During the summer we reported on an unpopular decision by Ruddington Parish Council (RPC) to remove the netting from one of the goalposts in Sellors’ Recreation Ground to discourage people from using it.
It’s after some new ‘Fairham Green’ residents, who’d recently moved into the houses built just behind it, complained to custodians RPC that stray balls from young people playing football there were hitting their cars and windows. Before any serious damage was caused, it was decided to take away the net at that end of the pitch temporarily, until a solution could be found.
Its removal caused outrage among many villagers who either use the playing field or have enjoyed watching the football being played there for the past eighty years. That included members of Ruddington Community Association (RCA) who campaigned succesfully for this covenanted playing field not to be included in Bloor Homes’ approved house building plans along Wilford Road. Two RCA members, Helen and Andy Powell, even funded new nets for both goals when the recreational green space was saved from the bulldozers.
Now, after discussions with various parties, RPC has told RUDDINGTON.info it will be ‘moving the goalposts’ – in fact the entire football pitch – before a net is put back on. A spokesperson reveals: “They are being repositioned as the current posts need replacing due to their age/rust etc. We can’t replace them in exactly the same position as the posts and sockets were concreted in, so we are moving them along towards Oliver Drive, this will stop balls from hitting children in the play area.”
The brand new goalposts have been ordered by Ruddington Football Club (who usually use Sellors’ Field for their home matches) because they are eligible for a discount, being an affiliated team in EMPAL Division 1.
RPC’s statement adds: “We will also move the position of the posts on the west side of the park inwards slightly to give more space between the goals and the properties on Hind Avenue.”
Currently our Parish Council is waiting for the new goal sockets to arrive – and then for a drier spell of weather to install them and re-line the repositioned pitch area. Watch this space!
