(Updated Tuesday 10 a.m.) After two months of protests and cries of “abuse of power,” the city has reversed its decision to boot an international-flavored men’s soccer league from the fields it’s been using for 20 years.
The city has struck an agreement to let the New Haven Men’s Soccer League continue to play on two fields off Ella Grasso Boulevard in the West River Memorial Park, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts.
Alberto Bustos, head of the New Haven Men’s Soccer League, said he’s scheduled to meet parks director Bob Levine Tuesday morning to review details of the agreement and sign off on paperwork.
The deal came after a smaller league run by the Ecuadorian community offered to yield the space, and as Bustos agreed to ease overcrowding by sending some players to a third field, Smuts said.
Bustos’ league has been wrangling with the city since February, when parks officials refused to renew the league’s permit, citing complaints of illegal parking, drinking and vending. Instead, parks officials granted the fields to the Virgen de Cisne league, younger, smaller group run by Ecuadorians. (See background here, here and here.)
The dispute was resolved last week, when the Virgen de Cisne group volunteered to step aside and allow the larger league to continue to use the coveted Boulevard fields.
“We decided to play on the fields we played on last year,” said Germ√°n Hern√°ndez, coordinator of the Virgen de Cisne Soccer League, Tuesday. He said the group decided to let Bustos’ group continue to use the fields, “so that things stay calm.”
“The other league wants to use the fields,” Hern√°ndez explained. “They’ve been there for many years.” He said he was not pressured by Bustos nor by the city to make the decision.
“We met with both of the leagues last week and came to a resolution that made all of them happy,” said Smuts.
The New Haven Men’s Soccer League, which has 25 adult male teams, gathers each Sunday from early May to late September for hours of games.
According to the agreement, the league would be granted the two Boulevard fields in time to start playing on May 3. However, the league would have to move one third of its games to a third field in Edgewood Park, Smuts said.
“Our biggest concern related to the number of people there,” said Smuts. “That’s why the third field is so important.”
The league has agreed to provide an extra-duty cop during games, Smuts said. The city would provide a parks department employee to staff the games. After speaking with league officials, Smuts said he was certain that the message got through that they would have to take better care of the park.
“We made clear that we were going to hold fast to all of the restrictions,” Smuts said. The city plans to with league officials on Mondays following the first few Sunday games to see how the new plan is working.
Bustos said that his group has come to a verbal agreement but hasn’t put it in writing yet. During his meeting Tuesday morning with Levine, he expects to sign a permit granting the league access to the Boulevard fields. He’s planning a press conference thereafter.
The Virgen de Cisne group is planning to kick off its league with an inaugural ceremony on May 3 at Fair Haven’s Criscuolo Park. Smuts said the league would be granted the use of three fields: First, Criscuolo Park and a field at the John C. Daniels School, and in the summer, two spots at East Rock’s Rice Field.
So....the City is going to provide an extra-duty cop and a parks department employee..for a fee, I trust...just like that charge for cops for the St Patrick's and Freddie Fixer Parades.