By Paul Nicholson
April 10 – It has emerged that the Paynters St Georges football ground that is home to the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has been mortgaged for EC$3 million ($1.1 million) at the Antigua Commercial Bank, where ABFA general secretary and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Gordon Derrick is vice chairman.
The ABFA signatures on the mortgage deed were president Everton Gonsalves and former vice president Fernando Abraham. Derrick’s signature is understood not to be on the document for the bank.
The money has been released to the ABFA and the bank is currently holding a charge over the land.
The destination of the funds after they reached the ABFA is unclear. The ABFA have told Antiguan clubs that it was used to fund the national team programme and the Barracuda club. Barracuda is owned by Derrick and was playing in the USL pro league in the US last season.
No accounts have been shared with the clubs who have asked for financial statements and are skeptical of the costs attributed to funding the Barracuda club and the national team programme, which saw just two friendly matches prior to the start of the World Cup campaign.
The mortgage deal has been the subject of an investigation by FIFA, resulting in the suspension of FIFA funding from the GOAL programme. The ABFA was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 30,000 for breaching FIFAGoal Regulations after having agreed the mortgage without FIFA’s prior consent.
It is rumoured that CONCACAF may now pay this fine on behalf of the ABFA as the national federation does not have the funds to pay.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed that development funds will remain on hold until the mortgage over the Paynters property has been released.
The Paynters ground was initially given by the Antiguan government to the ABFA. Since 2000 the ABFA has been granted $1.374 million in three rounds of funding from FIFA’s GOAL programme. The grants were all made for development of the Paynters facility.
But locals say that the ground is the same now as it was in 2003/04 with clubs saying that they have seen no benefit from the investment, indeed they say they have seen very little evidence of the money having been spent on football infrastructure.
Currently, the ground is in poorer condition in terms of facilities as floodlights that had been installed as part of the FIFA Goal programme initiated in 2000 have been removed and installed at the Antigua Recreation Ground, the home of Antigua’s cricket team.
The first round of GOAL funding for ABFA was granted in October 2010 for $471.364. The money was for the extension of the technical centre, including a natural turf pitch, fences and lighting.
When the then ABFA president Ralph Potter completed his term of office, local sources say that the only elements required to complete the project were the painting of the walls and the mounting of the lights. At that point, they say, there was about $140,000 still on account.
The second GOAL project funding for ABFA was for $503,098 and granted in 2005
The objective of the project was to complete and develop the previous projects including a new natural turf pitch, external walls, lights, showers and changing rooms.
Contractors were paid but it is understood that very little work was undertaken. Under FIFA GOAL financing contractors are generally paid directly by FIFA on the direction of the local federation once work has been completed.
The third $400,000 GOAL project funding that is currently suspended was granted in March 2010 for installation of a football pitch; to provide adequate infrastructures for development programmes for coaches, referees, youth players; training facilities for the national teams; and to optimise the usage of the existing facility.
This project cannot be started, let alone completed, with the outstanding mortgage in place. But it is unlikely that FIFA will be quick to release funding to the ABFA to continue without guarantees. Many of the leading clubs on the island are requesting a much tougher line from the governing bodies who they would like to see step in and audit the finances.
But with Derrick at the head of the CFU that is unlikely to happen as he would effectively be investigating himself as general secretary of the ABFA. This leaves CONCACAF or FIFA to take action. At press time further clarification was being sought on this story.
UEFA president Michel Platini is in the Caribbean this week and is scheduled to visit Antigua.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734935547labto1734935547ofdlr1734935547owedi1734935547sni@n1734935547osloh1734935547cin.l1734935547uap1734935547