Sports club secures 'ground-breaking' funding
Community football and rugby clubs in West Yorkshire plagued by waterlogged grounds have been awarded £1.2m for an all-weather pitch.
The East Bierley Community Sports Association received the money after 14 years of campaigning.
The grant was awarded by the Premier League, the FA and the government's Football Foundation.
Simon Armitage, a trustee at East Bierley, said the pitch would be "game-changing" for hundreds of young people.
"When we started out on the project we were told we'd be lucky if we got a couple of buckets to get washed in next to the pitches," he said.
"So I decided I was going to try and do something about that and, 14 years later, the new 3G pitch will be transformational".
The campaign, by a team of parent volunteers to secure a synthetic grass pitch for multi-sport use, followed the cancellation of numerous matches because of wet weather and muddy conditions.
Victoria Robinson, the parent of a child who plays for the Gomersal Cleckheaton under 12s team, said waterlogged pitches often meant there was "a full month" when children didn't play.
"They lose their momentum and it affects the team development and their well-being, because they want to play the sport that they love," she said.
Cassie Sykes, the girls team manager for the Birkenshaw Blue Dogs, said each time games were cancelled there were 40 or more children who were "not going to be playing that weekend".
She said: "Having the brand new pitch and being able to know we're guaranteed to be able to play every single game is going to be absolutely fantastic for us."
Work is due to begin on the new pitch in May and it is hoped it will be finished by October.
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