WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell has called on Central Westmoreland Member of Parliament Roger Clarke and other parliamentarians in the parish, to move with alacrity to upgrade the Frome Sports Complex in time for the National Premier League season, which kicks off in September.

" I am going to use this medium to appeal to the various Members of Parliament, and more so my good friend Roger Clarke to pay some more attention to the facility at Frome and to have this facility upgraded," Burrell charged.

He recommended that the improvement of the facility could be undertaken under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP).

" You know there is a programme, the JEEP. I would love to see Roger driving that JEEP into the Frome Complex. And on that JEEP I would like to see the Honourable Wykeham McNeill (MP for Western Westmoreland) at the front of that JEEP. And I would ask them not to leave out the Honourable Luther Buchanan (MP for Eastern Westmoreland), he should be at the back of that JEEP," Captain Burrell advocated.

"Can you imagine what that would mean if that JEEP pulls up at the Frome compound? We would have a compound which would have proper seats, we would have proper surface, we would have lights, we would have running tracks, and this is all I am asking for."

The JFF boss noted that he is of the view that "the whole concept of JEEP is a great idea," arguing that if people are put to work at the Frome Complex "it could put the Frome Sports Complex on par with facilities like the multi- purpose sports complex at Catherine Hall, St James.

" My God, what a beautiful place it would be. Can you imagine? And therefore, I am going to call on the Honourable Roger Clarke, Member of Parliament to take the lead and to try and get this facility upgraded into a wonderful facility."

Burrell expressed that despite plans by a former prime minister to have the facility upgraded while he was in office, the parish is yet to benefit from a proper sports facility for a number of years.

" I can recall years ago in the time..... I believe of the Honourable PJ Patterson, that a decision was made that Frome would have been upgraded to a multi-purpose facility to serve the people in this part of Jamaica. Today it is still there. It has still not being brought up to the required standard," the JFF boss argued.

He was speaking Tuesday night at the awards ceremony of the Westmoreland Major League and the Western Confederation League, held at the Sandals Whitehouse property in Westmoreland, where newly promoted premier league team Savannah FC — the confederation champions — and Petersfield were the toast of the evening.

Burrell said if the Frome facility is not improved in time for the start of the NPL, Savannah FC may have to travel outside of the parish to play their home fixtures.

"In a short while Savannah Football Club is going to need a facility because they are going to have to entertain other football teams and I would not want to see Savannah travel all the way to Santa Cruz to play at STETHS. That would not be a good idea. I think the people of Westmoreland are deserving of having their own facility," Burrell argued.