Daryll Matthew: Cabinet ends ARG lease arrangement with Football Association

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A stand at the ARG covered in bird excrement.
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By Neto Baptiste

Government has moved to end its lease arrangement with the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) for the historic Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG).

This was reveled by Sports Minister Daryll Matthew during a recent appearance on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show.

“The Cabinet has taken the decision to revoke the lease and to have the property returned to the government, though it’s always been owned [by government] but certainly the administration and operation. This is not a surprise to the ABFA because it is a conversation we’ve been having for over a year, so this will come as no surprise to them,” he said. 

The football association acquired a lease for the venue back in 2012 but has failed to properly maintain the facility in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement. The poor upkeep of the venue, which is rich in both cricket and football history, often came under the microscope with government bearing the brunt of the public backlash.

Matthew said that the hope is to attract funding from international agencies for the revitalising and upkeep of the ARG.

“We’ve brought on an architect in Mr Wesley James and his assignment is to oversee that redevelopment of the Antigua Recreation Grounds. He has provided us with that master plan, sort of layout, of what the ARG could be or should be if we are successful in what we want to do,” he said.

“Subsequent to that, our project-writing person within the ministry, Dr Hazra Medica, who works along with these international agencies like UNESCO and so on, she has prepared and met with the World Monuments Fund or committee and has made an application to them for support for the redevelopment of the Antigua Recreation Grounds, and that is pending so we have not received a response as yet,” Matthew added. 

The minister however made it clear that the venue will remain available for use by any association to host matches and or competitions.

“The ARG will always be available for use by any association whether it is schools cricket, if it is in a condition to be used, or whether it is football, so it is not that the Antigua Recreation Grounds will now be made off-limits to football. At the end of the day we have no interest in preventing any interested party who may see it as a strategic venue for them to use, we have no issues with that at all,” Matthew said.

The ABFA has not used the ARG for domestic competitions since 2020.

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