Dear Editor,
Was the razing of the iconic main concrete pavilion and Club House at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) in Linden in December last year a Christmas gift to develop it into a ‘multipurpose’ facility, as was announced first when the Government sought the blessings of the MSC’s Committee of Management to plough funds towards this being one of three sports centres in Guyana in 2020? That question persists today on the lips of many concerned Lindeners, at home and in the Diaspora; and eyebrows were raised since this deliberate act came without any meaningful consultation with the current MSC’s Committee of Management.
Well, first of all, let me be clear, definitely no one is against development of this facility. But, recent ‘machinations’ there do not suggest it will continue to be a ‘multipurpose’ arena which hosted sports, Mashramani celebrations and other cultural events at the regional, national and international levels, which made the MSC a ‘one of a kind’ facility, in this country called Guyana. But, yes, the MSC at one time functioned from inside the then Recreation Hall, which was built in 1925 in Cockatara, within the vicinity of the Mackenzie Market area, before it took up permanent residence, or so it seemed, for the past 68 years at 464 Greenheart Street in Linden.
The meetings back then in the 1940s and early 1950s were held at this Recreation Hall on Coop Crescent, as the people mainly from Mackenzie, many who were employed with the bauxite industry, were actively involved in sports such as football, cycling, cricket, athletics, boxing, billiards, table tennis and bodybuilding across the fledging community. By the start of the 1950s, the employers, Canadian-owned Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA), made a commitment to the people who came from other parts of Guyana, namely West Coast of Berbice, the East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown to work with the bauxite industry. The reality was a donation to the MSC Committee of Management of this new facility with its new Club House and a main concrete pavilion for starters in December 1956 at the Greenheart Street location.
Subsequent owners of the Linden bauxite firm namely, Guybau, Guymine, Linmine all continued the rich legacy of assisting with the upkeep and expansion of the main sports and cultural facility in the mining town, as it became the Mecca of sports, hosting several international football, cricket, athletics and cycling, activities. Thus, it had become an all-encompassing venue, which also entertained cultural icons such as the Calypso King of the world, Mighty Sparrow, Grammy Award winning reggae group Third World, and Byron Lee and The Dragonaires among others, through the years. What is troubling is that the town has felt the effects and impact of not having a proper venue for the staging of the annual Mashramani celebrations, among other cultural activities, and this MSC venue was the ideal place, because of its centrality.
The big question now is; who gave the Government the right to effectively make this venue a cricket stadium? If not, can they explain how frequently will there be football, hockey, rugby and track and field as it was originally built to host? The people of Linden are crying out for answers.
The bauxite industry did bring then West Indies batsman Basil Butcher to the MSC as cricket coach in 1963 and this paved the way for its first junior and senior cricketer from Linden to don national colours in Dr. Vincent Adams and many others followed. During that time a number of cricket clubs were also assisted to have the game played across Wismar, Christianburg, the Mines and Mackenzie in this mining town.
The legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Clive Lloyd and Lance Gibbs also did coaching stints at the MSC in the 1970s. Whose decision was it to scratch the venue from having athletics on grass since this is still encouraged throughout the Caribbean, including Jamaica? It was at the MSC which produced athletes like the town’s first 100 and 200m National sprint champion in Leyland Blair in the 1964. By the early 1970s the bauxite industry had Fisk University Athletic Coach John Martins on assignment at the MSC where he spotted the town’s promising athletes and this paved the way for Aubrey ‘Skinny’ Wilson and later, Roxanne Sills among others, to gain scholarships in the United States. This also paved the way for other champions like Lorraine Jordan, Eugene Phillips, Elton Jefford, Juliet Fredericks and of recent Emmanuel Archibald, Chantobra Bright and Daniel Williams who all began their careers at the MSC. From then to now others have landed scholarships after honing their skills at the MSC.
This attempt to blot out the history of the MSC, therefore, is one which should not escape the attention of the leaders of this town and region, namely Mayor Sharma Solomon and the Linden Town Council or the Regional Democratic Council whose Chairman is Deron Adams, as they are the representatives for the people who have a close relationship with this iconic MSC. The MSC belongs to the people of Linden and is managed by an elected Committee of Management until today. The evidence is there to show that the Linden Synthetic track is welcomed by all Lindeners, but as far as track and field is concerned this venue alone cannot suffice the development of this sport. Such a venue like the MSC should have been made to accommodate athletics as before, and the Committee of Management should have been consulted properly, with the community, as to what other sports like cricket must continue there.
Had Government wanted an international facility for cricket like Providence Stadium, then it should have sought another venue and leave the MSC to continue its tradition as it has been like none other in Guyana. The apparent decision to not have several sports and cultural activities accommodated there, for the sake of a singular cricket stadium, cannot be seen as development. This is beyond comprehension. This certainly is not what the majority of people in this town wants and whether this can be corrected is anybody’s guess. More-so, the MSC should remain, as it were, a Members’ Club and not one that is owned or controlled by Central Government. In August, 2020, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson (Jr.) MP, visited and spoke with officers of the Committee of Management of the MSC led by its President, Avery Trim, seeking an agreement to allow the Government of Guyana to upgrade and make the MSC one of three multipurpose facilities in Guyana.
This was in keeping with the previous decision announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali to have such facilities in Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara. Information is that the MSC Committee of Management agreed in principle for the rehabilitation of its facilities, which was already one that accommodated several sports. The MSC Committee of Management, however, indicated that it wanted to see the design of what this upgrade would look like, and Minister Ramson (Jr.) promised to share the design and have consultation, on the new look of this facility, before any work would have started. However, at that first meeting also it was mentioned that cricket would not be played at the MSC.
Following that, the MSC’s Committee of Management met and then wrote Minister Ramson (Jr.) stating that in addition to all the sports played there, inclusive of football, basketball and track and field, it was requesting that cricket be included and be accommodated, because the history of the sport cannot be denied, since several international stars including national and international players played at this venue also. There was a follow-up meeting with the MSC Committee of Management where a pictorial drawing was presented, but on examination it was noticed the outlay did not reflect that of the MSC and it was decided that there would be another design to be presented later. By this time there was a hint that track and field would also not be allowed and another correspondence was sent to the Minister Ramson (Jr.), which referenced the history of the MSC with all the sports played there, and it was restated that the request is that all sports be allowed to continue at this venue.
In October, 2022, Minister Ramson (Jr.) returned to announce that the Government of Guyana would front the costs to do the ground and that the new pavilion would be financed from a grant by the People’s Republic of China, when the ground is completed. If this was not achieved then Government would stand those costs. Minister Ramson (Jr.) also announced the false narrative, that the MSC facility was now owned by Government, after it was given ownership documents by NICIL in 2022. This was sternly objected to by the Committee of Management which requested that such documents be shown to it in writing. This request of objection was placed in writing to the Minister, in addition to requests once more for the design drawings of the new look facility and a meeting. Interestingly, there is no idea of what this all-purpose facility will be when completed and this has affected the membership which cannot be given answers to questions, since there is no communication between the Government and the Committee of Management of the MSC.
In fact, since 2020 there has been not a single line in writing from the Government, or a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of what it intends to do at the MSC and this gives the impression that ultimately the Government is seeking to erase the memory of the Mackenzie Sports Club. Sadly, on December 19, 2023, with the apparent completion of the ground and installation of floodlights, Government instructed contractors to demolish the Main Building and concrete pavilion without any consultation on this happening with the MSC Committee of Management. In fact, when the plaque, which instructs that the MSC Main Club House and Pavilion donated by DEMBA to the MSC in 1956, was removed by the on-site engineer, efforts to secure it was made and it was eventually retrieved.
But within four hours of a drawing of the new pavilion being shared by the architect on site with the MSC Committee of Management, an emergency MSC Meeting was called. But one hour before that scheduled emergency meeting could have taken place, Government instructed the contractors to demolish the MSC’s Club House and concrete pavilion and building. From 2020 to now there has been no reasonable discussion or consultation of what the final plan of the entire block which the MSC sits on, would look like. Efforts to obtain a design of the facility at the Linden Mayor and Town Council’s Engineering Department proved futile, since it appears none such designs were lodged there. Finally, whispers are that the lone Mackenzie Swimming Pool is being removed as well as the basketball court being erased. On whose orders Mr. Mayor and Mr. Regional Chairman? And: Why should Lindeners therefore ignore such wrongs? American singer Johnny Nash wrote in a song: “There are more questions than answers.” Leaders, Linden is watching!
Sincerely,
Vibert Joseph
Resident Linden
