The feuding Burnaby youth soccer association and the Burnaby Selects mutually agreed to drop further legal proceedings.
An interim injunction filed by the Selects against the Burnaby district back in March had put the fate of who controlled the Metro soccer program in the district in the hands of the B.C. supreme court.
This week’s official announcement gives the two sides time to try and work out their differences, while working towards fielding Metro teams from district feeder clubs for the upcoming 2014/15 season.
Burnaby district chair John Berry said it was time to get on with preparing teams in time for the upcoming soccer season, and to put off the larger question of how the Metro program will be run to a later date.
“Certainly, this has been a distraction,” Berry said, adding, “It has opened doors with the feeder clubs to enter (Metro) teams.”
As a result, 11 teams from three member clubs have been OK’d by the Metro league board to put forward sides for next season.
The Burnaby Selects were allowed to grandfather in their under-18 girls’ team for a final season, while a u-13 Burnaby Girls club side and u-14 and -15 girls’ teams from Cliff Avenue were also approved.
On the boys’ side, Cliff Avenue put forward teams at u-13 and u-15, while the Burnaby Selects want to run a full slate from u-13 to u-17/-18. All but the u-15 boys were resolved.
“We put forward both (Cliff and Burnaby) teams to the league. In the case of u-13 boys, they accepted both teams. As for u-15, they have so far accepted just one team,” said Berry.
A final decision on the u-15s will be made at a later date.
Calling it a “changed landscape”, Berry said the current cooperation between member clubs to run Metro teams has not resolved the initial issue.
“We have not made any agreement on the longer term. We put a greater focus on getting the 2014/15 season underway,” said Berry. “We have not resolved what we’re doing in 2015/16.”
