Latics allays pitch fears

Reporter: Richard Hooton
Date published: 14 May 2010


A CHAMPIONSHIP winning amateur football team could be looking for a temporary home to defend its title after Oldham Athletic’s £20million stadium plans took a step forward.

Latics chiefs have moved to reassure amateur teams like Avro FC, newly-crowned winners of the Manchester League, that they want them to utilise the community facilities they are creating.

Oldham Athletic has bought the Lancaster Club as part of the 30-acre site off Broadway, Failsworth — which controversially includes Lower Failsworth Memorial Park.

But it has now given the Lancaster Club, which has existed for 60-years to encourage social and sporting events in the local community, six-months notice to close — leaving users worried for their futures.

There are three football pitches, two five-a-side pitches, a cricket pitch, bowling green and fitness centre.

The steward, stewardess and groundsman will be made redundant.

Other teams who use the facilities for home games include Chaddertonians AFC, in the Lancashire Amateur League, which has four teams and was founded in 1937, and Mostonians AFC, which has two teams and was founded in 1934.

Alongside a 12,000 seater stadium, Latics plan to create two full-sized football pitches, a soccer dome featuring 10 five-a-side pitches, a sports rehabilitation centre, indoor pitch and conference facilities.

Chief executive Alan Hardy said: “An organisation is interested in starting some work as soon as possible on that site.

“The Lancaster Club always knew that part of the lease included a six-month notice period we have to serve to protect our interests to allow developers on to the site.

“There will be some disruption while development work goes on but we are trying to minimise that disruption for all the clubs.

“They might be able to play there for next season but we won’t know until we have had further discussions with the company.

“It would be ideal if we can make arrangements for them to play there next season. We will work with them and Oldham Council to find suitable facilities for them.

“We want Avro and anyone who uses these facilities to be able to use them as and when they are redeveloped. We can’t improve things without making changes but we will do it as quickly as possible.”

Avro, which runs two senior and 11 junior teams, says it has been left in the dark and needs to know it will have suitable pitches to defend its title next season.

Secretary Dave Moxon said: “The Lancaster Club has told us we can’t carry on there. We need to know from Latics what its intentions are and if the club is going to carry on with the pitch.

“Latics has not said if it will carry on running the site. I don’t know if Latics wants to sell it on or who it would sell it to.

“The football season starts in mid-August and we have nowhere to play. I’m bewildered and just don’t know the future of the senior teams.

“We are getting absolutely nowhere and we will have to try and find a pitch that’s good enough for the Manchester League.”

There are also fears Avro could be priced out of the new facilities.

The state of the pitches is another concern as the Lancaster Club has, understandably, stopped investing in maintenance.

The Latics first team is due to train there in July.

Latics is continuing to hold meetings with Oldham Council over the plans.

The council wants the Charity Commission to deem the memorial park as a trust and then swap it for another site to be redeveloped.