But Parks Department officials told The News on Thursday that the teams will be allowed to play during the Open on days the Mets don’t have games. The leagues will still lose two weekends.
“The Mets and the U.S. Open are dictating the Spanish soccer players can’t come in the park,” said Alfonso Vargas, president of the Alianza de Ligas Latinas de Futbol, a consortium of 14 leagues that play in the park. “I don’t see why we can’t play our sport while they play theirs.”
As a (former) long-time Queens resident I hate the way the U.S. Open comes in and gets a different set of rules every year. Planes can fly over every Mets game but not a tennis match? Suddenly service on the 7 line becomes important? Oh, here’s a 99 year lease. You wouldn’t want to be able to renegotiate that at any point in the 50 years AFTER Bonilla’s contract expires..why would the city want that? Oh, Mayor Dinkins liked tennis. Got it.
These soccer fields are well used, but it seems as of late nobody cares about these people. Build an MLS stadium. Maybe a mall. Who cares if it is parkland? Develop develop develop.
Why has it been fine to issue permits in the past but not now? Let people play soccer. It’s not as if the Mets will be drawing 42,000 any time soon and they need to put the cars somewhere….and if they do, ask the USTA if they can borrow some spots.
Or at the very least, tell these soccer leagues 6 months ago when the US Open was scheduled.
Agreed, it is public land right; and they have the necessary permits already.