Football’s new field of dreams

THE UNITED Football League got another boost yesterday after real estate giant Megaworld agreed to make its P1.5 billion McKinley Hill football field project in Taguig City the fledgling league’s official home for the next four years.

UFL officials, led by president Santi Araneta, and Megaworld executives, spearheaded by Kendrick Tan, yesterday signed the memorandum of agreement, formalizing the deal that league officials hope ends the league’s venue woes.

Jericho Go, first vice-president of Megaworld, said work on the project has been fast-tracked for the artificial field to be completed by October before the start of the 2012-2013 UFL season.

Go, along with Football Alliance director Dong Longa were instrumental in striking the deal, said the construction of a grandstand section that can accommodate close to 500 people as well as the placement of a collapsible bleachers to expand the seating capacity to 2,000 is also in the pipeline.

“We are committed in ensuring the viability of football in the Philippines,” said Go.

“We want to promote a football lifestyle in the community and the facility puts us in the right direction.”

Tan hinted that the McKinley field may not be the last football-related project that the company will undertake. Cedelf P. Tupas