FIFA seeking to build home for football in SVG

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) wants to construct a home for football in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at the soonest possible time.

In a November 21 letter to the Government of SVG, titled, “Construction of a home for football”, director of Member Associations and Development of Africa and the Caribbean Veron Mosengo-Omba said that FIFA wants to fund the construction of a home for football.

The stadium is expected to be built in collaboration with the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) and will include a technical centre consisting of two fields, one of which will be lighted and surrounded by bleachers and containing changing and storage rooms, a dormitory to host overnight camps for various national teams and to accommodate other national associations, classrooms and a conference room.

Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves, speaking about the development last week, said that he welcomes it, but noted that this country has had an up and down history, not only with FIFA, but with the SVGFF.

“We know that they (SVGFF) began constructing a facility in Brighton in my area (East St George) and that was stillborn. They built a building there which remains vacant to this day after the Government gave them a lease on the facility,” said Gonsalves, who joked that the only long-term occupants of the field are the cattle that graze there.

He said that in conversations with FIFA, he indicated to them that the Government wants assurances that past mistakes would not be repeated and the Brighton facility will be returned to the people of that area, in a far better condition than currently.

Gonsalves said that FIFA has agreed to this and the issue now is to find a location for the home of football.

“They have a particular preference and we are discussing with the Ministry of Planning and Housing, the particular land area that will be required for this type of facility,” explained Gonsalves.

He said that the football-only facility, will have an Astro Turf and a main outdoor field with regular grass.

“They want us to move very quickly,” stressed the Finance Minister.