Games surface ‘like playing football on wet billiard table’

Speaking at a meeting of Council’s leisure and community services committee, DUP councillor Lavelle McIlwrath told members something would need to be done about the pitch in the small village between Portadown and Moy.

The councillor explained that such was the condition of the pitch, users are injuring themselves and looking to play elsewhere.

“There were issues with the pitch around December and January and Council was able to do something about the issue then” said Cllr McIlwrath.

“I was contacted again recently by a a constituent who uses the pitch telling me that the group have had two injuries on the pitch recently and are at the point where they will not be going back to the pitch.

“I know we have done some work to it before but it is clearly an issue. I am not sure of the ‘shelf life’ of the pitch. It is a very welcome facility in the village and we really don’t want to get to the point where groups won’t use it because they feel it is unsafe.”

Cllr McIlwrath confirmed he would be on site the morning after the meeting and Council’s head of estates and asset management, Jonathan Hayes said he would be available to discuss the issue in more detail then.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr McIlwrath explained that it is not a case of contact sport on the pitch as those who are losing their footing have no-one around them when they are doing so.

“I would describe it as playing football on a billiard table that is wet,” said Cllr McIlwrath.

“I am not sure at this stage what Council can do to help but it is clear something will need to be done to the surface in the near future.”