Loss of public football pitches could crush grassroots football

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has warned that of an alarming loss of public football pitches across the north of England could “crush grassroots football”.

The Shaw councillor was speaking as the first stage of the eagerly awaited European Championships in Germany was to conclude this week as it enters the knockout stage.  But closer to home, the GMB trade union has found that almost 1,000 council-owned or operated football pitches have been lost across the UK in recent years, with the north of England amongst the worst affected areas. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Publicly accessible sport is vital for people at all stages of life but especially for children. What does the disappearance of so many local football pitches mean for the next Phil Foden or Marcus Rashford?

“Councils need to take this threat seriously or it could crush grassroots football in large parts of the country.  That would be bad news for our national game.”