Boston Minutemen to Use Harvard Field for Soccer

The Boston Minutemen, the Hub's entry in the North American Professional Soccer League, has found a new home, Harvard Stadium, according to an announcement made Wednesday by John C. Sterge, president of the club.

Harvard Director of Athletics, Robert B. Watson said yesterday that the contract with the club allows the team to use the stadium for up to ten games, but that only eight will probably be played here. The team's other four home games will be played at Brown University in Providence.

The season home opener will be played on April 17 and the last game is scheduled for August 14. All games will be held on Saturday afternoons, beginning at 5:30.

Last year the Minutemen had troubles with their playing site, Boston University's Nickerson Field. Such difficulties included player objections to competing on artificial turf, the parking for the games was a couple of blocks away on Commonwealth Avenue, and the stands in poor conditions on one side of the field.

"Most of our players are from England," Minutemen general manager Casey Frankiewicz said yesterday, "and they feel much more comfortable on real grass rather than on astro-turf."

The club has a one-year contract for the use of the stadium and is working on an option for a second year. The team will not be allowed to practice at the stadium, but will have an eight-hour block of time reserved for them on each playing date (noon until 8 p.m.) during which the team can take warm-up practice and hold the game.

The last home game has been scheduled for at least three weeks before the varsity football team's first scrimmage, Watson indicated, in order that the field might have time to rest.

Former Harvard All-American Shep Messing plays goalie for the Minutemen, and depending on the schedule which will be made up this weekend, he might be fending off shots from the likes of the legendary Pele, not to mention American stars like Kyle Rote, Jr. from the Dallas Tornados.

The Minutemen are in the Northern Division of the 20-team North American Soccer League. Other teams in the division include Chicago, Hartford, Toronto, and Rochester.