Seeking to save sports

Ollerton must retain sports facilities in the wake of the demolition of the miners’ welfare building, according to the secretary of the town’s sports forum.

Mrs Irene Miller, a former town mayor, said the forum needed to fight to ensure valuable facilities were not lost.

A housing development has been mooted for the welfare land, where clubs including Ollerton Town FC and Ollerton Bowls Club are based.

“We have got a battle on our hands to keep the bowling green and the Walesby Lane ground,” said Mrs Miller.

“Because it is part of the welfare land there is a danger it could be lost.

“It would be our preference to have that whole area for sport. I would imagine every town or village has to have a certain amount of ground for sports facilites, and if that land is taken away Ollerton won’t have anywhere.

“What really sticks in my throat is that from 1923 miners had money taken from their wages to fund these facilities and it would be a shame if it was not kept for future generations.”

The bowls club has launched a petition calling for greens to remain on the site, which has already been signed by hundreds of people.

The club secretary, Mr Noel Taylor, said: “We have been here since the 1930s and we want to stay where we are.

“We have had a good response from the public and I already have several sheets of signatures in support of us.

“The club needs a pavilion of some description, and a carpark and access. It would be difficult to find somewhere else that has that.

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t stay here. We are not in the middle of the site so if they did build houses they could easily build around us.”

The land is currently in the hands of administrators Auker Rhodes.

Mrs Miller said sports forum representatives had been told by the administrators it was up for sale, but that no guarantees had been made about sports facilities.

The sports forum is meeting next week to discuss its next move.