Anger over pitches

Anger over pitches

12 December 2012

TEMPLE Rangers Football Club have shown the yellow card to Down Council for failing to carry out remedial work to the Langley Road pitches in Ballynahinch.

The club says it is facing a fixtures backlog because of the council’s long-standing failure to address draining problems at the playing fields.

Temple’s home game against Bangor Young Men on Saturday was called off because of a water-logged pitch — the fourth time the club has lost a home fixture this season.

Down Council has refuted the allegation. It insists that work has been carried out and problems with the pitches are the result of exceptionally wet weather in recent months.

However, Temple secretary Geoff Burtney said last night that the club’s patience with the council is running out.

“Temple Rangers and the other clubs in Down District pay amongst the highest, if not the highest pitch rentals in Northern Ireland, yet we have game after game called off due to the poor state of the same expensive pitches.

“Our fixture was the only game in Division 2B of the Amateur League to be called off.

Noel Dean, club manager, is also far from happy with the current situation.

“We are trying to build something good here at Temple, but it is frustrating that games are continually being called off due to a water-logged pitch,” he said.

“We are pushing for promotion this year and the players all train twice a week, but is disheartening for them to be informed that they have no game on Saturday, just because of a drainage problem.

“Ballynahinch is lagging way behind some of the many places I have played in and it seems to me that the council are being penny wise, pound foolish. We are only asking that a long-standing problem at Langley Road is dealt with as soon as possible because is getting more and more difficult to keep young players at the club when they are enticed away by other teams with better facilities.

A Down Council spokesman said: “Down District Council carried out drainage work on the Magheraknock Road which was impacting on the drainage on the pitch.

“The Council did this in partnership with the DRD and Rivers Agency and discussed the matter with the local football club. The grass cutting for nine months of the year is on a ten-day cycle and then reverts to an ‘as needs’ basis.

“Unfortunately, it has been a wet year and the council will continue to endeavour to work with the local football clubs where feasible to ensure that the pitches are fit for play.”