ALMOST 250 juniors in Bromsgrove could be left without pitches to play on after the land where Meadow Park FC hosts its home games was put up for sale.

The FA Chartered Standard club, formed in 1985, now needs £100,000 to buy the playing fields next to Harris Brush Works (HBW) in Stoke Prior to secure its long-term future.

So far the club has £45,000

Paul Hutchins the clubs chairman 1said: “We feel the need to secure these wonderful playing fields for generations of people to use.

“The club has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into the site and is determined to do the right thing.

“There is a dire shortage of pitches in Bromsgrove so we cannot afford to lose those at the site.”

In 2007 Meadow Park faced closure of the grounds due to insurance claims against HBW but the club managed to raise about £350,000 to create a new clubhouse, new changing rooms and a separate entrance and car park to segregate the pitches from the company.

John Goodwin, head of leisure and cultural services at the district council, said: “This is a club that provides an excellent service to the community, which is why the council and other agencies funded their new facilities in the first place and we’ve been delighted to see them go from strength to strength with that support.

“It’s obviously distressing to see their plans at risk, but on the other hand the club has a rare opportunity to move from tenant to landowner and for less money than they were recently loaned to improve their facilities.

“The council will continue to support the club in its efforts to stay in place.”

Please help us secure the future of grassroots football.