Firm's help for footballers
Hundreds of five-a-side footballers are being given the chance to play matches in Stafford once again after being left homeless by the demise of Stafford Sports Arenas.
Warwick-based Leisure Leagues decided to launch dedicated five-a-side sessions at the town's new leisure centre after reading about the shortage of indoor facilities on the Express & Star's website.
In the hope of attracting new players, the company is offering free registration and free team strips to anyone signing up for its Sunday afternoon leagues.
But despite this boost, there are still complaints that more should be done by Stafford Borough Council to provide better sporting facilities in the town.
Leisure Leagues hopes to start the sessions, between 3pm and 6pm each Sunday, on March 1. The firm, which runs more than 250 local leagues across the UK and Ireland, will bring in qualified referees and give Stafford teams the chance to compete in tournaments.
Executive director Stephanie Bullock said Leisure Leagues had found out about the lack of indoor five-a-side facilities in Stafford through the Express & Star's website and bosses felt they "had to act".
The move has been welcomed by one footballer left with nowhere to go by the shock closure of Stafford Sports Arenas, Ricky Millar. However, Mr Millar says the Sunday afternoon sessions will not be able to accommodate the 200-plus players left homeless after the move last month. Mr Millar, who has launched a campaign calling for indoor football courts to be returned to Stafford, believes council bosses should be doing more.
The 36-year-old, of Castlefields, said: "Hats off to Leisure Leagues – they're trying – but it's still not good enough. The borough council have the staff to sort it out so I don't know why they don't organise leagues themselves. I'm sure I know what the council are going to do here – if it fails, they're going to say there's not the requirement for it in Stafford so we won't bother."
