[dropcap type=”circle”]T[/dropcap]he indefinite closure of the 3G or Third Generation artificial pitch at the Pensby High School Sports Complex is having a massive impact on local football.
Before it was deemed a health and safety risk the synthetic fibres and rubbers of the Pensby 3G pitch were used from 6pm to 10pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday. Clubs for players of all ages used the surface for training, and 6-a-side leagues played competitive matches there. The pitch was laid in 2006.
Diane Rattray, Sports Facility Supervisor of the Pensby Complex, explained what went wrong: “The pitch is coming up to ten years old which is about the lifespan of a surface like this one. It’s been patched so many times it looks a bit like a mosaic. There’s always a danger that someone might trip and suffer an injury and obviously we can’t allow that to happen.”
Pete Leay, Secretary of Heswall Football Club, said, “It’s a massive blow. Neston Rec is being refurbished. Bidston is having problems with its new 4G pitch. Woodchurch is booked up. The school gyms are booked up. Clubs are having to try to get pitches at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, but they are absorbing the teams who can’t find anywhere more local.”
The cost of repairing the pitch is daunting. The estimate is a minimum £150,000. It only takes a month to relay a pitch, but raising that sort of money will take considerably longer. Pensby High School is actively sourcing quotes and exploring how the new pitch might be funded.
Recently it was revealed that Liverpool is set to receive a £17 million boost for grassroots football. The City Council will contribute £4.4 million while £12.6 million will come from the Football Association. This is part of an initiative by the FA to support the game at the local level – £260 million will be invested by 2019.
Hard on the heels of this announcement came last week’s news that the FA has pledged more money to help improve grassroots facilities and boost the quality of pitches, though the emphasis of the initiative is on grass pitches. The aim is to get more people playing the game and the programme will target 2000 pitches during the next four years.
In the future it might be possible for Wirral to benefit and for some of that funding to be channeled towards Pensby. Exploratory discussions have already taken place and clearly it is important that our local football is not left behind.
One short term solution lies in Pensby High School’s grass pitches. These could be made available to players who can no longer use the Pensby Complex’s 3G pitch. Diane added, “The grass pitches are not floodlit, but in the summer months when the days are long we should be able to accommodate some of the teams who are not able to play on the astro.”
What does grassroots football in the Heswall area need if it is to thrive? Share your opinions with Heswall Today via our Facebook page.
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