Players at a Northamptonshire football club finally have room to take corners after a landlord agreed to hand over a section of garden to make their pitch bigger.
South Northants Homes (SNH) stepped in when they heard Roade Football Club was in a tight corner because their pitch was too close to a boundary, preventing them from taking corners properly.
SNH agreed to lease them a bit of land, for a peppercorn rent, which means the players now have the space they need.
Doug Grace, SNH director of property services, said: “When the club came to us to ask if we could help, we were more than happy to see what we could do.
“In the end we managed to negotiate a bit of land from nearby gardens, which our tenants no longer were able to maintain. We have made that part of the football ground.
“We’ve put up some new fencing for them and we’re looking forward to watching the club go from strength to strength,” he added.
Director of football for Roade FC, Greg Owen, said the extra land had brought many other benefits to the village and the community.
He said: “Just having that extra bit of land means we now have far better access. We can get seven-and-a-half ton lorries in now so we can fertilize the pitch. We were also able to get access so we could stage a village fireworks event. It’s not only been about taking corners.”
The club, which has four junior teams, a ladies’ team and three men’s teams, is now able to pursue success in the Northants Combination League. For more information on the team visit www.pitchero.com/clubs/roadefootballclub
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