Probably The Best Montreal Soccer Fields
The number of good soccer fields in Montreal is limited. There are so many people who want to play, and the city can't go around demolishing residences and businesses to lay new parks. Many fields are shut down due to the sheer number of people playing on them so if you're having trouble finding pick-up soccer or open fields, don't worry, this handy guide will help. Check out the following fields, and download the Meetup app, or sign up for Foursquare. Without them you’re losing a lot of info on sporting events, and they’re always free to join in.
But first off, check out the site ClubMontreal.ca. It organizes games for you, and not just soccer, but volleyball, flag-football, basketball, and dodgeball. It includes referees and nets. Another resource is Montreal’s Friendly Soccer League, which starts from May and extends till September. You can sign up as a group or individually (there are still some spots left). Both these options will cost you, however.
But you want the free stuff don’t you? Then check out these 10 best options. Rankings are based on fields' proximity to the downtown core and their turf quality.
10. Parc Westmount
The old design of the surrounding park and buildings will give you a sense of prestige.
2. Parc Jarry
This is an amazing park that has an excellent soccer pitch, but also the amenities for softball, cricket, tennis and basketball. It also has a skate park and a public pool. Just take the metro to Castelnau, (it's on St. Laurent, just really far up)
3. McGill Campus
Be aware that the Reservoir field at McTavish and Dr. Penfield has been turned into a sandy desert. Head over to McGill’s Lower Field instead for soccer. Forbes Field (the one beside Molson Stadium on Mont-Royal) will make you wait to play sometimes.
4. Parc Mont-Royal
Frank Olmsted, who designed Central Park, also designed the sprawling Parc Mont-Royal. Only minor slivers of this jungle are habitable for soccer-players. Sure, there’s no nets, or boundaries, but once you stake out that stretch of flat ground, it’s yours for just about anything from soccer to ultimate-frisbee and football. A word of advice: you should probably stick to the bottom near Parc Avenue. There's flat ground at the top of Mont-Royal around Beaver Lake, but it requires a hike. It all depends on how active you want to be.
5. Field Soccer D'Ecole Mont-Royal
The name is funny, but its amenities are nothing to laugh at. The field is simply breathtaking and it has a surrounding park for other sports too.
6. Parc Lafontaine
As you can see, Parc Lafontaine has a history of being a bit parched. but luckily the city has set aside 200,000 to revitalize these unfit soccer fields.
7. Parc MacKenzie
NDG's park for soccer. You can barbecue outside when you get tired and hungry.
Photo creds - Pierre Ouimet
7. Parc Pere Marquette
This park is fairly large, so to find the soccer field make for the area near Pere Marquette High School.
8. Parc King George
Also known as Murray Hill Park. It has great places to eat nearby on Sherbrooke - or you can bring a barbecue.
9. Parc Sir Wilfrid Laurier
This park has an absolutely massive space for soccer. It's also open to the public, so don't be intimidated.
1. Parc Jeanne-Mance
Jeanne-Mance has courts for beach-volleyball, tennis, basketball, and a baseball pitch. But most importantly, it has an amazing field for footie.
