completed than the former UBP Government -- according to both the Centre's chairman and deputy chairman.

The much-anticipated facility has met with one delay after another, but the the trustees say they are now anxious to get the project moving towards completion.

The trustees were appointed to oversee construction in 1993. Since then they have met with the UBP Cabinet seven times and once with the PLP Cabinet.

"We've had eight appearances before Cabinet to tell them what we're doing, how we expect to get it done and what it might cost,'' said chairman Donald Lines.

"And had their full endorsement each time,'' deputy chairman Charlie Marshall interjected. "Except that the UBP Govenment never gave us the money. At least we're getting much more support from the PLP, I can tell you that.'' Added Lines: "At least when they say something, they deliver on it. The UBP used to play games with us. They approved the expenditure and then told us to go and talk to Finance about the money.'' Both Lines and Marshall, a former UBP Senator, praised current Sports Minister Dennis Lister for the support he had given.

"Dennis is quite interested and quite involved,'' said Lines.

Once up and running the Centre will employ about 70 people.

"These are professional people who will run various activities on a full time basis, mostly to do with sports,'' said Marshall.

Presently there are two full-time staff, manager Clifford Wade, an accountant by profession, and head groundsman Gilbert Pitcher.

A National Sports Complex has been talked about for decades. Bermuda's top track and field athletes were looking forward to such a facility when the sport was thriving back in the 1970s. All of those competitors are now retired from the sport.

The late Randy Benjamin, a founding member and former president of Bermuda Track and Field Association, was part of a committee which put forward the idea to develop the area into a major sports facility. The year was 1972 and last year Benjamin died without seeing his dream realised.

But Lines argues that the project has been riddled with problems, few of which the general public understand.

Trustees praise Gov't support of Sports Centre From Page 39 "Nobody who criticises us has any idea of the amount of work that has been done up here,'' said Lines.

"We're talking about an incredible amount of work. First of all we had two false starts, we were given a lot less land to deal with, so we were talking about a smaller project.

"Then they gave us more land and we decided to incorporate this and rethink our plans. Then they gave us the western buildings (Bermuda College) and we looked at whether we would use the buildings and do something with them.

"The cost of knocking them down was equal to the cost of the removal of the asbestos. They were just not suitable for a single thing.

"Finally we did a master plan for the whole project to determine what property we had because the plans for the property were inaccurate. We had to get approval from not only Government but also Planning and it always take time.'' Added Lines: "We have worked consistently and continuously on this project since we were appointed. We did work even before we had the property conveyed to us which was in 1995.

"The plans are there, the financing for it is the issue. It's a question of how much Government is prepared to put up and when.

"Once the centre court (between the two main fields) is built you will have a facility here that will be in a class by itself with an incredible place for entertaining people.'' The northern field at the National Centre, which sits 18 feet above the old Frog Lane Field, could be open for cricket next summer, the two trustees disclosed.

And the concrete bases to support light poles are already in place on the edge of an asphalt riding, skating and jogging track so as to accomodate night matches. But lights are not in the present budget.

The field, which is big enough for two full size football pitches, also meets international cricket standards in terms of size. And the wicket has been laid and maintained by Mike Corley of the United Kingdom who acts as an advisor, coming to the Island regularly to maintain the surface.

"He comes back and forth,'' explained Marshall. "He's over in Pakistan now doing wickets there. He goes around the world doing wickets for the world body of cricket.

Said Lines: "The only thing we couldn't do when it came to the wicket was import the earth that he would have liked to have brought in, so we will have to use Bermuda clay.'' Under the northern field is a 350,000 gallon water tank to support irrigation.

Work on the cricket pavilion has been given priority and is scheduled to start early next year. Eventually, say the trustees, the field will be of a high enough quality to stage international cricket matches, with the venue likely to host games in the 2007 World Cup which will be played mostly in the West Indies.

There will also be portable seating for some 8,000 people on the northern field.