BRISTOL – During the contest between the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern boys soccer teams this past Tuesday, there was a stark reality that settled in very quickly.

It was not business as usual between the squads.

That’s a tough thing to say when dealing with a city series clash but the situation had nothing to do with the two outstanding teams that took the field that day.

It had all to the do with the unique venue.

Imagine a scenario in which the home team, let’s say the Boston Celtics in this example, weren’t able to play its games from its home base at the Boston Garden.

That wouldn’t be so strange because back in the day, the Celtics played three regular season games a year in Hartford at the Civic Center.

It was Boston’s home away from home, but superstar Larry Bird wasn’t a fan of the journey because the sun would shine in his eyes the whole bus trip to the “Insurance Capital of the World.”

But what would have happened if that floor wasn’t available?

Remember on January 18, 1978, the roof collapsed after a UCONN men’s basketball game at the Civic Center, and the Celtics weren’t able to play another game there that season.

Imagine if the Cs had to play its games from its practice facility in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston.

It’s an immensely beautiful building, hovering just off the Mass Pike, but not the place for big games with nearly zero room for spectators.

And thanks to circumstances beyond Eastern’s control, the Rams and Lancers have made similar moves over the last five years or so.

In 2016, Central and Eastern played their city series battles at Muzzy Field.

Then in 2017, it was decided to commence the games from both the turf fields at Central and Eastern.

Now, those fields are not playable and the teams are back on the grass – competing on surfaces that are used for practices and other sports.

Officially, the Rams and Lancers duked it out on Bristol Eastern’s ‘Front Field.’

And when the teams meet again on October 30, the tilt will commence from the Bristol Central Upper Baseball/Soccer Field.

These ‘home away from homes’ coupled with the restrictions of Covid, have turned these well attended and high-emotion student sections into unique, sparse spectator events – competed on playing surfaces that have never seen that kind of city series varsity action.

Ever.

In fact, the game on Tuesday was nearly played at Page Park while another rumor had the Bristol Soccer Club in play for the contest.

Central coach Nate Jandreau put the whole affair in perspective after his squad absorbed a tough 4-1 defeat to the Lancers.

“It is strange,” said Jandreau about the situation. “This game has gone from being played at Muzzy Field to the turf fields, but they were always at night until last year with [the Triple E virus] came [when] we played after school. And now, not that the grass field is bad, but it’s just different. We never play on this field when we play them.”

Eastern coach Bill Sweet and lead assistant Bunty Ray have a combined 70 years of experience in coaching high school boys soccer at Bristol Eastern.

That duo has seen just about everything in terms of the Central-Eastern clash.

Well, 2020 just changed all that as the showdown with the Rams was played from a new field and venue.

Indeed, strange times.

“It was a little different,” admitted Sweet after the match. “But we’ve got the street and cars going by, so at least there’s some activity. I mean for years, we played in back [where the turf field is now]. When we played in back, they were people on the hill but not as many. Now, at least, you’ve got excitement.”

Plus, the game was played extremely early in the day and without the benefit of the girls varsity clash between the two city schools.

However, the Eastern girls soccer squad, winners in back-to-back games this past week, played across the way – at the same time as the boys – against Avon, eventually posting a 2-0 win as the Lancers swept the day.

That match took place on Bristol Eastern’s softball field, another grass surface that both teams have practiced on in the past, and besides someone blasting ‘Baby Shark’ before the completion of the girl’s contest, nothing strange happened.