Rally round Avenues

It is a herculean task, but not one beyond the capabilities of the Executive of the Avenues Sports Club and by extension the support and benevolence of the wider Vincentian community.{{more}}

That is the positive outlook of Manager of the Avenues Football team, Marvin Fraser. Avenues, the winner of the 20009/2010 National Lotteries Authority St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation National Club Championships, is shouldering the responsibility of hosting Group C of the Caribbean Football Union end of the CONCACAF Club Championships.

Fraser, in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT last Tuesday, said that it would cost his organization around EC$172 000 to host the group.

“It is a huge task. Accommodation for the three visiting teams and officials is over $90,000, and security is around $90 000,” Fraser revealed.

He said, that apart, the host club will be in camp for the duration of the competition, which is also an additional cost.

Fraser said with this financial burden bearing down on them, it is imperative that Vincentians support the matches as they seek to defray the cost.

“We are going into the matches in debt, so we will be depending on funds from here and there to patch up,” Fraser added.

Fraser said that apart from the football, patrons can expect giveaways from Digicel, and is calling on other business houses to throw in their two cents to assist them in the venture.

“We are thankful for those who have come forward thus far to help us,” the Avenues Manager stated.

He said that several entities operating in the Paul’s Avenue area have assisted in cash or kind to their cause.

As it relates to team preparation, Fraser said that the Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines is partnering with them, and the services of Technical Director Sammy Carrington and Coach Earl Paynter have been made available to the club.

Originally, Avenues was set to face CSD Barber of Curacao here on Friday, March 5, in the first leg of the tie. However, things changed and a new group format was introduced, with CFU requesting Avenues to host.

This means that this evening from six, at the Victoria Park, Joe Public of Trinidad and Tobago meets Leo Victor of Suriname, to be followed by host club Avenues United against Devonshire Cougars of Bermuda.

On Sunday, Cougars and Leo Victor meet from 6pm, then Avenues takes on Joe Public from 8pm.

The last round of matches will be played on Tuesday night, with Joe Public meeting the Cougars from 6pm and Avenues versus Leo Victor from 8pm.

But while Vincentians here will throng the Victoria Park to buttress Avenues, another Vincentian club, System 3, will travel to Puerto Rico to participate in Group B. There, System 3 will come up against Bayamor of Puerto Rico and the Defence Force of Guyana.

System 3 meets Bayamor next Tuesday and Defence Force on Thursday.

The winners and runners up from the four groups will advance to the next phase of the competition, which will be two pools of six clubs and hosted in Trinidad and Tobago and Puerto Rico.