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 status.
Despite having a 22-year lease from HBW running until 2032, the land is owned by Stoke Prior Properties which has put the playing fields and surrounding woodland on the market. HBW has given the club £20,000 towards the cost of acquiring the land.
And with concerns over potential new owners and the future fate of the playing fields, bosses at Meadow Park are hoping the Bromsgrove community will recognise its value and step in to help with raising the cash.
So far the club has £45,000 and Meadow Park chairman Paul Hutchins told the Standard the club is looking for investors to help raise the shortfall.
He said: “We feel the need to secure these wonderful playing fields for generations of Bromsgrove people to use.
“The club has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into the site and is determined to do the right thing.
“We hope people in Bromsgrove feel the same and will act in some capacity to help.
“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.
Meadow Park received a grant of more than £150,000 from the Football Foundation to go towards the cost of the project as well as £80,000 from the FA and £50,000 from Bromsgrove District Council before raising the rest of the money needed themselves.
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.”
Anybody who can help Meadow Park FC should contact Paul on 07712 077955.
Also, you can visit the newly set-up JustGiving page (http://bit.ly/2fWOE16) to donate.
Search for ‘Meadowpark F.C.’ on Facebook to find out more about the club.
