Liverpool visit – A boost, says Hypolite

General Secretary of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF), Ian Hypolite, is hoping that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will maximize the benefits that can be derived from the upcoming visit of the Liverpool Football Club Academy.{{more}}

An Under-18 team, emerging from the famed club, Liverpool of England, will be here this week and will engage a St. Vincent and the Grenadines Under-20 team, at the Arnos Vale Playing Field on Thursday, May 19. The match is set to kick off at 4 p.m.

An optimistic Hypolite told SEARCHLIGHT last Sunday, “I think that it is a good Public Relations boost for football here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, if it is managed properly.”

Hypolite said he sees the visit as a paradigm shift in the operations of a club of such repute, as they are not visiting one of the more affluent football nations of the world, but small St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“We have to make full use of the occasion, as the benefits are many; we can see how professional units are prepared, we can establish say a used equipment programme with them. It is a boost in our human resource and represents an opportunity for the establishment of linkages and is an avenue for development for us”, the General Secretary said.

The Liverpool Academy boasts emerging players from England, Portugal and Bulgaria, and Hypolite stressed the importance of professional execution of the arrangements, as the players are accustomed to such.

Contending that the occasion must be managed properly, Hypolite is inviting Vincentians to turn out at the Arnos Vale Playing Field on Thursday and give the match a good show of local support, as there is free entry to the venue.

He expressed the hope that the visit will be an annual one, involving different age groups.

Hypolite disclosed that the Executive of the SVGFF is responsible for the operational content of Thursday’s match.

The historic visit has been made possible through the Buccament Bay Resorts, which has, as part of its set-up, the Liverpool Soccer School.

Apart from the international friendly, on Friday, May 20, the Liverpool FC team and their coaches will meet with four schools, at the Grammar School Playing Field. The schools are the St. Vincent Grammar School, Thomas Saunders Secondary School, C W Prescod Primary School and the Kingstown Preparatory School.

The visit will start at 10:00 a.m. with a Meet and Welcome session with principals, children and Physical Education teachers. Presentation of gifts to and a short coaching session with students will follow.

On Saturday, May 21, the Buccament Bay Resort will host an event at which the Liverpool coaches and team will be giving coaching sessions to local children from four schools in the South Leeward area, at Buccament Bay. (RT)