The installation of floodlights at Bernard Park, the home of North Village, is set to be completed on Tuesday.

The project, which is being funded through a grant from Fifa, was initially meant to be completed ahead of the start of the domestic football season.

Mark Wade, the Bermuda Football Association president and infrastructure committee chairman, laid out the reasons behind the delay.

“The original date was actually August 31 and then we had some significant delays,’’ Wade told The Royal Gazette.

“One was materials, then we had Hurricane Ernesto. We also had some mobilisation delays in getting the project started.

“We’ve pushed the completion date to October 15 and for my committee, quite frankly, it’s almost like a sense of relief. This project started before Covid-19, and we had delays caused by supply chain issues.

“All these things have impacted getting the materials since they came out of China. They were actually stored in China for over a year, so to get to this point, it’s actually rewarding.”

Work to install new lights at the facility started in June with the driving of piles into the ground. The process was undertaken to provide stability due to the marshy terrain on which the ground sits.

“At the moment all the pole foundations have been completed and we’re waiting for the concrete to cure,’’ the BFA president said.

“That’s to make sure that it’s ready to take the weight of the poles. As soon as we get the concrete cured, we’ll then start to actually erect the poles.

“While we’re waiting for the concrete to cure, Telford Electric are actually fabricating the actual poles. They’re putting the poles together and mounting the lighting fixtures, and getting ready for that part of the project.”

Spiralling costs and continued delays in construction had put the project in danger of being abandoned, with suggestions the lights could be taken to other venues.

“In terms of the costs, we've been able to manage them,’’ Wade said. “There's been some cost savings in other areas.

“At the moment, we look like we’re going to be able to absorb any cost fluctuations in the overall cost of the project, so we don’t anticipate that there'll be any increases.

“While we made some cost savings, nothing in the final product is being compromised. We will still get the same quality of work that we were looking for.”

Village’s home ground now having lights comes at a good time after the BFA announced that Somerset Cricket Club had informed the association that their field will be unable to host night games until further notice.

“Another field that can accommodate night games is important for football in Bermuda,’’ the BFA president added.

“We’re still managing a shortage of referees, so this allows us to spread matches over a weekend. We’re also able to give the players and referees the necessary rest, and the fields themselves some rest.”

Village president Shervin Dill, whose club have been working closely with BFA on the project, expressed his excitement that it is approaching its conclusion.

“I’m pleased with where the project is at the moment,’’ Dill said.

“Not having access to the pitch has caused us issues with arranging training for our senior teams and the juniors.

“However, we've been able to overcome those challenges. We’re training at Dellwood School and we've been given options for other fields, including the BFA facility.

“Dellwood have been very kind to us, they came through for us. Over the years, we have adopted Dellwood and they play their football on our field.

“We did struggle a bit during the preseason but we've kept the end in view. At the end of the day, we’re going to have a first-class lighting system that’s going to offer us many more opportunities.“

Meanwhile, Wade felt honoured to be given a fresh four-year mandate at the helm of the BFA after he retained his position unopposed during the BFA Congress held at Bermuda College on September 26.

“It’s humbling that the congress has entrusted me with leadership for another four years,’’ Wade said.

“I can only hope that I meet their expectations over the next four years. As I said to the congress, we have to always look to try and improve.

“That’s going to be one of the focuses of the next four years. From the executive position we’re going to be pushing for improvement at our clubs as well.

“I would like to see improvements administratively at our clubs. It’s one of the biggest things that I would like to see us help them with, and actually see any improvement.

“We have club licensing which actually sets the minimum standard of administration at all of our clubs.

“We work with our clubs to be able to award that club licence. We also work with them to make sure that they maintain their status.

“There have been calls for us to reimplement our administration seminars, where we’re trying to give the clubs different tools.

“It’s something that we have on our radar, and that’s something that we’re going to implement.”