Area Representative lauds improvements at Brighton Playing Field

FROM A CATTLE pasture to one of the best playing surfaces for football in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Parliamentary Representative for East St George Camillo Gonsalves has lauded the improvements that have taken place at the Brighton Playing Field, over the last two years.

Thus, he believes that his constituents will be better served by the facility, given the further developments that are earmarked.

Gonsalves, who is also Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology was visibly pleased the transformation, when on Wednesday July 20, he was part of a team of officials, which included four technical officials of FIFA who visited the facility to look at further development.

Retracing the conditions of the playing field prior to 2020, Gonsalves lamented: “This facility had fallen into some degree of disrepair ….This, three years ago was a cattle pasture … It was just cattle grazing, sheep grazing , some squatters on the land”.

But highlighting some of the improvements, Gonsalves related, “The area was levelled, it was re- grassed, new walls and fencing were placed, repaired the building and now you can see the beginning of genuine technical centre for football… Now you have a facility with one of the best surfaces for football in the country and you have something that’s active and you now have something that the community generally appreciates”.

In June 2020, the Carl Dickson led executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation embarked on an EC$900,000 project to fence the playing field, as well as level and re- grass the playing surface. The undertaking was funded by Football’s governing body-FIFA.

Crediting Dickson for making the facility a priority, Gonsalves told SEARCHLIGHT: “Prior to his tenure and prior to my very active involvement in the project, it did not say much for the priority of the federation via the condition of this facility, now it is a beating heart of activity in the Brighton community”.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves underscored the importance of the playing facility to the community and the country as a whole.

“The project that the federation is executing here in Brighton in partnership with the government is critical for the development of football nationally, but it is also dispensable to the very large and vibrant community of Brighton ….When it is not being used by the federation on any given day you can see young men and women playing, utilizing the facility and the Federation itself is using the facility more and more for technical work, for training, for development of talent in St Vincent and the Grenadines …So, we are really happy for the progress that is being made,” Gonsalves informed.

He said he is looking forward to more enhancement of the entire playing field and the Brighton project in totality.

“We have spoken to the President – Carl Dickson about future development that has to take place here, including lighting change room facilities , some seating so that you can have some competitive events here… All of those are on the cards and because of the plan that we have seen from the federation, and their demonstration of good will we have extended the lease inclusive of terms that the community will have access,” Gonsalves stated.

The Brighton Playing Field was leased to the SVGFF in 2010, with former President Joseph Delves leading the executive then.

That lease agreement has since been extended to another 15 years, taking it close to 2040.