said the CONCACAF president. "It's a tragedy when one considers how much you (Jamaica) have achieved in football," he added.
Warner's chiding comes in the immediate wake of a unanimous vote by the JFF Executive Committee on Thursday night to "dispose" of the project and to seek an alternative site to develop what has been called a "technical centre" at a more "accessible" location as opposed to the current development at the "remote" and hilly Munro lands at the south of the island.
"But why hide the team? A national team belongs to a country; they have to be accessible to the media and all others," Warner said to a handful of local journalists.
He suggested that the ideal facility for football development should be constructed in an area located not far from an urban centre.
"This (Munro project) is an incomplete ramshackle. And to make matters worst it is in the middle of nowhere. You can't have a modern football facility in the middle of nowhere. There was no reason to change from the Portmore site. Mark you I have nothing against the place, as I am a rural man myself," Warner noted.
The original site for a football academy in Jamaica was earmarked for Portmore in St Catherine during Burrell's previous stint as JFF boss, but the Crenston Boxhill-led administration sought a more secluded one when they took office in November 2003, citing minimising distraction for players as the reason.
Warner noted his displeasure at the switch in venue after FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, had broken ground for the original Portmore site.
"Many years after the ground-breaking of the original site in Portmore, at which the FIFA president was in attendance, I can't believe this is what I am seeing. The way that I have seen FIFA's money spent makes me an unhappy man," he said.
He vowed to take what he has seen to the highest level of the world governing body of the sport, and said he will support any request the JFF may make in dissolving the current project and in seeking a new one at another location.
"I must speak to the president. It is up to the JFF now to request from FIFA to dispose of this project. Certainly when that is done I will inform the relevant committees of what I have seen here. And if the approval is given for the disposing of the present site, I will support that and any new project that may be granted," Warner said.
Warner also targeted FIFA Development Officer for the region, his countryman Harold Taylor, for approving the site and construction.
"I don't know what reason Mr Taylor had to approve this place. I never saw the (Taylor's) report so as soon as I get back I will have to investigate," he vowed.
"I can't believe they used FIFA's money to buy this land. It is not the practice of FIFA funds to be used to purchase lands for Goal Projects. Usually these lands are gifts from governments, gifts from others or lease. I must investigate," said Trinidadian Warner, who is also president of the Caribbean Football Union.
Taylor, in many visits to the site, has given it his "thumbs up", saying at one point that "it is a very good project".
Burrell, meantime, applauded the subcommittee set up to review the project, headed by JFF first vice-president Bruce Gaynor, for its recommendation.
"I am very happy that the committee set up to review the project recommended that we dispose of it. And I was also happy that the executive committee of the JFF voted in favour of getting rid of this site. All we need now is the official approval from FIFA," he said.
If FIFA does not approve the sale of the property, the JFF will have to find alternative use of it.
Chairman of the review committee, Gaynor, noted that "when we reviewed the project, it was decided that it would not be a financially feasible entity at this time. What we need is a technical centre to encompass the development of players, coaches and referees".
Phase one, which was to have been completed at a cost of J$25 million by contractors Lovel Smith Construction Ltd, remains far from completed when this reporter visited yesterday, and this was made worse by a stop order by the St Elizabeth Parish Council, as it was said that all permits for the expansion phase of the project was not granted.
"I can't say what happened, but all I know is that we submitted every drawing to the Parish Council and I was told by the then president (Boxhill) that all the fees were paid. And those drawings were submitted in late 2006 and early 2007, so I don't know what happened. What is strange is that the stop order came in January, three months after work had stopped, so I don't know," said Carvel Stewart, who headed a committee to oversee the project.
After being beset by delays, The FIFA GOAL Project endowment of US$400,000 for the first phase, got underway and was scheduled to be completed by August last year.
The first phase was to include administrative suites, dormitories, instructional/lecture areas and a welfare facility.
It was slated to house 48 people.
Phase two consisted of development of training fields.
Reasons submitted to JFF Executive Committee by sub-committee for possible sale of property project:
1 The St Elizabeth Parish Council's stop order for further construction on property.
2 No formal agreement between JFF and Munro Dickenson Trust for use of playing fields.
3 Munro interests have raised concerns regarding irregular water supply from NWC and drought conditions.
4 All maintenance costs of facility to be borne by JFF and committee could not identify meaningful economic activity to generate income due to scope and location of project.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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