Club to play on home soil again

A football team forced to play its matches in a Black Country park is looking forward to returning to its own stadium where a £100,000 revamp is nearing completion.

Dog walkers and visitors to Bantock Park in Finchfield, Wolverhampton, will soon have the beauty spot all to themselves again when Bilston Town FC goes back to home.

The 114-year-old club has been based at the park since August 11 since it was forced to abandon its stadium in Queen Street following repeated vandal attacks.

With only eight games of the season left, club chairman Alan Owen said today he was looking forward to handing Bantock back to its regular users.

"We have been treated wonderfully here," he said. "But it's time to go home and, fingers crossed, we may even get to play a game back at Queen Street this season.

"Work has been going on and the playing surface there is now ready – in fact, it's top class. We are also going to revamp the changing rooms and start up a restaurant," he added.

"We are all looking forward to going back home but everyone here at Bantock has been superb and we can't thank them enough," said Mr Owen.

Council officials declared the Queen Street stadium unsafe last summer following the repeated attacks, which included the changing rooms being smashed up.

The decision meant a move from a ground with a grandstand, top quality pitch and floodlights to a park where the main attraction is a cafe and children's playground. Mr Owen added as the club cannot charge fans to watch matches at Bantock Park, it had survived thanks to people "digging into their pockets".

Jean Harper, 77, of Bradmore, walks her dog Peppy in the park and said she sometimes stopped to watch the team play on Saturdays.

She said: "They have been no trouble and I wish them luck on their return home."