Berger Field is a place of football lore on the city's southside, but over the years, it has fallen into disrepair and abandonment.

It's in the Albert Division and before elections, candidate Herman Longsworth promised a field of dreams.

Well, he was elected - and faster than you can say "Two cents cam" - he broke ground on the project today.

7news was there:

Jules Vasquez Reporting

Hon. Herman Longsworth - Area Representative, Albert Division
"This field, Berger Field, has created, grown, and developed some of the best football players this country has seen, and it has gone almost to nothing. My intention is to make it the start football field of Belize City."

Big dreams and BWSL put an initial thirty thousand dollars to the effort. That's 20% of the 150 thousand they have committed to the project.

Alberto August - Chairman , BWSL
"We hear the term $150,000 being a lot of money, but frankly, $150,000 spent in the welfare of our children, is a little bit of money."

That's two thirds of the cost for a project that is budgeted for 225 thousand dollars which Longsworth says he hopes to finish by the first quarter of 2013.

Hon. Herman Longsworth
"What we intend to do here is not only develop the infrastructure, not only build a football field, but we intend to build the kind of club structure that will enable you guys, all our children, all our youths, to have something tangible, that they can come to, that they can learn, that they can grow in."

Longsworth outlined the plan:

Hon. Herman Longsworth
"We intend to properly fence the perimeter of the field. We intend to raise and drain the field, grass it, or hopefully may be even turf it, which might be the better way to go. I want to build a clubhouse of sorts, but most of all, what I want to do - and this is important - I want to create a monument of sorts that will honor every single football player that has come out of this field."

And if you're shaking your head knowingly at the idea of fence first - Longsworth said there's a reason - and bristled at our suggestion that it sounded a little familiar:

Hon. Herman Longsworth
"And the intention is to start with the perimeter fence, to start with the - I know what you will say - but you must bear in mind that we are confident that we will find the funds, and 2, we're coming on to Christmas, Jules, and we need to create some employment in the community. Whatever works are done here will be done by people out of this community."

And Longsworth said that for the avoidance of doubt - neither he nor any related company will get the contract.

Hon. Herman Longsworth
"I have no interest in making anything off this except, the political popularity that will come with it, Jules. I am a politician."

BWSL is proving 250 thousand dollars and Longsworth says he hopes to raise the other seventy-five thousand dollars privately.

Management of the field will be given over to the Sports Council and the FFB will be asked to assist in setting up youth programmes.

Channel 7