Kids 'travelling miles' over football pitches row

Carl Jeffery, club chairman of Barrowford Celtic, said his young players were having to travel for miles to play home matches

More than 300 young footballers have been told they cannot continue to play at their home ground because of a row over who should pay to look after it.

Barrowford Celtic FC has been told its over-10s cannot use three pitches at Barrowford Road Playing Fields in Colne, Lancashire, due to the costs of maintaining them. Younger children are not affected, however.

Under an agreement signed in 2011, Pendle Council handles pitch bookings and keeps the revenue. Nelson and Colne College claims this is not fair since it incurs all of the maintenance costs.

Pendle Council said it would discuss possible solutions to the impasse at a committee meeting later.

'Extra equipment'

"The children come to me and ask why they can't play here, and why they have to travel miles," said club chairman Carl Jeffery.

"Their parents are then coming to me and asking why we can't do anything, but I have to explain that our hands are tied."

Mr Jeffery said his players have had to travel nearly 20 miles (32km) to play some of their "home" matches as far away as Earby, Barnoldswick, and Darwen.

"We're having to go on 3G pitches, which is a cost," he added.

"We've had to buy extra equipment to put these games on and it's always a cost to the parents."

Nelson and Colne College says that while it pays for the maintenance of the pitches, it does not receive any of revenue from bookings

East Lancashire Learning Group (ELLG), of which Nelson and Colne College is a part, acknowledged the situation was "regrettable" but accused Pendle Council of acting "outside of a legally binding agreement".

An ELLG spokesperson said: "The college has always acted responsibly, but this agreement was never intended to cover unrestricted or discretionary use.

"Right now, the college pays 100% of the costs of maintaining the pitches, with the council retaining 100% of the booking income.

"It is not financially responsible to ask the college to divert money from our students to subsidise the council."

Pendle Council said "it was aware" of restrictions placed on the playing fields by the 2011 agreement, and that it had held talks with the ELLG.

"These discussions have led to recommendations being presented to the Colne and District Committee for consideration," said a local authority spokesperson.

Additional reporting by Robbie MacDonald, Local Democracy Reporting Service