HUDSON COUNTY – Freeholder Bill O’Dea today blasted the decision of the Red Bulls to not allow their stadium to be used for the Hudson County High School Soccer Tournament and said he would ask the Hudson County Improvement Authority to bring the Red Bulls into next week’s caucus meeting to explain their decision: “They are acting in bad faith,” said O’Dea. “When they needed the county’s help to get the stadium project financed, they promised to make the stadium available for events like this one for county youth.”
O’Dea pointed out that the county issued bonds and guaranteed over $30 million in debt to construct a parking deck needed for the stadium. O’Dea has asked the county administrator and the executive director of HCIA to meet immediately with the team to try and convince them to reverse their decision.
If the Red Bulls will not reconsider their decision, O’Dea said he will ask the county to take legal action to enforce the ‘spirit’ of the commitment that was made several years ago by the Red Bulls to insure that this does not happen again in the future. “Quite frankly I am fed up with how our youth continue to be adversely impacted when it comes to athletics,” noted O’Dea who fought unsuccessfully earlier this year to get the HCVTS to reverse its decision to eliminate sports at the two county funded high schools. “Kids dream of playing in a stadium like this, and the Red Bulls are turning that dream into a nightmare.”