Last Tuesday, representatives of the ten communities scheduled to take part

in the inaugural Richard Frederick Peace and Love Football Competition, along

with other invited guests assembled at the Castries Central Constituency office

for the Press Launch.

Speaking at the event, Police Commissioner John Broughton gave his full support

to the competition, pointing out that such initiatives are important in bringing

persons together.

All of the persons, who addressed the audience which also included Castries

Central Parliamentary Representative Richard Frederick, Deputy Police

Commissioner Hermangil Francis, and Superintendent Albert Fregis, gave their

full support to the event.

This injection of support included the EC$10,000.00 first place cash prize,

uniforms for all ten community fifteen-man squads, assistance to collect the

uniforms from the Trinidadian manufacturer, team and tournament official tee-

shirts, and a banner.

Cash prizes will also be paid to the second, third, and fourth place teams, and

the members of the community teams though recognizing that teething problems

would be a factor in the first year, were happy with the initiative.

The Richard Frederick Peace and Love Football Competition follows an earlier

initiative involving Honourable Richard Frederick, the Parliamentary

Representative for Central Castries.

This earlier initiative was aimed at bringing the feuding factions of Wilton’s Yard

and Grass Street together in an effort to curtail the violence in the City of

Castries, efforts continues to bring the residents of the various communities of

Central Castries closer together to live in near perfect harmony.


Another member of the competition’s Management Committee sports journalist

Robertson S. Henry said that “The main objective is to bring the residents of the

Central Castries communities together to walk, joke, watch a game of football,

play against another community, and at the end, embrace both the winners and

losers in an atmosphere of lasting true Lucian love and togetherness.”

He told the audience on Tuesday that he

was skeptical at first when Honourable

Richard Frederick asked him to put

together a structure for a football

competition.

His skepticism stemmed from the fact that he was not supportive of any football

competition for competition sake.

After MP Frederick explained to him what he was trying to achieve, Henry said he

gave his support and agreed to do what he can.

Henry said that he is looking forward when the competition even though it is in a

competitive format, the aim is to have all who were enemies, who viewed others

as enemies, who did not know what it is to allow the past to be buried, play the

world’s most popular sport with and against each other, but with only one aim;

rid the Castries environs and Saint Lucia in general, of all violent thoughts and

elements.

The ten participating communities in this year’s competition are Wilton’s Yard,

Grass Street, Bacarra, CDC/Jeremie Street, Conway/Barnard Hill, New

Village/Georgeville, Rose Hill, Sans Souci, Lastic Hill, Leslie Land.

On Tuesday, the draw for the preliminary matches was held, and the match-ups are-:

1. Sunday October 14th -: March Pass of teams and public launch (3:00 p.m.)

2. Monday October 15th -: Lastic Hill versus Sans Souci (4:00 p.m.)

3. Tuesday October 16th -: Wilton’s Yard versus CDC/Jeremie Street (4:00 p.m.)

4. Wednesday October 17th -: New Village/George versus Rosehill (4:00 p.m.)

5. Thursday October 18th -: Bacara versus Conway/Barnard Hill (4:00 p.m.)

6. Friday October 19th -: Leslie Land versus Grass Street (4:00 p.m.)

7. Saturday October 20th -: Rest Day

Delivering the keynote address, Frederick alluded to a number of incidents which

influenced his decision to initiate a programme aimed at fighting crime in the City

of Castries.

He spoke of the successes that the programme have enjoyed to date, and called

on the Police Commissioner rid the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force of the rogue

cops.

He revealed that due to the relationship he had develop with residents of the

communities, he was informed that with a reduction in gun violence in Castries

and by extension the country, there are businessmen who are not please.

They are not pleased with the anti-crime programme and the successes to date,

because they and the rogue cops will not be able to sell ammunition for use in

illegal weapons by young men to injure and at times, kill each other.

However with the residents of the communities prepared to give the inaugural

Richard Frederick Peace and Love Football Competition an opportunity to work and

bring peace to Castries, the Fight the Violence campaign may very well get the

shot in the arm it deserves.