Clubs call for better playing surface at Spanish Town Prison Oval

With the St Catherine Football Association (SCFA) Major League entering the semi-final stage, clubs have been calling for improvement in facilities at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

On Friday, Cedar Grove Estate FC defeated DB Basovak FC 4-0 in the SCFA Major League quarterfinals to set up a two-leg semi-final clash against Black Lions FC. But while the club celebrated their achievement, there were concerns about the current upkeep of the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

The Cedar Grove management team said the lack of water at the facility as well as the possible overuse of the field has allowed the conditions to decline over the years.

“It is dry because of the lack of water,” they said. “There is no water on it, and it’s pretty dry and very dusty. If we get rain then I think it’ll get back to the way it used to be. We have been there often, and having been there recently, we can see that it’s not at it’s best, and I know it can be better.

“Whatever it may be, it could even be an overuse of the field at this time. It is what it is, but we have no other choice but to use it at this time and just hope that it can get better,” they added.

Fabian Gordon, president of Rivoli FC, echoed those concerns when asked about the current state of the complex.

Gordon said that while there should be a focus on the playing surface, he called for improvements on the stadium’s infrastructure to improve both the players’ and fans’ experience at the football venue.

“It’s not so wonderful right now,” he explained. “Something needs to be done about the Prison Oval. As I’ve said, the fencing that surrounds the field itself needs some work, plus the field needs water.”

However, Gordon explained that the current conditions of the facilities have had little impact on the quality of play in the SCFA Major League. Gordon said this was because only a few clubs in the competition have facilities that are in better condition than the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

“I don’t think it has really impacted the play because most of the clubs don’t have proper fields. It’s just about two clubs in St Catherine that you can say their field is in a good state, but we still have to play on them, and we don’t really get many complaints about the fields. But this is the Spanish Town Prison Oval, and I’d want to see it looking better,” Gordon said.

When contacted by The Gleaner, president of the SCFA Elaine Walker-Brown declined to comment on the concerns surrounding the Spanish Town Prison Oval.