A Sunday league football team from Stone has hit out at the siting of the Food and Drink Festival on Westbridge Park and has called for it to be held somewhere else in the town.
Simon Marson, the player-manager of Star FC, says his club was left out of pocket after the Westbridge Park football pitch was left unplayable for several weeks following last year’s festival, which was hit by torrential rain for most of the weekend.
They had paid Stafford Borough Council £350 in advance for hire of the pitch last year but then had to find more cash to play matches at nearby Stone Dominoes following the food and drink festival.
Simon said: “We understand the importance of events like the Food and Drink Festival taking place in the town. My problem is where it’s located. Westbridge Park is not only used for the food festival but for lots of other events throughout the year, like funfairs and the bonfire and fireworks display.
“There are alternative sites for such events like the High Street (which is pedestrianised), Morrison’s car park, the numerous schools in the town or even the back grassed area of Westbridge Park where football is no longer played near to the river.”
Stafford Borough Council said this week it would be reimbursing the club for their time at Stone Dominoes.
Richard Stevens, chairman of Stone Food and Drink Festival, said the festival committee had paid Stafford Borough Council £1,500 to cover repairs to the pitch and to repay the club’s seasonal charge.
You can find lots more information about Star FC on their official website. They’re also on Twitter.
4 comments
Paul darlington
Couldn’t agree more with star fc! How on earth is it acceptable to hire out a sports facility to a sports club,then hire it out again for a festival?????
Simon Marson
Just to answer another point to Jacks point; You may have paid £1,500 for the damage to the pitch but where is it? No repairs have took place and we have recieved no compensation? So shouldnt you be asking where the money is as we are???
Simon Marson
I find the above reply to this article as laughable as do the rest of our players who have read this today. I will try to answer each point made; 1)Nature was not the only reason that the pitch was left in a unplayable state, big holes from marque’s were left as were tractor tyre tracks all over both pitches,undulations all over the pitch were left,thats not nature. 2)In terms of not thinking of the town, we actually represent the town in the Uttoxeter and District league,all our players were born and live in the area and are proud to represent the town. 3)Ups and Downs?? We hired a SPORT facility for 10 months at a cost of £350.00 to find that Stafford Borough Council then double book the SPORT facility and then subsequently it is left unplayable for weeks. We recieved no compensation fo this? Thats not ups and downs!! The fact you have no sympathy sums the organisers of the festival and the council up, the festival is for middle aged middle class people, not for working class youngsters who time and time again get over looked and tossed aside. I think you will find that if you actually understood the real Stone people of this town and the youngsters
that you will realise that you are in the minority.
Jack Taylor
here
i believe that the only reason for last year is nature to be honest how can we put up marquees so big on concrete this is just ridiculous and star fc should really think of the town rather than the team it was nature and we paid for the damage it is life you have ur ups and downs i have no sympathy for star fc,
sorry