Sunday league officials have claimed their teams could boycott football pitches owned by Shropshire Council – amid claims hire costs have been hiked.
Members of Shrewsbury and District Sunday League believe the increase in prices for teams to use pitches at Shrewsbury Sports Village and Monkmoor Recreation Ground could throw the competition into chaos, with teams all competing to use cheaper pitches around town such as at Springfield and London Road.
But Shropshire Council leisure officials say the price increases were enforced and have offered clubs the chance to join the council’s BeActive leisure card scheme where they can use the pitches at a discounted rate.
Ciaran Hanna, a committee member of the league, said teams already paid a minimum of £343 a season to play 12 games on Shropshire Council pitches, and said he believed it would cost teams £48 for every extra game they play. But he was unable to say how much the prices would go up.
Dave Sandles, league secretary, said: “Lots of teams will leave the sports village over this as they will want to play on cheaper pitches. Shropshire Council is offering a membership scheme to clubs for £20 but it hasn’t gone down well with them.”
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said teams could sign up to the BeActive scheme from April 1.
A spokesperson for the council added teams were informed of the planned changes earlier in the season and said the leisure card scheme was being offered to help make sure teams didn’t feel the full force of price increases.
By Peter Kitchen