Facing the boot

FEELING glum . . . some of the young Hollinwood FC players unhappy with the decision. In front are, from left, Mason Walsh-Roberts, Dayyan Ali, Lewis Carter-Bullock, Marc Jones

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A HOST of football teams are facing the prospect of finding a new home at short notice after a decision was made to close the Chapel Road artificial pitch.

Oldham Council jointly agreed with Oldham Community Leisure that it will no longer be responsible for the management of the pitch, in Copster Hill, from September 30 and the site will no longer be operational from then on.

The decision was made on the basis that the cost of maintaining the site 'more than' outweighed anything generated through usage and now options for the future of the site are being explored.

While the preferred intention is to retain it as a community facility, there may be a period of time beyond September where the facility will not be operational.

Clubs have been advised that they may want to seek to book alternative artificial pitches from October 1 onwards and clubs have also been asked to register interest if they are considering taking on responsibility of the site.

The pitch is in use six days/evenings out of seven and is used by seven different customers including football clubs, a school, 6-aside leagues and a soccer coaching academy. This involves over 700 individuals, both male and female.

Among those are various teams from Hollinwood FC, the North Manchester Girls League and 3D Dynamos FC.

Hollinwood Football Club, which was formed in 1966, were informed by a letter dated August 3 and signed by Neil Consterdine, Head of Public Health, Youth and Leisure, of the closure of the artificial pitch.

Chapel Road has been Hollinwood's home for the past few years and the facilities have been sufficient to satisfy the requirements imposed by the Manchester League.

This late notification from the council has left Hollinwood secretary Ken Evans in an understandably annoyed and confused frame of mind.

Evans said: "The facilities have been falling into disrepair and the floodlights outside the changing rooms have been non-operational for the past eighteen months.

"Two more floodlight sanctions failed last year and were not repaired. Instead it was closed after 6pm.

"There doesn't appear to have been any maintenance at all. The perimeter fence is in disrepair and there are trees coming through the fencing behind the goals."

Hollinwood have nine teams - two senior and seven junior - with sixty youngsters aged between six and eleven training there each Thursday evening.

Evans added: "This impacts dramatically on the senior section where facilities have to be of a certain standard. We can't just find somewhere else to play at the drop of a hat."

The club pays around £400 per month for the juniors and £1,700 a season for the seniors and Evans asks: "Where is the money going?"

There are options for the club if it wishes to continue playing in the Manchester League, such as playing all its matches away from home, but Evan's early reaction is that these are both impracticable and unfeasible.

What the club has done, however, is to compose an email to the council to explore the possibility of taking over the management of the site.

Councillor Vita Price, Deputy Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said "We have jointly agreed with Oldham Community Leisure that it will no longer be responsible for the management of Chapel Road artificial pitch from 30 September 2017. The maintenance of the site was costing the tax payer more than anything that was generated through usage.

She said: "We are currently exploring options for the future of the site with the preferred intention to retain the site as a community facility. Inevitably this may mean a period of time beyond September where the facility will not be operational.

"The facilities that need repair will be considered within the future management of the site.

"OCL has written to all clubs that use the site to advise that they may want to seek to book alternative artificial pitch facilities from the 1 October onwards until new arrangements are in place. A list of potential alternatives has also being provided.

She added: "We have also asked the clubs to register an interest if they are interested in potentially taking on responsibility for the site or would like further information about the future management of the site."

Interested parties can contact Neil Consterdine, Head of Public Health and Leisure on 0161 770 8734 or email neil.consterdine@oldham.gov.uk.