Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
DESPITE A threat from Federation International Football Association (FIFA) - the sport's world governing body - of cancelling funds for the Goal Project, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is continuing full steam ahead with plans to set up the National Academy at Munro College in St. Elizabeth.
A deposit of $2.6m has been made by the JFF on three acres of partially completed buildings known as Munro Villas in St. Elizabeth, valued at $22m, as construction is scheduled to start in April.
"The requisite deposit has been made of $2.6m," Carvel Stewart, chairman of the Goal Project told The Gleaner. "We are hoping that the Phase I can be completed by the end of this year."
Currently, Stewart says a request for Expression of Interest is being sought from contractors, and construction is expected to start early in April.
PHASE I
The Munro Villas will house the Technical Centre (academy) which is Phase I of the FIFA Goal Project. It comprises the completion of four blocks of dormitory structures, lecture/teaching area, gymnasium, administrative building and a manager's residence.
The FIFA, through its general secretary Urs Unsi, in a stinging letter to the JFF on Friday, January 13, said the JFF was not pursuing the construction of a Technical Centre for the benefit of the footballers but instead a villa project.
Unsi continued: "What is more disturbing in the contract is that an adjacent land, which cannot be purchased by the JFF and is land of the Munro and Dickenson Trust, the actual football fields, shall be leased and not purchased. Thus the entire purpose of a JFF-owned Technical Centre and football facility is rendered impossible."
FIFA had given the JFF five working days to respond but Burchell Gibson, the JFF general secretary, told The Gleaner yesterday that his organisation had already addressed FIFA's concerns.
"We have already done that. Based on the letter we have replied," said Gibson.
He then played down FIFA's concerns about the leasing of land at Munro College, saying the original location that FIFA approved in Portmore was also on leased land.
"We were not aware of any lease land concerns because the Portmore facility was going to be on lease land for 50 years. So I pointed that out."
The Munro and Dickenson Trust has offered to make 22 acres available on long term lease to the JFF. It's chairman Bryan Morgan has indicated that the lease would be finalised on commencement of the Phase I works.
But Stewart was unable to say how long the JFF will be able to lease the land for.
"I couldn't say now because we are in the process of negotiating."
Gibson then reiterated that the the Technical Centre will be owned by the JFF but Phase II, including the playing fields, will be on leased land.
The FIFA offered Jamaica US$800,000 towards the Goal Project in 2003 to be split in half for both Phases I and II. Then in November, Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, visited Jamaica during the ground-breaking ceremony, which took place at Portmore.
Since then, there has been a change of football administration and thus the new site at Munro.
The FIFA claims it has not been officially informed of the change, only by following reports in the media. However, Stewart says they've started working and won't stall.
"I cannot stop because of that letter, because we don't have any instruction to stop," he said. "I have to keep working until somebody says stop."
He also said the Goal Project will cost more than the money offered by FIFA.
"The amount of US$800,000 cannot do all we want to do. We will get what we can with it, then we will see if local support can enhance it. But if it were to go (FIFA funding), we will see if local support can give us the first phase."
Stewart added: "We can't stop the growth and development of the sport. We have to keep working. If they even do that (withdraw funds), isn't it obvious that it is a political ploy?" Stewart asked.
However, Stewart is very optimistic that the project will be completed one way or the other.
"Talks with the local sponsors are looking very encouraging."
The construction of Phase II will include four full-sized football fields and a building which will accommodate changing, referees' rooms, equipment storage and presentation area.
One of the fields will be constructed to the highest international standard with provisions being made for lighting.
A seating capacity of 5,000 is to be provided as wells as fencing to enable the staging of important matches.
