WESTERN BUREAU:
THE LACK of quality playing fields in St. James is stifling the development of football, according to George Evans, president of the St James Football Association (StJFA), once again highlighting problems associated with the game.
Mr. Evans, who was recently addressing the end of season award ceremony of the StJFA at the Jamaica Grandiosa hotel, in Montego Bay, said that except for Jarrett Park, there was no other quality field in the parish and as a consequence, the game was suffering.
In looking at the decline in the standard of the parish's football, the FA president said that from a high of three teams in the Jamaica Football Federation's National Premier League (NPL), which was the situation a few years ago, the parish has just one representative today, in Seba United.
TRAINING BASE
Evans, who earlier this month allowed Seba to use the sub-standard UDC playing field on Howard Cooke Highway as their training base, said the StJFA would like the owners of Jarrett Park, the St James Parish Council, to look into the possibility of allowing the NPL team to use that facility.
The StJFA boss drew comparison to the fact that the Westmoreland Sports Council had allowed Reno FC to use the Frome Sports Ground in Westmoreland for training and the Trelawny FA had allowed both Village United and Invaders FC to do the same at the Elliston Wakeland Centre in Falmouth.
However, while batting for Seba United, Evans said that a club that has been around as long as Seba should have had their own NPL quality facilities by now and should not be running around from one place to the next to train and play games.
FINANCIAL HELP
In looking at the StJFA's plans to develop fields, Evans said that two years ago, the board had been promised financial help by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) in upgrading fields in the parish but with a provision that they had to get long-term leases.
Despite procuring a seven-year lease agreement for the UDC field, Evans said the FA was still awaiting the first instalment of the $5 million they had been promised.
He said the SDF had spent vast sums on the upgrading in areas of the parish where no organised football is being played.
In regards to the new Catherine Hall Sports Complex, which should be completed in another 18 months, Evans said it might not be of much benefit to the game in the parish as they won't be able to afford to use it on a regular basis because of the expected cost.
P.A.R.
