Scramble to get MoBay Sports Complex fit for Reggae Boyz match

St James Municipal Corporation, the caretaker of the Montego Bay Sports Complex, is in a race against the clock to get the playing surface ready for the Reggae Boyz friendly international match against Trinidad and Tobago, despite the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) announcing that the venue will host the March 11 encounter.

The match will be the first of two against the twin-island republic, and concerns have been raised because of the poor quality of the playing surface at the facility, which is in Catherine Hall, St James. The Reggae Boyz will travel to Kingston for the second match in the National Stadium on March 14.

The concerns were expressed on Tuesday at an organisers' meeting involving the JFF and the St James Municipal Corporation at the municipality building in Montego Bay.

Richard Vernon, deputy mayor of the municipality, said the intention is to have the playing surface in a good enough condition to host the game next week.

"We are doing what we have to in order to have it at an international standard, which includes taking notes of others and employing it locally," Vernon said.

"I'm not sure if the field is an issue, but we continue to carry out maintenance on the field. There are methods used for the maintenance of the field, some of which are invasive, which include burning of bad weeds; hence there will be brown patches. As a result, it will need time to replenish. When we get a request during that time, it throws off the method of maintenance work," he added.

Reggae Boyz manager Roy Simpson said they are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping the St James Municipal Corporation will deliver on their promise.

"The surface is always a concern. The picture I've seen indicates some brown spots. When I speak to the people in charge, they told me it was part of the preparation. I am confident they will get it ready for match day," Simpson said.

"Yes, we are going to have teething pains, but what we want to do from the national level is to create a culture, so that everybody understands what we need and what needs to be done. We have our concerns, but we believe in our people. They told us that it will be ready, so we have no doubt that it will be," he added.