It wasn't Jamaica Jazz and Blues

Festival organiser says event not to blame for poor state of stadium

Barrington Flemming, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Walter Elmore, the executive producer of TurnKey Productions - the organiser of Jamaica Jazz and Blues - has rejected claims that the deplorable state of the football field at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium resulted from his three-night event being held there last month.

Elmore rubbished claims that the staging of the music festival had rendered the field unfit to host games for the 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 Championship, which is to start in four days.

"That's a blatant, barefaced lie. I made a point, along with the management of the stadium, that I would put nothing on the football pitch. Nothing, zero," he told The Gleaner yesterday.

"So I put my stage, my skyboxes, everything was off the football (field). So whatever condition the field was in before I went there, it was in the same exact condition when I left it."

Stadium rejected

The Trelawny stadium was on Wednesday rejected by CONCACAF, which said the facility had fallen below the required standard to host games in the upcoming competition.

Horace Reid, general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, blamed the management of the stadium for the poor state of the field, arguing that it had repeatedly promised that the venue would be ready.

"Even after the trampling it took on the final night of the recent jazz and blues festival, I was promised that it would be ready," said Reid.

Elmore was also quick to shoot down claims by Reid that prior to the festival, the facility was lush green.

"There was a lot of dead grass and brown patches everywhere. I discussed it with the management of the stadium and asked why is this grass dead and they said after jazz they are going to fertilise and water and it will be fine for the football. I said, 'Fine, make sure nobody blames me for this'," he claimed.

barrington.flemming@gleanerjm.com