Witek Soccer Fields Dedicated

With a toss of the ball, Mayor Tony Staffieri officially opened the new fields.

Click here for a full album of photos and the story of the grand Opening

After years of debate and construction, the Grand Opening of the new soccer fields in Medal of Honor Winner PFC Frank Witek Memorial Park (a.k.a.Witek Park)  were officially dedicated on Saturday, September 16, 2006. City officials conducted a brief program followed by the opening of the Derby Youth Soccer Program. The park was formerly a reservoir that the city purchased from Birmingham Utilities and dedicated in memory of PFC Witek on May 29,1999. In the spring of 2004, the city began construction of two full sized fields which would be the first full sized fields built to handle the city's expanding soccer programs. Click here for a visual history of the construction.

For the trivia and history buffs, let the record show that the first goal ever scored on the new fields was by Derby High School junior varsity player Glen Espin in a 1-1 tie with Career High School of New Haven!

The city's soccer programs (including high school soccer) have been using fields in the Ryan and Amendola Athletic complexes. With the opening of the new fields in Witek Park, the soccer programs will have fields designed and built for soccer.

The front field in Witek Park -Click for a larger rendering

Click on images for larger pictures

A view of the back field....

.....and both fields as seen from the front