Pitch use to be examined

Discussions will be held next year into the future use of football pitches in Southwell.

Centenary Sports Ground, Brinkley, was used by Southwell United Football Club’s youth team.

However, since the club’s merger with Southwell City, the teams have been playing elsewhere.

More young teams are also using Minster Fields, in the centre of town.

The chairman of Southwell Town Council’s finance and policy committee, Mr Peter Harris, said discussions were needed about the future of the ground.

He said: “The Centenary ground was mainly established to provide an additional facility for young sportspeople in the town and it was mainly used by footballers.

“Now Southwell City has joined with Southwell United and we have got Minster Fields, which we are seeing used more for young people’s football, the Centenary Ground management group is going to be thinking about how to use the land in the future.”

The committee will present a report to the town council, which owns the land.

The council bought the land for the ground at Brinkley in 1993 and the pitches were opened in 1995 to coincide with the council’s 100th anniversary.

The management committee was set up to run the ground without extra cost to taxpayers.

In September, Southwell City and Southwell United merged to form one large club under the banner of Southwell City.

The merger created a club with more than 30 teams and 500 players, ranging from under-six to over-50s veterans’ teams and allowed the teams to share the facilities at Brinkley and the War Memorial Recreation Ground, Southwell.

Calls have been made by the club for a dedicated football ground.