Talking Point: Tale of two pitches divides public opinion

And with it, a debate has started over the future of grassroots track and field athletics in Tynedale.

Many athletes have been angered at suggestions that the centre’s managers, Active Northumberland (AN), would consider installing a 4G pitch which would cater solely for football at the expense of athletics and other sports.

Any such move would rule out throw events, such as the javelin and hammer, taking place at the venue.

Although AN recently declared it was not planning to look into the proposals, the petition is still attracting support in case the organisation makes a U-turn.

But not everybody in the area is in favour of keeping the grass as it is, with many declaring there is a strong need for an astroturf football pitch in the district.

Local resident Adrian Hannant believes footballers in Hexham are being left behind neighbouring towns because there are no artificial facilities.

He said: “The Wentworth grass pitch is used primarily for football around 98 per cent of the time, with the other two per cent used for javelin throwing by six juniors for approximately an hour on a Tuesday night.

“Surely if AN is pursuing an all-weather 4G pitch at Hexham then it would be a massive blow to the town for it to be blocked or hindered by Tynedale Harriers, and it would set Hexham sports facilities back years.

“We have sports fields at Hexham Middle School, Queen Elizabeth High School, the Sele, Tyne Green and the Hydro which don’t get used. All these could be used for the field events in athletics.

“There is one big problem with football grass pitches in Hexham and that is none of them can be used for games or training in the winter months because of waterlogging.

“So there are a lot of people in the community missing out because we have no all-weather facilities.

“The standard of football in Hexham has suffered over the years because of lack of facilities, and most boys move to Newcastle to play for teams because they have the facilities.

“Because of this, we are hindering development and talent in Hexham and the surrounding areas.

“Look at what our neighbours have. Allendale has 3G facilities, Haydon Bridge has 3G facilities, Stocksfield has 3G facilities and Prudhoe has an extensive 4G facility. Hexham is a big town with no 4G facilities.”

A lot of people against the proposals argue that football is already well catered for in the town, and the move would be the death knell for local athletics.

Should field events have to take place at a different venue, it would prevent athletics events being held at the Wentworth as it would no longer be an attractive venue to organisers.

An international. multi-events championship, which brings in competitors from across Europe and sometimes beyond, is currently held there each year, while hundreds of local schoolchildren use the facility for various sporting events throughout the year.

Just last week, the Northern Inter-Counties Schools Athletics Championship was held at Wentworth, and declared a great success as youngsters from across Northumberland, Cumbria, Cleveland and Durham used the great facilities there.

Paul Ponton, track and field secretary for Northumberland Schools Athletics Association, is one of the 1,100 plus people to have signed the online petition.

He said: “I am definitely supporting the petition because athletics isn’t well catered for compared to football.

“You’re tripping over football facilities really.

“We need these centres to have such facilities to make sure track and field athletics can survive.

“No track and field facility is safe these days, and you just have to look at Sheffield’s Don Valley to prove that, as nobody would have thought that would close.

“The suggestion of holding the field events elsewhere is a messy situation and not ideal, and it would make the Wentworth a last resort venue for athletics events.

“At Wentworth, children have the opportunity to take part in sports in a safe, closed environment and you just wouldn’t get that on a school field.”