The decision by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to stage the international fixture between the Golden Jaguars and CONCACAF Gold Cup bound Martinique in Linden on March 28th has left many pundits and fans baffled.
For the record, Guyana’s prior international encounter at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground occurred on May 19th 2011 with the locals edging Barbados 1-0. It is against this backdrop that questions must be asked, seeking answers for the reasons for such a decision.
The brilliant minds at the GFF need to explain what was the rationale in selecting the MSC ground and if any selection criteria were utilised to come to such a decision.
Also, were other venues considered such as the Number Five ground in West Coast Berbice to host the engagement?
Was the GFF unable to acquire the National Stadium at Providence or the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora for the match which eventually facilitated such a decision?
The aforesaid two facilities are the most appropriate for staging a fixture of this magnitude both on and off the field with the latter providing the setting for the last international fixture between Jamaica and Guyana in the CFU Caribbean Cup resulting in an embarrassing 2-4 defeat for the locals.
Conversely, why wasn’t the MSC venue considered before to stage matches in the CFU Caribbean Cup especially in the earlier round against a feeble opponent like Anguilla. Once the setting for many major tournaments, the MSC facility has seen better days.
This was evident by the recent Limacol Championship which illustrated poor lighting and a playing surface that resembles a dust bowl, a parlance better suited for the discipline of cricket.
What is the GFF’s logic in playing an international fixture at a venue whose surface quite frankly is not as good as the playing area of the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda? Did the venue pass the international standard to host a friendly? Does the federation believe they can remedy the issues with less than seven days to kickoff?
Is this a political decision, a favour for the future? One would hate to believe that such an act can be used as leverage for future electoral endeavours but then again, this is Guyana and anything is possible.
Staging the fixture in the Mining Town, a region noted for producing quality players, is mostly geared towards inhabitants of the region as it will isolate many patrons who would be wary in making such a long trek.
Coupled with the fee of GYD$1500, many fans outside the region will not be able to afford the transportation cost and ticket fee.
Does the GFF believe that staging the match at the MSC ground will guarantee a sold out viewership?
That is very unlikely given that prior international fixtures at the National Stadium and Leonora Facility could not even garner half the capacities of the respective venues.
Also, matches held in Linden during the Limacol Championship didn’t even threaten the halfway seating capacity despite featuring three teams from the area.
This illustrates the economic challenge facing the region and with the possibility of no Lindeners on the playing roster, there is no guarantee of financial success for the wise GFF.
While the decision to diversify international engagements is a commendable initiative by the powers that be, one should not sacrifice the quality of the beautiful game.
Being honest, the MSC venue is not up to standard at the moment to host such occasions.
