Recreational footballers across New York City are begging the parks department to leave the lights on.
Organizers of local soccer leagues said they’ve spent weeks asking the city to permit more night games in parks, but have been rebuffed.
Parks officials said the standard cutoff time for field lighting is 10 p.m. Tarek Pertew, co-founder of the group NYC Footy, wants them on later.
“I think every hour counts. We do play until midnight,” Pertew said.
Players said it’s nearly impossible to find field space in New York, arguing this summer’s World Cup games in New Jersey have made the beautiful game more popular than ever across the five boroughs. An emergency rule from the city that blocks new event permits from June 11 to July 19 has also made it harder for soccer players to find field time this summer.
Players said extending the hours when floodlights are left on athletic fields would help solve the problem.
In an April 21 email, Pertew called on his 60,000 members to pressure the parks department to come to the table and extend lighting hours. He wants the city to formalize a partnership with the group to fund new infrastructure ahead of the World Cup.
Parks department spokesperson Gregg McQueen said officials were ready to meet with Pertew to work on more lighting.
“We agree that expanding field lighting is essential and look forward to continuing our conversations with NYC Footy,” McQueen wrote in a statement.
Pertew hoped he had a sympathetic ear in City Hall: Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a member of his rec league. Mamdani played high school soccer at Bronx Science. The mayor has also organized his own tournaments, including one in 2023 called the “Keffiyeh Cup” that raised money for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
“ He's [Mamdani] played in our league for 15 seasons,” said Pertew. “He knows the accessibility problem. He knows how important this is to New Yorkers.”
McQueen said the parks department is currently working on projects to light up 15 more athletic fields across the city.
