Issues issues issues!

For our editorial this week, two issues come to mind –the popular Anglican Church in Saint George’s celebrating 200 years and the Grenada Football Association woes with the pitch at the national stadium. We sought some assistance from historians on the story of that church that tourists love to visit and what we have found out may very well be a real ‘eye opener’ to the people who will take the time to put our history in context. While they were not the first to colonise Grenada, the French part of our history continues to be ignored and so there are some disjointed parts in Grenada’s story as to where we are today.

To the Anglicans who worship there, try wrapping your mind around that day when you attended Sunday morning service in January of 1784 only to be chased away by armed militia men. The story from Dr Curtis Jacobs who has spent a lot of time researching Grenada’s history, is that the British, after taking control of Grenada tried bargaining with the Roman Catholics that came with the French to share the church on Sundays. The request was turned down and so the drama started. The church was seized by the millitia one Sunday and simply turned into a Protestant Church and that was the end of St Jacques (Jack) Roman Catholic Church in Saint George’s, Grenada.

As the St George’s Anglican Church recently celebrated 200 years, the Bishop expressed some remorse about the Anglican Church being involved in slavery. But truth be told, the Roman Catholic Church also was involved. Wasn’t it the French who brought the first set of enslaved Africans here to work on plantations? Some of these plantations still bear French names. There is even a certain Pope who encouraged the enslavement of people of different faith and beliefs.  It is our hope that more Grenadians will fall in love with Grenada’s history and be able to tell it like Dr Curtis Jacob. Interestingly he will be launching his book soon!

Now to the next issue, we have heard that Trinidad and Tobago stands to benefit as the Grenada Football Association (GFA) has had to take the difficult decision to relocate its upcoming home fixtures in the 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League to our neighbours. It is said that the Association acted to protect Grenada’s competition standing and avoid exposing the country to the risk of further sanctions arising from poor field conditions at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium. How many of us knew that this problem existed?

The GFA will host two League B, Group C doubleheaders at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in October. On Friday, October 02, Saint Kitts and Nevis will face Cuba at 5:00 pm, followed by Bonaire versus Grenada at 8:00 pm. On Monday, October 05, Cuba will meet Saint Kitts and Nevis at 5:00 pm, before Grenada faces Bonaire at 8:00 pm. Interestingly, the doubleheaders were originally intended to provide Grenadian supporters with another opportunity to experience Concacaf Nations League football at home. Relocating them is therefore neither the preferred nor the more convenient option. But here’s what Grenadians need to pay attention to -that decision follows an escalating history of field-of-play compliance concerns, formal warnings and financial penalties associated with Grenada’s hosting of international matches at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium. These concerns culminated in a Concacaf visit to Grenada on Wednesday, August 05, 2026, during which the pitch at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium was deemed unsatisfactory and failed to meet the required standard.

In some more sad news, in September 2023, the GFA incurred a fine in relation to poor field conditions. In August 2024, Concacaf formally advised the Association that the condition of the field at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium was below the acceptable standard required to host League B matches. Concacaf stated that significant improvements were necessary, including the implementation of a specialized irrigation and maintenance plan, and warned that stronger sanctions could follow in the event of repeated violations. Concerns continued during the September 2024 Nations League window. Following matches played at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium on September 09, Concacaf Match Officials reported poor field conditions, including dirt patches and waterlogged areas following rainfall, and identified concerns surrounding the maintenance of the playing surface. Concacaf subsequently issued what it described as a stringent warning, advising that more severe sanctions could be imposed in the event of another recurrence. In May 2026, the GFA incurred a further fine in relation to poor field conditions. Formal warning letters issued in August and September 2024, together with additional communications from Concacaf, also addressed the ongoing concerns surrounding the condition of the field.

The question this week is -Who exactly is at fault in all of this? We have learnt that in an effort to address the concerns and keep international football in Grenada, the GFA continued to engage directly with the Grenada National Stadium Authority (GNSA). Several meetings were held to discuss field preparation, venue readiness and the significant costs associated with hosting international matches at the facility, most recently with the Deputy Chair of the GNSA. Despite those engagements, no revised field-maintenance plan and the required lighting report have been provided by the stadium to the GFA.

Well sadly, GFA was forced to relocate to Trinidad and Tobago, leaving Grenada to lose out on all the business aspects that the games bring. Let’s pay attention to see how long this problem will last!

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