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Principal of Mount Pleasant Academy Vannie Clarke addresses the gathering at the groundbreaking launch on Thursday. (Photos: Antonio Graham)



Work being done for the establishment of Mount Pleasant Academy

It's all about the kids!'
Englishman Peter Gould undertakes ambitious football academy in St Ann
BY HOWARD WALKER
Senior staff reporter
walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, May 13, 2018 6 Comments

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GOULD...in financial terms there isn't a budget (Photos: Antonio Graham)

There has been, it seems, a seismic shift in Jamaica's football as Englishman Peter Gould unveiled his multimilliondollar plans for the Mount Pleasant Sports Academy.

Nestled in the hills of St Ann and less than five minutes from the Runaway Bay main road, the Mount Pleasant Academy will be built on 88 acres of land owned by Gould since 2015.

Over the years there have been numerous calls for youth development and the establishment of football academies and Gould, a successful real estate developer, has come to the fore for Mount Pleasant and he explains why:

“Because I fell in love with Jamaica, and it's a challenge, as you can see the poverty in the villages surrounding us. Everyone told me not to go to the community. I chose not to listen,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Formed in 2016, Mount Pleasant Football Club, formerly “Stush in the Bush”, has been kicking up a storm. In a short space of time, it is on the verge of qualifying for Jamaica's top football competition — the Red Stripe Premier League.

But all this would not be possible without the input of Gould, who claims he was once a business partner with Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.

“I was behind the scene for many years... more in the business side of the club. So much for business; I wasn't paid a salary, it was for love,” noted Gould.

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“I was involved with Ruud Gullit, Glen Hoddle, (Gianluca) Vialli, Mark Hughes, etc,” Gould revealed.

The Mount Pleasant Academy is expected to feature four football fields, including a high-end artificial turf; stands around the main field, dormitories, canteen, physio labs, staff quarters, classrooms to accommodate 60 students, and several security points.

There will also be multi-purpose sports court and a yoga centre.

“It's all about the kids, that's the true story. We are not going to sell the kids at 13, 14, we going to grow them here. There are some great talents and great coaches here and we can bring them up into teenagers before they go away if they decide to,” said Gould.

“But not everyone is going to be a great footballer, and so my aim is to give them education. They have to know 4x4 before they put their football boots on,” he emphasised.

When pressed, Gould refused to divulge the budget for clearly a multimillion dollar project, which hopes to officially open for business by September.

“I will let you know when it's over. We got 88 acres here. You have seen the ground and you realise it's not flat in the middle. We have been going six weeks with the machines, but when we get there I will let you know,” he said with a smile.

“In financial terms there isn't a budget; it's a project. I am old enough and experienced not to put a number on because it always exceeds,” Gould explained.

“I know the guys are working 12-hour days and we will try to get it done in September. It's a project without a budget as I am paying the bill, and I am happy to pay as long as they are working,” he added.

“Unfortunately it's a not for profits, but if I am the luckiest man in the world, I would probably get my money back. But it's for the love,” he said with a laugh.

He continued: “But I am going to commercialise it. I will sit down with some people to carry on when I am gone.”

'God must have sent this man'
Tony James lauds Peter Gould's ambitious multimillion-dollar undertaking
BY HOWARD WALKER
Senior Staff reporter
walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, May 14, 2018

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Peter Gould, founder of Mount Pleasant Academy (Photo: Antonio Graham)

Peter Gould's multimillion-dollar investment in the establishment of Mount Pleasant Academy in St Ann must be an act of God. That's the belief of Tony James, former president of the Jamaica Football Federation.

James, who ruled local football between 1985 and 1992 and has long been advocating for youth development to take Jamaica's football forward, was on hand at the ground-breaking ceremony last Thursday.

“This is just amazing. In a few words it's just wow, breathtaking!” said James.

“When you look at the function, like we said, God must have sent this man here,” he offered gleefully.

“Nobody is willing to invest in rural Jamaica and when you look back at our successes in international football, people don't seem to understand, unless rural and city are working hand in hand, it doesn't work,” James pointed out.

James, who is one of three officials inducted into the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football's (CONCACAF) Hall of Fame in 2009, added: “If we didn't have the 'Tegats' and the 'Tatty Browns' and the 'Twinny Bugs' to put with the talent of Kingston — the Walter Boyds and the Onandi Lowes — it is a mix that is critical and yet nobody wants to invest in rural Jamaica.

“So this is a godsent. We could only hope that we could find two or three more people across the length and breadth of Jamaica to give us some support,” he reiterated.





James, who was the leading goalscorer for Jamaica College (JC) during the 1968 Manning Cup, also served on CONCACAF and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) committees, and he thinks the St Ann Football Association president Danny Beckford is a lucky man.

“The presidents must grudge him for what he has here because, unfortunately, our whole football structure has gone political and have left technical.

“It's a long road for investment — not only the physical financial investment, but you see the principal (Vannie Clarke) and the plans he has, the social investment, to bring it back where we want technically,” said James.

James, who started Los Perfectos FC in Manchester, said any day the island can put those two things together then Jamaica would be featured in international competitions on a regular basis.

“I don't see the Premier League as a structure by itself that can take football forward, [though I give] all credit and respect to the clubs that are struggling and have invested so much of the very little resources they have to make it happen.

“Jamaica's football would have to come to a recognition of the difference between amateur football and professional football, and the whole nation would have to get behind a premier league professional structure if the premier league is to be meaningful,” said James.

Mount Pleasant Academy, which was formed two years ago, are the St Ann champions and only recently defeated Albion Mountain of St Mary in the Eastern Confederation Play-off, qualifying for the four-team JFF Play-offs to reach the Red Stripe Premier League.

“If you could have that, then the Mount Pleasants of this world are very important because rural Jamaica doesn't have a structure at all. Kingston, by its very nature of football population, sponsorships and the capacity to invest the capital has it, the rest of the country doesn't have it. Montego Bay has a little dribbling of it.

“But if you could have a Mount Pleasant as one of the standard bearers long term, if we could find three more Mount Pleasants throughout rural Jamaica, you would be surprised to see what Jamaica's football would do in the medium term five years,” said James.

This is what some of us have been hoping would happen, private individuals who who have the wherewithal to start and run such an academy, away from the JFF; who we know right now, is just too bruk to do much.

Politics and tribalism have played as big a part in Jamaica's lack of football progress as lack of finances.

When you have two administrative bodies fighting over control of the RSPL...one of them an actual subsidiary of the JFF (which I didn't know before) it says it all.

The accusations against the JFF using the national team to 'buss' players from its affiliated clubs seemingly have had merit all along.

It puts this 'locals only' policy into more perspective now.

This is a dream come true for the parish of St. Ann's and it's residents. It's regrettable that there are many Jamaicans with even more means than Mr. Gould but do not see fit in investing in their country and it's youth.

The Gould must be different from the one I think it is. The one I am thinking of have more money than many Jamaicans who love football. He has more means than Usain Bolt, Beenie Man and Vibe Kartel and each individual Marley, the conman and a few others put together and whatever he spending in Jamaica is a small part of his net worth. You don't do such development if you don't love football and most people with a little information know you won't waste money developing Jamaican footballers.

We appreciate what Mr. Gould is doing however I think most Jamaican who love football with his mean would try the same thing. There are many Jamaicans assisting young people who contribute a higher percentage of their net worth than Mr. Gould and don't need to be put down because he is able to spend more.

Does anyone have any idea how rich Chelsea's owner, Roman Ambravoich really is ?

Well...you're talking about about one of his original British business partners here...who helped Ambravovich invest his money in Britain.

NOW...does anyone get the picture how rich Peter Gould is ?

This entire project is being modeled off Chelsea FC...quite possibly with ties to Chelsea that have not yet emerged as to future prospects for specially talented young players that will come through their system.

This could be the biggest thing that has ever happened in Jamaican football.

How deep does your STUPIDITY GO?

You jump on google trying to find out as much as you can on the bredda. Then come on here bout must not be the same man. Then you couldn’t help you self. Had to belittle the man efforts with your stupid Jamaican comparisons.

DUMB, DUMB, DUMB.

Shameful post. Aspuru telling you that you are dumb is crazy. Gould is doing it as a non-profit with the plan to become for profit when he is gone. Make sense the academy must survive after him. You name a Jamaican who would give away their money like that.

Outstanding job getting this going

Hopefully some of the current u13s become solid professionals in the next 4-6 years

Butler bristled when Wayne threw in a underbreath jibe about Mount Pleasant Academy being far ahead of the Phoenix ting in the RSPL show....but...

A little research shows who Peter Gould really is.

He is a property mogul ( mi nah go name the company) who slipped into Jamaica under the radar after resigning as president of his property management company....essentially a man in retirement who has enough money to buy and sell most Jamaican entrepeneurs many times over.

He was part of Chelsea FC from the Ruud Gullit era when Chelsea began to push to become one of England's top clubs.

This project is his way of investing in the MP community in which he now lives and really is just a drop in the bucket for the amount of money he is actually worth, despite the amount that he will invest in it.

Man sey it don't have a budget...that should indicate the amount of money he has to play with.

Seems like he made some money from the real estate boom. The man have the cash and enough he will never spend living in JA in his lifetime. Just a way of giving some of it to the young kids in the form of the academy and school. Very charitable move. I hope a JA group follow his move and save another community.

The north coast of Jamaica could have 3 top-level football facilities to market sports tourism.


Catherine Hall Sports Complex
Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium
Mount Pleasant Academy (Future)

All less than 3 hours from the airport, with world class hotels nearby each.

He is serious about the football aspect of the project for the future development of the yutes though.

When you think of this man in football terms...think Chelsea FC...long before the days of 'Bramovich and Mourino

How deep does your STUPIDITY GO?

Not as deep as yours I can guarantee. Your comprehension level is very low. My response was to AvidBoyzFan, who like yourself is too lazy and clueless about Jamaica to get the fact before making an apples and oranges comparison. If you both realize that Jamaica is bigger than your sheltered idea of it is. His clueless position that there are many more Jamaicans with more than Mr. Gould'd means is a fantasy which lead him to make a stupid comparison about Jamaican giving. Mr. Gould philanthropy as a percentage of his net worth is much less than the everyday Jamaican company who year in year out give back to their community, regular Jamaicans buying school supplies for the under privilege, churches feeding the hungry, schools giving scholarships to poor kids, football club owners putting more than they will get back every year so kids can play. Employers helping with their employees children school fees and clothing where ever they can. You and AvidBoyzFan should know that there are lot of Jamaica people quietly donating their time and resources to the less fortunate and especially to those who have talent.
Just because they don't do it in a spectacular way like those who can afford to does not mean that they are not investing in their country and it's youth.

AvidBoyzFan like yourself need go get some information before putting down Jamaican people and keep sounding like idiots.

I agree. The facilities seems top class and his vision does seems solid. No doubt it will improve the quality of our youth players going forward with daily drills on good surface. St Ann is not far anymore and they have a dorm. It would be great if they find the best 60 kids from across the island.

Brother who is debating those other aspects of contribution. This is about football, developing our youth players, getting kids educated in a football setting. Do not be so ignorant and envious. If there were Jamaicans capable of building or have the vision to build an academy since 1998 we would have made another WC.

Yeah, let's see this for what it is, a great opportunity, regardless of the motivations of the benefactor. If he is doing it with the hopes of creating another Leon Bailey every 4 years then he will easily reap back his investments. There is money to be made so, ask CB. Either way, Jamaican football is better for it.

Now what we need is a couple more copy cats, one to duplicate this effort in kingston and another in Mobay and we can stop talking about academies for now.

The next effort in the evolution is to put together a "franchising" boat league across the Caribbean