Boulevard vacate Goose Gosling Field over non-payment of fees
First Division Boulevard Blazers have had their privilege to play their home league fixtures at Goose Gosling Field temporarily suspended.Bermuda Athletic Association (BAA) President John Doran confirmed yesterday that Blazers have been prohibited from playing their home fixtures at his club’s Pembroke facility until they have paid off the arrears for use of the synthetic pitch.“The idea is that they pay on the day of the game and they haven’t done that in the last two or three games so we’ve said guys ‘that’s it ...either you pay or you can’t play’,” he told The Royal Gazette. “All we’ve said is if you pay us what you owe us the games go ahead.“As negotiated at the beginning of the season we give them the gate and they pay us to help offset the costs of the field and that’s it. We are very happy with Boulevard using the field but we’ve got our bills to pay too and we are kind of losing out.“We’ve got many teams lining up to use the field and we are trying to help as much as we can by giving them (Boulevard) the gate and stuff like that. I know it’s difficult for them in the sense they are no longer playing Premier Division (football) and probably are not getting large crowds. We are trying to be fair and have been lenient but we can’t continue being lenient because we’ve got our bills to pay too.”Boulevard President Lou Matthews did not return calls yesterday.Blazers will play their home league matches at alternative venues until they have paid off their outstanding debt to BAA.“The Competitions Committee have been advised by the executive of BAA that due to ongoing negotiations over this year’s agreement Boulevard’s remaining matches (home) are to be played elsewhere until they and BAA finalise an agreement for the 2012-13 season,” said Bermuda Football Association (BFA) first vice-president Cal Blankendal.Boulevard were originally scheduled to play Young Men’s Social Club in a home league fixture at Goose Gosling Field tomorrow.The BFA could not confirm the venue of tomorrow’s Blazers versus Bluebirds clash when contacted.Last week saw Blazers play their home league fixture with promotion hopefuls Somerset Eagles at Bernard Park.