This weekend’s opening Premier Division games have been postponed because of the threat from the approaching Hurricane Teddy, the Bermuda Football Association announced yesterday evening

Five matches were scheduled for tonight and tomorrow, however, following a BFA Executive Council meeting, the decision was made to delay the start of the league season.

Hurricane Teddy is forecast to come near the island tomorrow evening, bringing high winds and rain.

“The Executive Council deliberated today and considered all of the latest information from the EMO and the National Hurricane Centre,” said Mark Wade, president of the BFA.

“And while we are anxious to get back to the beautiful game; we made the difficult but sensible decision to postpone the first round of Premier Division league matches given the unpredictable nature of hurricanes.

“Our members can now concentrate on preparation for the storm.”

Hurricane Teddy is expected to make its closest approach to the island as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane by late tomorrow or Monday morning.

The postponed opening round of games will be played at a later date, still to be confirmed.

Also hit by bad weather was last Sunday’s Dudley Eve matches at the National Sports Centre, Hurricane Paulette forcing those matches to be called off.

Final Dudley Eve group matches are scheduled for Wednesday, but it is uncertain if those matches will go ahead.

Tonight’s league match at Goose Gosling Field would have seen Dandy Town taking on X-Roads.

Ian Coke would have made his debut for X-Roads while Cecoy Robinson’s first appearance for Dandy Town has been put off for the second time in a week.

“Football’s football and I’m just looking to take the opportunities as they come,” Coke said earlier yesterday as he looked ahead to the match against one of his former teams.

“I don’t look at it as a former club but as a job to do, and I just want to help the team do what we have to do to be successful this season.

“I’m fitting in well, the team is gelling, we’ve had our practice matches and have been successful so hopefully we can take that same form and build on it for this game.”

Coke is looking forward to playing in attack alongside pacy striker Donavan Thompson this season.

“This is a team with no real egos, very grounded, and they have put up a challenge in the last couple of years,” he added.

“Hopefully, I can come in and add to what they have been building on.

“I want to come in and help strengthen in areas where they probably need more discipline and stability.”

Meanwhile, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the BFA will be appointing compliance officers as well as match commissioners this season.

Match commissioners will again be responsible for match protocol and the players while the compliance officers be responsible for the taking of players’ temperatures and the screening and control of fans who must wear masks in order to get into grounds.

Different crowd sizes will apply to the grounds based on their sizes and once grounds have reached their allotted capacity, even during the opening match of double-headers, further fans will not be allowed in.