Mayor Thomas M. Menino is bringing Friday-night high school football back to Boston after a 46-year timeout.
City and Boston school officials ended the night games in 1958, after a fight broke out between teams playing preseason games. The confrontation spilled over into the street, sparking angry reactions in local communities.
“The mayor understood that other cities and towns throughout the state have all had this exciting Friday-night activity that athletes and the community can really get invested in, and he felt Boston athletes and communities deserved the same fun activity,” said Meredith Baumann, a spokeswoman for the mayor.
The first game was scheduled to be played on Sept. 17 between O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science and the South Boston Education Complex. Mayor Menino was to participate in the coin toss.