BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 13, 2015–What will it take for the Government Ministers in Belize City to see that it is in the interest of the whole of Belize City, that some form of lighting be put back immediately at the MCC Grounds so that our young men can put in the training they need to do to prepare for the upcoming PLB Premier League Opening Season, which gets under way this weekend?
It was bad enough that the playing surface is a mess; but a couple weeks ago, somebody big gave the order to take down all the lights from the light poles at the MCC, so that the field is in complete darkness after 7:00 p.m., and earlier each day as the days get shorter. And despite the pleas from all quarters, including this sports column, up to press time that somebody has not seen it fit to put back any of the lights.
Education and Sports Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber is area representative for the Collet Division; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Hon. Herman Longsworth is the area representative for the Albert Division. The MCC Grounds is on north side, and does not fall within either of these two gentlemen’s electoral constituencies.
We were wondering if the MCC falls in Fort George or Freetown, which would be the division of PUP area rep. Said Musa or PUP leader Francis Fonseca, respectively. But we have been advised that the MCC falls in the Caribbean Shores constituency, whose area rep. is the UDP’s Hon. Santino Castillo, and whose new standard bearer is UDP Mayor Darrell Bradley. So it can’t be due to politics, why the historic MCC has been so abused and neglected.
It seems that the problem is that Hon. Patrick Faber is not a real sports man; neither is Hon. Herman Longsworth; neither is Mayor Darrell Bradley; and Hon. Santino is all about cycling.
To anyone who knows and loves football, what is happening with the MCC Grounds right now is practically criminal. “Forgive them, Father; they know not what they do.”
Hon. Finnegan, you love the ball. Please speak up for us in Cabinet, and put an end to this foolishness at the MCC. Our young men need to train.