Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:

The CONCACAF Under-17 Championship, which was recently staged in western Jamaica, is now history and while it was successful in some respects, it has nonetheless left us with a lot of food for thought, based on some glaring deficiencies that were observed.

Topping the list of deficiencies was the embarrassing scenario at the US$30 million Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, which was rejected by a CONCACAF inspection team after it was ruled to be unfit. The management of the facility had failed to produce a surface suitable for the tournament.

When one reflects on the fact that many persons, including several influential sports personalities, had predicted that the scenic Trelawny stadium was poised to become a white elephant, one can't help but wonder whether or not someone in authority is disinterested in proving the facility's detractors wrong.

The state of the overall leadership in western Jamaica's football also came to the fore during the staging of the tournament. In fact, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) boss Captain Horace Burrell and his general secretary Horace Reid had to crack the whip several times to get some elected officials to pull their weight, in regard to assisting with preparatory work.

Burrell subsequently stated that western Jamaica is an important region in national football. In fact, the Captain said that Jamaica's football is usually at its best when football is flourishing in western Jamaica. It is therefore very important that the JFF ensures that vibrancy returns to the west.

The Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall, which hosted most of the games, including the semi-final and final was the subject of stinging criticism over the less than acceptable state of the playing surface, which at times was like a sand bed. I am hoping that urgent steps will be taken to improve and upgrade the surface for future use.

Had it rained during the two weeks of the tournament, I seriously doubt that the playing surface at Catherine Hall would have held up. I therefore believe it would be an absolute disgrace if the surface is left in its present state, possibly causing the type of embarrassment that was experienced at the Trelawny stadium.

a replacement facility

It would be remiss of me not to bring Jarrett Park, which was used as a replacement facility after the rejection of the Trelawny stadium, into this discussion. In terms of location and playing surface, the park is second to no other facility in the west. It would be great if supporting structure could be put in place, so that the facility can realise its full potential.

If the Government is really serious about sports tourism and about making western Jamaica its hub, I believe that bringing Jarrett Park up to international standard should be a priority. In fact, a fully upgraded Jarrett Park alongside the Catherine Hall facility and the Trelawny stadium would make the west an ideal location for just about any CONCACAF and CFU tournament.

Finally, I hope the JFF is giving serious thought to creating a national football policy that will prevent the unpatriotic practice of having schoolboys choosing school over country, evident in the build-up to the Under-17 Championship. While we were lucky to do well with a substandard team this time around, we might not be so fortunate in the future.

My recommendation is that the JFF develop a programme where tutors are assigned to all training camps involving school age boys. Once that is done, players who turn their back on Jamaica should not be allowed to represent their schools or participate in any recognised competition.

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