SKNFA switches Premier League to new venue to fix home field
Basseterre, St. Kitts, 5th May, 2016 – Premier League matches are being moved from the Warner Park Football Stadium to the Kim Collins Athletics Stadium starting this weekend (May 7), as efforts are made to rehabilitate the playing surface of the football stadium.
According to Dexter Tyrell of the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association (SKNFA), the field needs to be rested now in order to accommodate matches later in the season. He explained, “The reason we’re making the move from the Warner Park Football Stadium is because there is a need for the ground to get some rest and to do some refurbishment to the field, which we have already started.”
Over the past couple of months, the federation has been experiencing some dry periods, as drought conditions continue. Tyrell indicated that such conditions have affected the playing surface adversely. Tyrell said, “The field is really dry and hard and in dire need of water. We have spoken to the Water Department, but they have indicated they cannot accommodate the extra water needed.”
He continued, “So, the wear-and-tear over a period of time has caused the field to deteriorate. However, we have put a mechanism in place so that we could refurbish the field using a little water, some fertilization and sod, so we are hoping we can have it ready.”
The SKNFA official was taking into account an important June 1 match, when St. Kitts and Nevis plays against Suriname in the CFU Caribbean Cup qualifier. Tyrell stated, “We would want to have a good field to play on, knowing that we have already been advised that we would not be able to get the Warner Park Cricket Stadium because of cricket engagements there.”
According to Tyrell, the resting of the ground and its refurbishment are needed to accommodate some preliminary round matches of the Final Four, as well as the Caribbean Cup match. He indicated that between May 21 and 28, there will be three match days of the Final Four that will produce the two top teams.
The finals of the Final Four will start on June 10 and should run no later than June 17, he said.
