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'We need more quality pitches'
'We need more quality pitches'
Brancourt man emphasises need for proper facilities BY DANIA BOGLE Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 03, 2007
SITTING not far from a field in Clarendon Park where papayas once grew is one of the country's most in-demand football grounds, renowned for its level surface and lush grass.
Brancourt Sports Complex has in the last few years become the home ground of daCosta Cup champions Glenmuir High and South Central Confederation winners Sporting Central Academy.
It's also sometimes the training ground for national football teams and has hosted friendly matches as well as local and school competitions.
"Good quality fields, good quality game," Complex boss and Sporting Central Academy team manager Brandon Murray told the Sunday Observer.
Brancourt Sports Complex boss Brandon Murray (right) speaks with Al Hamilton at Brancourt while John Barnes looks on.
Sporting are one of four teams battling for a spot in next season's Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
Murray developed Brancourt as a field for a six-a-side competition in the 1990s after returning to Jamaica from the United States where he studied history while on a football scholarship at Erskine College in South Carolina.
"What I saw there (in the US) was that they were well equipped in terms of facilities; they had good playing surfaces, and lights - it was just a different experience," Murray said of how his desire to develop Brancourt came about.
"Going to the United States and seeing all these nice facilities that people play on and... coming back here and seeing it... I said to myself, 'how am I going to give back to my country and help to solve this problem'. I wanted to be able to give back something to my community and now it has grown and I'm giving back to other communities," Murray added.
He believes poor pitches is one of the problems affecting the sport in Jamaica.
"It's like we're entertaining our primitive status in terms of field development. We're not realising that in order for us to compete on the international stage, we have to get accustomed to conditions at the highest level," Murray said.
He referred to an AFP report published in last Friday's Observer in which Brazil coach Dunga expressed concern that Wembley's sub-standard pitch could spoil his team's clash with England later that day.
The game, which ended 1-1, was the first senior international played at the renovated home of English football. The stadium had previously hosted eight matches - including the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea - in a two-month period
"At the highest level teams aim at playing one- and two-touch football... it's so fast it requires high luvel of organisation, fitness, skill and awareness and you cannot play that kind of game on a surface that is inferior," Murray explained.
"When players see a good surface it's like heaven for them because they can dribble properly, pass the ball and control properly."
Though Murray has never had any formal training in field preparation, he is from a farming background and years of farm experience, observation and personal practical work and research led him to develop his own system for preparing fields.
"I grew up on a farm from I was 10, so I've seen what it's like to prepare land. I know the importance of irrigation and nutrition, so it wouldn't be hard for me to apply that knowledge because it's very similar," he said.
Murray, who has since been certified by the HEART Trust/NTA and the National Contracts Commission, discussed the key elements involved in renovating and maintaining a proper field.
"Level surface. If the surface is bumpy you cannot play good quality football. Coverage, because grass gives the field cushion and drainage, which is important because if it rains, the water needs to be able to run-off properly."
He also stressed the importance of water as pitches need to be properly irrigated for the grass to maintain its lushness.
"Everybody needs to understand that you can't have a good field with an even, smooth, grassy surface if you don't have water," he told the Sunday Observer last year.
Murray was instrumental in the 2006 resurfacing of the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) football field, which cost $3 million and four months to complete.
"This is now the best field in the parish...," referee Dwight Royal told the Sunday Observer following the first daCosta Cup match played there after it re-opened last September.
Murray, through contracts with the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), has since done work at Clembhard's Park in St Mary, Clarendon College and the UDC field in Montego Bay.
He has also helped renovate the Snow Hill and Boundbrook fields in Portland, as well as Bray's River and Munro College in St Elizabeth, Carder Park in Portland, Winchester Park at St George's College, and the UWI Bowl.
He is currently renovating the Ferdie Neita Park in St Catherine, which is home ground of Naggo Head and Portmore United.
"You'll see a different Ferdie Neita Park for September," Murray promised.
Murray said the key is to have more football pitches so that there could be time for each field to be rested and recover.
"In Jamaica we need to apply the principles that are going to ensure the longevity... we need more playing surfaces so we can have more reservation," he said.
"The more reserve venues that you have, the better it will be for match purposes... because they (players) would be able to exhibit a high level of skill on the better surfaces."
"Reservation, preservation, rotation, recovery," Murray emphasised.
Brancourt man emphasises need for proper facilities BY DANIA BOGLE Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 03, 2007
SITTING not far from a field in Clarendon Park where papayas once grew is one of the country's most in-demand football grounds, renowned for its level surface and lush grass.
Brancourt Sports Complex has in the last few years become the home ground of daCosta Cup champions Glenmuir High and South Central Confederation winners Sporting Central Academy.
It's also sometimes the training ground for national football teams and has hosted friendly matches as well as local and school competitions.
"Good quality fields, good quality game," Complex boss and Sporting Central Academy team manager Brandon Murray told the Sunday Observer.
Brancourt Sports Complex boss Brandon Murray (right) speaks with Al Hamilton at Brancourt while John Barnes looks on. Sporting are one of four teams battling for a spot in next season's Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
Murray developed Brancourt as a field for a six-a-side competition in the 1990s after returning to Jamaica from the United States where he studied history while on a football scholarship at Erskine College in South Carolina.
"What I saw there (in the US) was that they were well equipped in terms of facilities; they had good playing surfaces, and lights - it was just a different experience," Murray said of how his desire to develop Brancourt came about.
"Going to the United States and seeing all these nice facilities that people play on and... coming back here and seeing it... I said to myself, 'how am I going to give back to my country and help to solve this problem'. I wanted to be able to give back something to my community and now it has grown and I'm giving back to other communities," Murray added.
He believes poor pitches is one of the problems affecting the sport in Jamaica.
"It's like we're entertaining our primitive status in terms of field development. We're not realising that in order for us to compete on the international stage, we have to get accustomed to conditions at the highest level," Murray said.
He referred to an AFP report published in last Friday's Observer in which Brazil coach Dunga expressed concern that Wembley's sub-standard pitch could spoil his team's clash with England later that day.
The game, which ended 1-1, was the first senior international played at the renovated home of English football. The stadium had previously hosted eight matches - including the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea - in a two-month period
"At the highest level teams aim at playing one- and two-touch football... it's so fast it requires high luvel of organisation, fitness, skill and awareness and you cannot play that kind of game on a surface that is inferior," Murray explained.
"When players see a good surface it's like heaven for them because they can dribble properly, pass the ball and control properly."
Though Murray has never had any formal training in field preparation, he is from a farming background and years of farm experience, observation and personal practical work and research led him to develop his own system for preparing fields.
"I grew up on a farm from I was 10, so I've seen what it's like to prepare land. I know the importance of irrigation and nutrition, so it wouldn't be hard for me to apply that knowledge because it's very similar," he said.
Murray, who has since been certified by the HEART Trust/NTA and the National Contracts Commission, discussed the key elements involved in renovating and maintaining a proper field.
"Level surface. If the surface is bumpy you cannot play good quality football. Coverage, because grass gives the field cushion and drainage, which is important because if it rains, the water needs to be able to run-off properly."
He also stressed the importance of water as pitches need to be properly irrigated for the grass to maintain its lushness.
"Everybody needs to understand that you can't have a good field with an even, smooth, grassy surface if you don't have water," he told the Sunday Observer last year.
Murray was instrumental in the 2006 resurfacing of the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) football field, which cost $3 million and four months to complete.
"This is now the best field in the parish...," referee Dwight Royal told the Sunday Observer following the first daCosta Cup match played there after it re-opened last September.
Murray, through contracts with the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), has since done work at Clembhard's Park in St Mary, Clarendon College and the UDC field in Montego Bay.
He has also helped renovate the Snow Hill and Boundbrook fields in Portland, as well as Bray's River and Munro College in St Elizabeth, Carder Park in Portland, Winchester Park at St George's College, and the UWI Bowl.
He is currently renovating the Ferdie Neita Park in St Catherine, which is home ground of Naggo Head and Portmore United.
"You'll see a different Ferdie Neita Park for September," Murray promised.
Murray said the key is to have more football pitches so that there could be time for each field to be rested and recover.
"In Jamaica we need to apply the principles that are going to ensure the longevity... we need more playing surfaces so we can have more reservation," he said.
"The more reserve venues that you have, the better it will be for match purposes... because they (players) would be able to exhibit a high level of skill on the better surfaces."
"Reservation, preservation, rotation, recovery," Murray emphasised.
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