PFAJ to discuss UWI field after second postponed game.
PFAJ TO DISCUSS UWI FIELD AFTER SECOND POSTPONED PREMIER LEAGUE GAME
PRESIDENT OF the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ), Don Anderson, said the organisation will meet later this week to discuss the readiness of the UWI Mona Bowl to host Red Stripe Premier League football.
For the second time in the stillyoung 2018-19 RSPL season, a match at the UWI Mona Bowl had to be suspended because of a waterlogged field.
“It is the second occurrence, and the PFAJ would be concerned if a little bit of rain fall, then a match has to be postponed because of the state of the pitch. Therefore, we have a board meeting (to come) and it is on the agenda and we will work out how we deal with that situation,” Anderson said.
Anderson admits that local clubs are not on track to meet the 2019 deadline given by CONCACAF to improve football venues around the region as they try to professionalise the sport in the confederation.
In the off-season, Tivoli Gardens spent $6 million to carry out major renovation work the Edward Seaga Complex, with most attention given to the field and lighting. But no other club made a similar move last summer.
ENCOURAGING IMPROVEMENT
“CONCACAF has mandated that we bring most of the fields up to standard by 2019. Unfortunately, the clubs don’t have the kind of budget to improve their pitches, and we won’t be in a position to help them to do that until next year,” Anderson said. “We are encouraging the respective clubs to improve the fields as Tivoli as done.”
Four minutes into the UWI FC vs Waterhouse encounter on Sunday, the match had to be suspended after a brief period of rain in Mona, St Andrew.
At the beginning of the season, UWI’s opening match against Harbour
View at the same venue also had to be postponed for the same reason.