Waterhouse get $1m kick-start through CDF

Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter

PARLIAMENT'S CONSTITUENCY Development Fund (CDF) committee yesterday approved the implementation of a sporting development project for Waterhouse Football Club (WFC), which is intended to help the cash-strapped organisation participate in competitions this season.

The approval paves the way for the Government to pay $1 million to the western St Andrew club for budgetary support.

Anthony Hylton, the member of parliament for the West St Andrew constituency in which the club falls, said in the project document that the community would be poorer if the former national champion club dies.

Symbol of peace

"The Waterhouse Football Club represents the main rallying symbol for community pride and a catalyst for peace in the community that has seen, over the years, many instances of violent crimes. If the club is allowed to ruin, the result would pose very serious social implications for the Waterhouse community and, by extension, the nation," Hylton wrote.

"Therefore, if we sustain the team, we will in the same breath aid to sustain the peace," he added.

Documents submitted to the CDF committee of Parliament claims it would cost the club $34 million to operate this year. The documents also said that as at July 5 the club faced a funding gap of $11 million.

Ricardo Chin, president of the WFC, told The Gleaner it would be catastrophic if the club were to fall to financial ruin.

"We don't have enough police in south St Andrew (police division) to deal with that problem," Chin said.

MakeS no sense

Pointing to the lack of financial health of his club, Chin said that "when you look at it from a business standpoint it really does not make sense".

He added: "While we know all of this beautiful idea that it is business and we intend for it to be self-sufficient, that may be a kind of a dream and we need to wake up. But if we wake up and decide that we are going to back out of the football, don't care what JFF does they can't help the problem," he added.

Chin said the club caters to about 350 footballers - male and female - who compete at varying levels.

He said the club is embarking on various strategies to raise funds, and is still hopeful that it will get enough money to allow its Premier League team to challenge for the title.