Fowl play! Football game called off over goose poo

A video showing the geese being chased off the pitch has gone viral online

A non-league football club is "suffering from a flock of geese", after the birds began using the club's pitch as a toilet.

West Allotment Celtic FC, which plays in Forest Hall in North Tyneside, was forced to cancel its home game on Friday after discovering the far side of the pitch was covered in goose poo.

Club chairman David Dodds has tried to make the most of a bad situation and joked about how the team could embrace the birds.

"We've got The Magpies and The Black Cats locally, maybe our nickname should be The Geese," he said.

West Allotment Celtic only discovered its fowl problem while warming up ahead of a game against Seaham Red Star and noticed the opposition complaining about the grounds.

"We found out the top end of the pitch was covered in goose poo, which is a first one for me," said Mr Dodds.

Volunteers from the club attempted to clear up the mess but the referee decided the pitch was unplayable and the match was abandoned 30 minutes before kick-off.

Club chairman David Dodds believes a new housing development has caused the geese to relocate

Mr Dodds said he had never seen geese on the pitch before, but believes they may have been forced to relocate.

"There used to be a big field opposite us and there's been a building development on there," he said. "I think they have moved from there."

West Allotment Celtic has contacted the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and North Tyneside Council for advice.

It has also attracted international attention after a video of one of its members chasing the geese away went viral on social media.

The club has launched a raffle, with a bottle of goose-branded vodka as its top prize. Tickets have been sold to people from Japan, Slovakia, Germany and Australia.

Those wanting to help the club can also buy one of its newly designed T-shirts, which read: "I saved a non-league club from geese."