West Lancashire council mothball Burscough-based Abbey Lane playing fields - leaving sports clubs in limbo

Nov 22 2012 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

A WEST Lancs Olympic hopeful’s archery club is facing an uncertain future after the council mothballed its fields at Abbey Lane.

Jack Grogan is a member of Nethermoss Archers, who use the council-owned Thomas Galvin playing fields in Burscough during their outdoor season from April to October.

The 18-year-old from Ashurst shoots with England at Lilleshall National Sports Centre and has been earmarked for the 2020 Olympics, and possibly even Rio in 2016.

But the future of his club was thrown into disarray when they enquired about holding the Lancashire Archery Association's annual clout shoot at Abbey Lane next August – only to be told by the council the site was mothballed and no longer in use.

The Advertiser understands a consultant’s report on drainage issues at the site has estimated the cost of work to be in the region of £200,000.

Jack’s dad Greg said: “Jack is understandably taken aback at the thought of Nethermoss closing. It would be sad to see the club collapse through lack of facilities, after all the work by club secretary Tony Hoe securing the fields and the grants for equipment.”