Burrell urges Jamaica to build stadiums like T&T.
By Shaun Fuentes
Jamaican Football Federation president Captain Horace Burrell has made a plea to the Jamaican Government to build four mini stadia in that country similar to what exist in T&T.
Burrell was speaking at the Red Stripe Premier League awards ceremony recently where he issued the call to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to consider the building of the stadiums as part of the government’s Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP).
“I am appealing to the Prime Minister and sports minister, via minister without portfolio in the ministry of sports, Natalie Neita-Headley, who is in attendance, for the incorporation of the building of at least four mini-stadiums in the JEEP Programme,” said Burrell.
“We could build some 10,000-seat venues that are similar to the ones in T&T which have, over the years, allowed that country to host major regional and international tournaments. It would put people to work and it would be money well spent.” Burrell said the matter of playing surfaces in the country, saying this was limiting the full development of players in Jamaica.
That country is still in the race for 2014 World Cup qualification. The Manny Ramjohn Stadium, one of the four stadiums built in 2001 (for the FIFA U-17 World Cup) that Burrell was referring to is this week being used to host the CFU Club Championship Finals which pits local clubs Caledonia AIA and W Connection in the final.