Former PM argues that Sabina Park, Trelawny stadium worthy investments
By HG HELPS Editor-at-Large Investigative Coverage Unit
Sunday, September 06, 2009

There has been much debate about Jamaica’s decision to build a new sports complex and upgrade another in time for the Cricket World Cup of 2007.

However, the man who had the final say regarding the implementation of both projects is insisting that work was done taking the best interest of Jamaica in mind, adding that he would do it again, if faced with a similar challenge.

The Government spent over US$60 million on both the Trelawny MultiPurpose Complex and Sabina Park to help improve Jamaica’s profile for the Cricket World Cup, which was being hosted for the first time by the Caribbean since play in the 50-over tournament began in England in 1975.

Other Caribbean countries invested heavily in stadia, some of which have seen limited activity or action restricted to cricket.

The Jamaica Labour Party, which initially supported the idea of Jamaica hosting the World Cup, has since criticised the Patterson-led administration for extravagant spending on structural projects like the Trelawny stadium and Sabina Park, arguing that the money could have benefited health care and education.

Even Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Dr Omar Davies who was finance and planning minister in the Patterson administration, raised questions about the wisdom of Jamaica’s heavy financial input. Committee member Ronnie Thwaites, like Davies a People’s National Party member of parliament, was one of those suggesting that the Government at the time erred in spending so much on the World Cup.

It was no secret that Davies opposed the construction of the Trelawny stadium.

Patterson, however, is insisting that Jamaica will benefit in the long run and maintains that he did the right thing.

“We received the offer to host the World Cup in what was to be the last tournament of its kind in 2007,” said Patterson. “I say the last tournament because what the host country would get from the final earnings would not be available in subsequent tournaments. Future host countries will get a lesser share.

“When heads of governments were asked to do it, the proposal was that the cricketing authorities would do it and we were to provide the guarantees for the initial loan. The residual benefit, however, would be a substantial sum of money that would enable us to develop and sustain the growth of West Indies cricket.

“First of all, if the West Indies as a whole could not host the World Cup we would have to question our whole participation in the scheme of things. As time developed, it became clear that the cricket boards couldn’t do it by themselves, and in effect, either the governments had to do it or it wouldn’t be done at all. We had to take a decision,” he said.

Patterson, a senior lawyer, said that a decision was soon taken to concentrate first on Sabina Park and then find another location that would have long-term benefits for the people of western Jamaica.

“We were not looking at Sabina Park as a one-shot exercise for the World Cup,” he said. “People who are going to cricket matches anywhere around the world want a certain level of comfort, want the facilities to be of a certain standard and of a certain size.

“Sabina Park was not just for the ICC, Sabina Park was to give Jamaica a Test ground facility in the years ahead. We envisaged that Sabina Park could not be used just for a Test match once a year. It had to be the subject of continuing activity, including the need to install lights so that it could be used at night. We couldn’t do it for the World Cup, but it was the start of major development. We saw Sabina Park as the nucleus for the development of the suburbs, in areas like Allman Town, Kingston Gardens and Vineyard Town.

“If you go to any sports facility in the United Kingdom or the United States, you will see around it a cluster of economic activities, including, of course, film, music, cultural items. Nobody could have expected that certainly we would have earned, out of that one tournament, enough for the expenses that were incurred.

“As it turned out, some of the ticket prices proved unrealistically high. Some of the things that they introduced like you can’t bring your cooler and your own food, were wrong.

“Everybody knows that cricket for West Indians is a social event. I have been, since then, to Lord’s (London) and the people bring their picnic baskets to Lord’s, so up to now I don’t understand. The spirit of the game, which was associated with cricket in the West Indies, was absent, not only in Sabina Park but throughout the Caribbean. I hope that they don’t make that mistake again,” Patterson said.

Regarding the Trelawny stadium, Patterson again dismissed talk that it was built solely to host the opening ceremony of the World Cup.

According to the cricket enthusiast, the vision for that facility was very clear.

“Trelawny was part of an overall concept for a complex in the western end of the island and along the north coast, situated somewhere between where the majority of our rooms exist - Negril/Montego Bay on the one side, Trelawny itself through Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios on the other side - that would do the following:

“Provide a place where we could have international games;

“A place where we could put in something that could accommodate various sports activities like football and track;

“And one that could have a complex for training for people from elsewhere who come especially in their winter months, whether it be baseball, basketball, American football,” said Patterson.

“The building of the Trelawny stadium was the first stage. We envisaged being able to put on international sporting activities that could be beamed all over the world. It was never a place where we have the opening ceremony for the World Cup and then nothing else happens after that.

“I am not getting into the recent thing about using it for a campus of UTech. I wouldn’t rule it out entirely from that consideration, but perhaps, who knows, is there a possibility that there can be a fusion of the two elements.

“Trelawny was an investment for the future. It was the nucleus for a complex for development, of entertainment, development linked to sports.

“If you just have it and don’t put it to use, then obviously it will turn out to be a white elephant. It was never intended to stop there,” Patterson said.

The former prime minister said that budgetary constraints made it difficult for both venues to be equipped with lights initially, but said that plans were in place for them to be installed later on.