Cyprus-Forum.com

[Svetlana]

Money well spent? Peyia football team sucks up a third of council budget.
By Bejay Browne

ONE third of the annual budget of Peyia municipality is being spent on the local football team, caught up in the middle of a drugs doping scandal.

APOP Kinyras Peyia has been in the spotlight this week amid claims of positive drug testing.

Lionel Medeiros was the second team member to test positive for drugs. The anti-doping control body made a surprise visit to the stadium in Peyia this week, and tested the players.

Teammate Carlos Marquez tested positive for a banned substance at the end of October.

Peyia municipality has an annual budget of €6 million, and more than €2 million has gone to the local club, despite the fact that there are inadequate medical facilities in Peyia to serve the ever-growing population.

“Basically this is a private football club, which is being funded by subsidies and direct cash payments,” local councillor Linda Leblanc told the Cyprus Mail. She conceded that a percentage of the money had been used make some improvements to the stadium, to meet EU regulations and crowd control requirements. “But they have spent a further €800,000 on new seating and a separate training field.”

The grass football pitch is kept in top condition and has to be protected, so the team claimed they needed another pitch to use for training.

“At least this one is available for the community to use, and other teams to train on,” said Leblanc.

The councillor pointed out the pitch in the stadium uses 100m3 of water a day, and the amount increases during the summer months.

“The budget is around €6 million a year, and the income of the municipality is about the same,” she advised. “But instead of saving the surplus and building up a financial cushion, it seems to be the policy to spend it all.”

There has been a huge amount of development in Peyia over the last decade and the infrastructure isn’t in place to support it.

“We’ve had to upgrade the roads and provide drainage and flood measures .The municipality is responsible for these things, and it cost us around €2 million.”

Leblanc admits she isn’t a fan of football, but insists this isn’t the reason she disapproves of the money being spent.

“There are issues regarding Peyia football club that I have a problem with,” she said. “Last year everyone on the council was offered a free season pass, I don’t use mine, and I have no intention of doing so. I don’t want to be seen to be taking gifts from groups who are asking for money all the time.”

According to the councillor, the football committee is often at Peyia council meetings and recently wanted money for a heavy-duty washing machine.

“They said it would save us money in the long run,” she exclaimed. “We have to pay for the lighting, electricity and cover the costs, and they said it would mean the washing would finish more quickly. I wanted to know why we’re washing their football strips anyway.”

Leblanc said she was out-voted, and the team got their washing machine. The councillor is concerned about the amount of money she says is being ‘fed’ to team, and is sure the cash could be of a greater use elsewhere.

“There is no health clinic in Peyia, and we desperately need a 24-hour ambulance service. It takes half-an-hour for one to come from Paphos, and even then they can’t find the address, because of all the new buildings,” she charged.

The population of locals and British expats is an ageing one, and despite promises from the ministry regarding an ambulance for Peyia, it has yet to materialise.

“I would like to see a hybrid project involving British paramedics, who are all highly trained, there just isn’t proper health coverage in Peyia,” said Leblanc. “We could do all this if we weren’t subsidising the football team. It would cost between €200,000 and €300,000 to have top notch paramedics servicing us.”

Compared to that, the council gave €2 million to the Peyia team, followed by a further €250,000 for lights, and a regular €250,000 cash grant.“They are performing well, but at what cost?” asked Leblanc. “I don’t even think we have any local players on the team.”

And for the first time this year, Peyia municipality has to borrow large amounts of money. ‘This year we’ve paid out a lot on anti- flooding measures, and €3 million on the new park. Neither of these was accounted for in the budget. We’re running at a deficit. People have done the work and now they want to be paid,” she said.

The council agreed to apply for a €5 million loan, approved by the Interior Ministry, and the contracts are being signed.

Leblanc said “the additional spending was mostly due to compulsory land acquisition for the new park, and the cost of the training field.”

“We are going to need to borrow a further €3 million,” she said.

Due to the current economic climate, the last couple of weeks have seen the council monitoring all payments closely.

“The council has sent out notices to dog owners for licences, it seems we are desperate to claw money back, however small the amount, but we have spent it rather too easily.”

“The park will be a wonderful resource for the community, but it has been very, very expensive,” she underlined.

Before the new loans, Peyia council was paying €90,000 a year in interest, accrued on an earlier small loan.

“Goodness knows how big the payments are going to be in the future,” she said. “We’ve been dependent on our main income from tourism and property, and the foreign residents. Sadly these have been terribly neglected, and we have already seen a reduction this year. I think we will be hit hard next year.”

Leblanc added: “We had a large income from building permits last year; the figure was €425,000 it looks set to drop by 40 per cent next year. Tourism isn’t looking good, and who knows what the future will bring.”
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Do other Municipalites subsidise their teams like this? Or is this a one off joke?

Lana

[purdey]

Presumably they are a top flight Cypriot team ? what is there weekly attendance ? I am not really a supporter of girls games (no offence ladies) but it does seem to be alot of money to spend on kicking a bag of wind.

[Oracle]

More imports of the worst of British habits, football, drugs and Councils running on borrowed money

[purdey]

You always say Cypriots are quick learners. What a shame they have not learnt from others before them.

[BOF]

Linda Leblanc is non Cypriot and appears to be in a minority trying to stop this farce..

The British of pafos also brought charitable function ideas with them to provide help for the underprivileged, sports facilities, and equipement for hospitals - for the benefit of ALL in Cyprus.

[SSBubbles]

More imports of the worst of British habits, football, drugs and Councils running on borrowed money

Utter crap!

Blaming the Brits again (can you stop yourself?)

If this was so, does this make Cyprus a country of sheep then?

[Sotos]

Peyia Municipality - is it run by Harry Potter?

This is just rumors they spread to attract tourists! don't believe it!

[SSBubbles]

Peyia Municipality - is it run by Harry Potter?

This is just rumors they spread to attract tourists! don't believe it!

A good ruse though!

[Svetlana]

Talking of ruses, the soccer team have another source of income. Every year a well placed offical gathers the local Developers together to ask if anyone would like to sponsor the team - 'and by the way, I shall reviewing all Planning Applications, next week'!

BTW is the Peyia team successful? I know nothing about football.

Lana

[SSBubbles]

Talking of ruses, the soccer team have another source of income. Every year a well placed offical gathers the local Developers together to ask if anyone would like to sponsor the team - 'and by the way, I shall reviewing all Planning Applications, next week'!

BTW is the Peyia team successful? I know nothing about football.

Lana

(I like it!) Is his name Baldrick?