A football club with a rich history stretching back more than a century might have to fold if a recreation ground is sold to build a housing estate.

Two Gates FC is one of the oldest amateur teams in the Black Country. However, players and officials at the club fear that they might have to disband if land in Homer Hill, Cradley, is sold by Dudley Council. Formed in 1888, the club has never played its home games outside Cradley and its players have run out for games on the Homer Hill pitch since 1953.

Dudley Council plans to sell off the land which contains Cradley High School, Cradley Leisure Centre and a large chunk of playing field, following this year’s controversial decision to close the school.

The move has temporarily been blocked by councillors on the Halesowen area committee to let residents have their say but club officials believe it is only a matter of time before the land is sold.

Club secretary John Round it would be a sad loss for the town if the football club was forced to the wall.

“The club was started by a a Sunday School in 1888 and is a real tradition round here,” he said.

“Hundreds of local clubs have come and gone in that time, but Two Gates is still going strong.

“My concern is that if the land is sold for a housing estate, we will lose a big chunk of the recreation ground and the changing rooms will have to be knocked down.

“Although the terms of the sale say new changing rooms would have to be built in their place, what would we do in the meantime?

“The parking at the pitch would also disappear. Youngsters from Halas Hawks also play down here on a Sunday morning. Where is everyone going to leave their cars?”

If the sale does go ahead, the club will be forced to look for a new pitch in Dudley, although Mr Round said it would probably have to relocate to Kidderminster because the standard of pitches in the borough was not very good.

“We could move to Huntingtree Park in Dudley but the pitch is terrible, as are most of the pitches in Dudley,” he said. 

“The pitches in Kidderminster are better looked after, but it’s a long way.

“Most of the players come from the Cradley and Colley Gate area and I don’t think they’d want to have to travel all the way down to Kidderminster every other week to play their home games.”