Council agrees to 4m high fence at Arnold Town
YOUNG footballers could soon be allowed to play at their new ground after a council backed down in a safety row.
Up to 400 youngsters have been waiting for months to use the new facilities at Arnold Town's Eagle Valley ground.
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Arnold Town youngsters
But the club is now facing a new setback because its first-team pitch is "too wet".
Gedling Borough Council had insisted a fence around the youth pitches should be six-metre high and 300 metres long to stop balls straying on to the A614.
But, after negotiations, they agreed the fence would be sufficient at four metres and 100 metres long.
"Work is going to start on putting the fence up in the next few days," said chairman Roy Francis.
"It is going to be great to be able to allow the youngsters to play football here because they have been travelling to a lot of places up until now."
The youth teams have been playing their matches at other grounds across the borough.
The club had been worried the cost of finding other pitches could have forced it into administration.
Peter Baguley, head of planning and environment at Gedling Borough Council, said they had been in lengthy discussions with the club and the Highways Agency over the fence issue.
He said: "As part of these discussions, advice on appropriate fencing required for the site has been taken from The Sports Fencing Company.
"The company, which specialises in providing fencing to sport organisations, assessed the site and suggested that a four-metre fence of 100 metres in length would be adequate to prevent footballs entering the A614 road."
The first match at the £1.6m ground, at the side of the A614, north of Arnold, was played in January.
Since then, there have been concerns from players and management about it being too wet.
Officials have been meeting to discuss what is causing the problem. Mr Francis said they could be forced into digging it up.
"We don't know if it is a drainage problem or not but the pitch is too wet," he said.
"It shouldn't be too much of a problem between now and the rest of the season so if it does have to be dug up we will do so at the end of the season."
Gedling Borough councillor and former Arnold player Coun Bob Tait said: "I wouldn't like to play 90 minutes on that surface.
"It seems to be a problem with the grass. I don't know what the players must think about it."
marcus.boocock@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
4 Comments
by The Equaliser, Dodge City
Friday, March 20 2009, 8:58PM
“GOOD GRIEF!
I THOUGHT FOR ONE MINUTE ARNOLD HAD BEEN CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY BY A FENCE AND WONDERED JUST WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO CAUSE THAT DRASTIC ACTION”
by David, nottingham
Friday, March 20 2009, 5:41PM
“Some little jobsworth at the council has had in in for Arnold FC for some time.”
by BobtheBuilder, In the pub
Friday, March 20 2009, 2:05PM
“"We don't know if it is a drainage problem or not but the pitch is too wet," he said.
All you have to do is look at the bloody pitch to see that it's not been laid correctly. All the outlying pitches have gravel beneath them, whereas the main pitch looks as if it's been laid onto clay!
Whatever happened to common sense?!?!?
Still, I am pleased that the ridiculous argument about the fence has now been resolved!”
by Unsportsmanlybehaviour, On the rim of Nottingham
Friday, March 20 2009, 1:23PM
“Young boys on the park playing football; jumpers for goalposts; using the path as a sideline. Marvellous!
"We don't know if it is a drainage problem or not but the pitch is too wet," he said. Apart from there being too much water going onto the pitch what else could it be? :-)”