Football Federation gets 2 more weeks from NLA

Two more weeks! That’s the waiting period the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) has given to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) for the resumption of its Guinness Inter-League competition at the Victoria Park.

“The situation will be reviewed in two weeks time,” NLA’s chairman Murray Bullock told SEARCHLIGHT.{{more}}

Confident that the League will continue in the time frame given, Bullock stated that since the break August 21, there has been considerable work done at the Park.

“There has been much landscaping, they have repaired the damage and seeded the grass dug out,” he said.

Bullock stated that in addition to the work on the playing surface, a fence is being erected at the northern end of the ground.

With the competition hardly off the ground, the SVGFF’s hope of adding more playing days to its schedule, to make up for the long lay off, will not be possible, according to Bullock.

The original agreement was to fixture matches four days per week, and this will stand.

The NLA’s chairman also stated that the venue’s use was granted to the SVGFF for this specific competition and, the local football body has to re-apply to his organisation for any additional use.

Bullock, in explaining the NLA’s accommodative role, disclosed that the reasonable $200 per day charge and the $75 per hour for electricity usage are indicators of their input towards national development.

“In addition, we are providing the toiletries but they (SVGFF) are responsible for the cleaning,” Bullock disclosed.

The League competition opened August 19, with a 20/20 extravaganza, and a double header the following day as the competitive action began in earnest.

A halt was put to proceedings at the Victoria Park as the NLA insisted that restorative work was urgently needed.

Sporadic play in the Under-17 segment continued at the Campden Park Playing Field, while a fixture in the senior division was squeezed in at that same venue.

Fourteen Leagues are competing in the senior division, seven in the Under-17 and five in the Women’s segment.