A WEAVERHAM football team will continue to play in the village after doubts about the side’s future at their current home ground.

Weaverham Chapel’s FC, who play in Division One of the Mid-Cheshire Sunday League, were on the verge of leaving their home ground of Lakehouse Field after goalposts bought by the team a number of years ago were taken away.

The club pays a bond of £100 to Weaverham Parish Council to use the field – that is used towards the maintenance of the field – and it had not submitted the agreement for 2009/10 because the club was still unhappy about the issue with the goalposts.

Clr Gillian Edwards, chairman of the Environment and Youth Committee, met club member Nigel Wakefield to talk about the problems they face.

After agreeing to a solution the team will continue to play in the village and the issue was raised at the council’s latest meeting on Monday, October 19.

Clr Edwards said: “They could have taken their business elsewhere but they are local lads and want to keep playing their football in the Weaverham and we should commend them.”

She added: “A lot of the parish council thought they were being difficult but this couldn’t be further from the truth. They would give us a donation even if we didn’t ask for it.

“I think we should consider supporting the team and putting the logo on their kit, we have funded concerts on the field in the past why can’t we do this?”

Clr Andrew Cripps added: “I’m not sure the parish council supporting a football team that is associated with alcohol (Chapel’s Wine Bar) is the best idea.”

Clr Mike Critchley said: “I always thought I was supporting the community as a whole and not supporting a team of men. Every football team will be coming and asking us for kit.”

Clr Frank Dolphin, vice chairman of the council, said: “What concerns me is the precedent. There are other teams in the village and if we were to agree to this then we would have to agree to others.

“What if the new cricketers wanted some new whites?”

Clr Edwards added that the council would not have to put its name on the kit but a majority of councillors voted against the idea of purchasing a kit for the team.

l Talk about this on our Weaverham forum at northwichguardian.

co.uk/forum2