Windle Labour FC left 'homeless' by closure of Bobbies Lane pitches

The sports pitches at Bobbies Lane, Eccleston have been closed by St Helens and Knowsley College after being no longer required.

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Windle Labour FC have been told they can no longer hire the facility and say they face the prospect of having to move out of town.

The club has been established for 21 years, running mainly with one adult team based at Ruskin Drive until three years ago when it took the decision to move to Bobbies Lane.

Windle Labour FC

It has since established a Sunday team to go alongside the Saturday team.

The Saturday team plays in Division 1 of the Cheshire Football League, having won League Two in the 2016/17 season.

And the Sunday team are in Division 3 of the South Lancashire Football League, with the 2018/19 their first season together

Both of the club's teams also compete in the League and County Cups with Liverpool County FA with the Saturday side having reached the Liverpool County Cup final in consecutive seasons a couple of years ago.

The club has used facilities at Bobbies Lane

"This decision has had a major impact on the club," said secretary Gary Bennett.

"Over the past two seasons we have grown from a single team club to having two adult teams. We have been established for 21 years and it felt like we had found somewhere we could call home and be based as a club together. There was options to grow the club by another two adult teams and grow the club further within the community by trying to establish a junior section.

"The situation we have been left in now is both teams are currently homeless with no home pitch and the highly likely situation that if both teams can find new pitches to use we would not be based at the same site and in turn splitting our club up and the possibility we could have to look out of town to find suitable facility to continue playing."

Windle Labour FC

A spokesperson for SK College Group said, “SK College Group is currently reviewing the future of the Bobbies Lane facility as no academic provision is currently being delivered at the site and the College now has excellent sporting facilities for our students, including all weather pitches, at our Knowsley Campus.

"The income received from letting out the facility is significantly below the costs incurred by the college for its operation and maintenance. Unfortunately, this arrangement with Windle Labour FC if continued, would be at the detriment to the experience of our students, as funds would be drawn away from College activity to subsidise a facility it no longer requires.

"The college has been in consultation with Windle Labour FC and they have been informed that the College will not be renewing their use of the facility for the next football season.

"The college has however offered the football team use of the sporting facilities available at the Knowsley campus."