Stadium manager encourages users to ‘have some pride’, dispose garbage properly

By Neto Baptiste

Members of the public who utilise the roads surrounding the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground for exercise and social gatherings on a daily basis, are being cautioned by the facility’s management to stop leaving their garbage behind when leaving the area.

Keithroy Black, manager at the premier sporting venue, said the practice has become commonplace, and is therefore asking those guilty of the practice to exercise “pride” and properly dispose of their refuse.

“Have some pride, you are talking about the Sir Vivian Richards stadium, someone who is an icon and if we have self-pride, self-worth, it is not something we ought to be doing. It is very simple, if you walk or you jog, when you are done you take back your garbage. I know the question was asked by somebody about putting bins on the outside but we have had situations where we have put small bins on the outside and people take them up,” he said.

According to Black, the practice continues to impact the coffers of the stadium as they are the ones left to clean the surroundings, which are often littered with various types of garbage.

“Persons who jog, walk or park around the stadium from time to time and relax, when they bring their water bottle, their [food] boxes and so on, when they are done, it seems as if they just throw them around or just leave them where they are and just drive off. From time to time we have to dispatch persons on the outside of the stadium to pick boxes and bottles and so on,” he said.

“Sometimes, we have these huge plastic bags of garbage that we are picking up on the outside and that should not be because there is a disposal bin on the inside or they could just keep it in their vehicles and take it home.”

Black said the facility could be forced to erect security cameras to catch perpetrators in the act.

“Eventually, we are going to expose some people because if it means we have to put up cameras to pick up these things and have people referred to the authorities to deal with them, then so be it, but we are asking them and making this appeal via the media first: please stop, desist,” the stadium manager implored. The areas surrounding the facility have become a hub for hundreds of individuals and or groups who utilise it on a daily basis for exercise and social purposes.

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