Football league organizer fed up of promises

James Browne, one of the organizers of the National Lotteries Authority North East Football League, did not hide his feelings last Sunday at the opening of the 2015 edition, when he expressed his displeasure at the many promises to have amenities come to the Chili Playing Field that have been broken.{{more}}

Performing the role of Master of Ceremonies, Browne remarked: “I thought that I would be coming here and meet this ground with pavilion and bleachers and toilets, as was promised last year… And we keep promising and nothing never come out and ah talking me mind.”

Underscoring the need for facilities such as toilets, Browne, who is the treasurer of the league’s organizing committee, noted that they have been warned by security personnel at a nearby facility that it would no longer be available when they wish to relieve themselves.

Saying he was not fearful of being quoted in the newspaper, Browne added: “We keeping promising and promising, whether from the Sports Council or from the Government and nothing never done.”

Prior to Browne’s comments, chair of the North East Football League organizing committee Trevor Huggins told the gathering that as soon as the competition concludes in December, work is expected to commence on the facility.

At the opening of the All Windward Football Competition last January, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who is also the parliamentary representative for the area, declared his intention to have the Chili Playing Field undergo some upgrades.

“When the competition finishes at the end of this month, I am going to ask the National Lotteries [Authority] to take possession of the field because we are going to build a small pavilion, changing rooms for the players…. We are going to dig up the field and we are going to do it over completely,” Gonsalves promised then.

The Chilli Playing Field had significant work done on it during the lifetime of the Social Investment Fund project between 2009 and 2011.(RT)