Football has returned to the once waterlogged pitches in Pinhoe after an upgrade to the playing surface.
Youngsters from Whipton Youth Football Club are enjoying the much-improved pitches at Pinhoe Station Road Playing Fields as the new season gets into full swing.
Sarah Vece, of Whipton Youth, said they had been trying for several years to get the pitches back into use and thanked local councillors for their help: “Our club is growing every year, so extra pitches that are local and accessible were our priority. Having these pitches means four of our teams can play grassroots football closer to home.”
The pitches were previously prone to waterlogging and often became mudbound.
Until the start of this season, they had been out of action while Exeter City Council tried to find a solution.
Major improvements were carried out on the playing surface, thanks to £150,000 of Section 106 money from the developers of a local housing development at Monkerton and Tithebarn.
The size of the senior pitch was increased to meet FA requirements, and improvements were made to the junior playing surface.
The main pitch was re-profiled so that it now slopes very gradually down to the brook, with sand laid and drainage installed underneath the pitch so that the water can drain away more effectively.
In previous years, many home matches had to be played elsewhere, as the pitches didn’t drain well and became waterlogged easily.
Cllr Ruth Williams, Lead Councillor for City Management, said: “It’s great to see football back at Pinhoe Station Road Playing Fields. We’ve worked hard to improve the drainage and playing surface of the pitches, as they used to be dreadful, with puddles and mud.
“Obviously, it’s taken longer than we anticipated, mainly due to the problems with holes appearing in the surface, which we think were caused by foxes, so we can only apologise for the delay.”
Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure Services & Healthy Living and a Pinhoe ward councillor, said he was delighted to see football back in Pinhoe: “It’s wonderful to see youngsters enjoying the game once again. Football is immensely popular, so it’s great to see the smiles on the faces of those using this much-improved facility.”
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