Pitch hunt as Stanley Park stays closed for weekend (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pitch hunt as Stanley Park stays closed for weekend

FOOTBALL clubs based at Stanley Park Playing Fields say communication needs to improve after having last weekend's games postponed at short notice.

Chippenham Town Youth were only told on Friday night that Stanley Park was being closed after its drainage system had sunk leaving small trenches running across the playing fields, while some Sunday League teams claim they were not called at all.

All the clubs acknowledge there is nothing they can do about the situation and, with contractors not expected to return until next week, there is a mad scramble to reorganise games or find other pitches to play on for the weekend.

Chippenham Town Youth Chairman Dave Ferris said: "This is an inconvenience for all the individual managers concerned but at the end of the day it has to be safe for the kids.

"If it is not then we accept the fact it has been closed. It is in some respects disappointing but it is like any new project, there are teething issues.

"If it is something that is repeated several times in the future then I would have to say it is disappointing.

"We have to find alternative facilities which are not easy to find.

"The only thing I would say is the communication between the council and the clubs in question could be better so we are more forewarned."

The communication is likely to be improved with Chippenham Town Council's new football development officer appointed last Monday.

Chippenham and District Sunday Football League clubs Pack Horse Rangers and White Hart Combe, who both play at Stanley Park, only found out the pitches were out of action through youth coaches and friends.

White Hart Combe secretary Trevor Rawlings said the news had disappointed him and he was hoping to find a pitch for this week's game versus The Crown from Bromham.

"I am trying to get a pitch at the moment. I know Sir Audley's Arms have cancelled their game," said Rawlings. "We have only played a couple of league games this year because we have had cup games and we don't want to build up a fixture backlog, especially before the bad weather starts. "We may have to go to Sherston to play and it is an inconvenience and costs us more as we have to pay more in the way of the referee's expenses."

Rawlings said the club paid £55 per game to play at Stanley Park before the referee's expenses.

He added: "The facilities are excellent and when you pay that much money you expect good pitches."

The Chippenham Town Council and Football Foundation £2million project was opened in October 2004.