Dr. Stephen Baker flanked by representatives of the GFF during his visit today to the Providence facility to conduct soil testing.
FIFA contracted inspector Dr. Stephen Baker visited Guyana today and conducted soil testing, as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), under its Normalisation Committee, moves closer to realising the country’s first Goal Project.
With FIFA stating their intention of installing an artificial turf, Dr. Baker’s visit will see the Englishman looking at the sub-base, and at the entire typography and will then report back to FIFA on what’s needed in order to have the turf installed.
In May this year, the GFF signed a 30-year lease with the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council for use of the Providence Community Centre ground, where a High Performance Technical Centre will be erected on the 8.5 acres on land.
Chairman of the GFF Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling, said that Dr. Stephens visit is his first of many to come since the along with the local architect, the FIFA inspector will work along to ensure that all systems are put in place for the foundation of the Turf which the GFF head said should be completed within a year.
Guyana in 2007 under former president Colin Klass began work at Orangestein, on the East Bank of Essequibo, for what was supposed to be the location for Guyana first Goal Project.
When Klass excited the scene, Franklin Wilson, his vice-president at the time (2013), had assumed the post of president (ag) and travelled to Zurich where negotiations with FIFA’s Development Committee brokered US$500 000 to be allocated to Guyana to help get the ‘Goal Project’ off the ground.
Former President Christopher Matthias, upon taking office, then started negotiations with the Ministry of Sport for land behind the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, but things again didn’t materialise, since the Government had only offered a little over three acres of land which FIFA said wasnt sufficient.
Guyana was actually earmarked by FIFA to pioneer its ‘Goal Project’ with president Sepp Blatter making his maiden voyage in 1999 for the turning of the sod at the University of Guyana but that also fell through after negotiations with the Guyana Government.