Football team's fury (From Stroud News and Journal)

Football team's fury

FOOTBALLERS are furious at a farmer who regularly drives his tractor across the middle of their pitch.

Members of Horsley Football Club have begged Frank Parry, of Rodborough, to stop spoiling the ground but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Now they say they are fed up with his behaviour, which leaves the field messy, dangerous and unusable.

Footballer Clive Bashford said: "He does it all the time. "He goes across the middle even when it's really wet."It is a right mess."

Mr Parry's tractor tracks appear almost every week and have to be levelled out to make the pitch safe for players and children. Mr Bashford said: "Every time he does it we have to put it right. "It's embarrassing when away teams come to play."

Horsley FC has two teams in divisions one and six of the Stroud and District League.

First team manager Chris Dolan said: "A group of us spent a lot of time and money last summer digging over and re-turfing large sections of pitch to bring it up to top condition.

"Now it is becoming unsafe because of the thoughtless actions of one person."

Club vice chairman Angel Azcona said Mr Parry was being selfish as the field he needs access to has another entrance accessible from the road.

The land is owned by Horsley Parish Council, which agrees Mr Parry has a right of way but said this does not mean he can drive on the pitch.

He only claimed a right of way across the middle in November 2002.

Council chairman Simon Allen said he was perplexed by Mr Parry's behaviour since he can access his field via the B4058 or over a playing field next to the pitch.

The council and football club said Mr Parry agreed to stop driving there while they investigated but he has broken his word.

But Mr Parry denied there was ever such an agreement. He continued to drive on the pitch, he said, because the parish council told him it would pay his £40 legal costs but ignored his last letter.

He added: "I am sorry for the football club caught up in this dispute but I am not going to stop driving on the field."