Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manche has refused to withdraw his claims over Gżira United’s stance over the proposed Manoel Island Stadium and reiterated that club president Sharlon Pace was not interested in the project.
Borg Manche said that he confirms all he said on the issue and that club president had told him that he was ready to resign if the Manoel Island Ground project was done.
“I repeat what I said, even under an oath, that Sharlon Pace had told me that he was ready to resign if the project was done and he went to meet the Prime Minister to inform him that I was against their Commercialisation of sports facilities project and instead I was pushing for a block of building. But Joseph Muscat told them that he didn’t want to get involved in the argument,” the Gżira Mayor said.
“I invite Sharlon Pace to reveal what does his commercialisation progress consists or he is hoping to win the people’s trust by winning the Premier League title. Remember, that the league celebrations last a couple of weeks, but a football ground can be enjoyed by the people for hundreds of years.
“You said that the ground was not a viable option and you didn’t include its maintenance so that you replace it which something that is more viable to you and not the people.”
As regards, the Gżira Local Council’s money towards the club the mayor confirmed that he had an agreement with the club nursery, and we honoured all payments. He said that he didn’t do another agreement because he had doubts whether it could be done.
On the other hand, the Gżira mayor accused Pace of not spending any money on the school ground and that he earned money from its rental.
He said that the club doesn’t mention that he had brought the club a three-year sponsor from a gaming company that amounted to €150,000 but Gżira United failed to honour their agreement and could have ended up in court if it wasn’t for the intervention of Borg Manche.
“When I brought in the late Ronnie Cocks and Silvio Grech to coach Gżira children, Ronnie phoned me with a heavy heart to inform me that you had told him that the nursery had to be closed down as you didn’t want to invest in it as you were never interested in the children of Gżira,” Borg Manche said.
“I invite Shalron to tell us what is his idea of commercialisation, a block of apartments with the ground at the top or without it? And give us details on the University ground and your meeting with the rector to make fool of me, but instead the rector issued a statement at the same time of the meeting to say that there was no agreement.
“Finally, I would like to remind the club officials that contrary to what he is saying, I am the chairman of the Manoel Island Foundation and I will be vigilant to ensure that the whole Manoel Island Project will be done as planned.”
