THE home of one of Tynedale’s most promising football clubs could be under threat, a councillor has claimed.

At Haltwhistle Town Council town council meeting on Monday, Coun. Mike McGuire told councillors that drainage issues at the Burn, where Haltwhistle Jubilee FC played their home matches, could prevent the team from playing there in the future.

Coun. McGuire said: “The present system that’s in place does not allow for the long term use of the pitch. My personal view is that, even if you have drainage improvements done, the same problems with the pitch will remain.

“The biggest problem is what is below that playing surface. It seems to me that it’s not fit for purpose.

“There are many drainage solutions that can be put in place, with one of them being to put in sand channels, but I still think that should be done anyway,” he said.

A condition for teams in the Premier Division of the Northern Alliance, two leagues above Jubilee FC, requires pitches to be surrounded by a railing or a fence. And with the team currently top of the third division, initial preparations are being discussed if the team are to gain promotion.

Coun. McGuire added: “Apart from these issues with the pitch, everyone is very positive about the future of the club. It seems to me that unless we make some improvements to the durability of the pitch in wet weather, then it’s not worth putting a fence around.”