Safety Concerns Move NFA-NL Football Game From Night To Day

NORWICH, CT — There are no specific threats, Norwich Police Lt. John Perry said, but his department and New London Police urged Norwich Free Academy officials last week to "change the date of the game due to recent conflict between citizens from both cities."

The school agreed and the nation's longest-running high school football rivalry, a game that had for generations been played on Thanksgiving Day, has been moved to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 at NFA.

NFA spokesman Michael O'Farrell said the change was made "at the combined recommendation of the Norwich and New London police departments."

The game was supposed to be played Wednesday night, a departure from a previous Thanksgiving Day game, school officials said. Now, the game will be played Wednesday in the early afternoon.

A statement from Perry reads that police and school officials met "last week in regards to citizen and student safety during the proposed Thanksgiving Day football game." He wrote that police feel "that it is in the best interest of all involved parties to move the date and time of the game ..."

Perry said that police "realize there may be some who are inconvenienced by the change, but we strongly uphold our commitment to the safety of our citizens."

Perry said no specific threats have been made against the school, the game, athletes, faculty, or students but said in a press release that "Enhanced security measures will be in place to ensure safety is the utmost priority."

Perry told Patch that Norwich police will be the "only police department" at the game.