Football returns to Pinhoe as major pitch upgrades complete

Football is back on the agenda in Pinhoe after long-troubled pitches at Pinhoe Station Road Playing Fields were upgraded.

The improvements mean local youngsters from Whipton Youth Football Club can now enjoy playing closer to home as the new season gathers pace.

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Sarah Vece, of Whipton Youth, said they had been trying for several years to get the pitches back into use and thanked local councillors for their help: “Our club is growing every year, so extra pitches that are local and accessible were our priority. Having these pitches means four of our teams can play grassroots football closer to home.”

Previously, the pitches were prone to waterlogging and often became mudbound, forcing many home matches to be played at other locations.

Exeter City Council oversaw a major overhaul of the playing surfaces, funded by £150,000 of Section 106 contributions from developers behind local housing projects at Monkerton and Tithebarn.

The senior pitch was enlarged to meet FA requirements, while the junior surface also received significant improvements.

The main pitch has been re-profiled with a gentle slope down to the nearby brook, and sand and drainage layers have been installed to reduce waterlogging.

Cllr Ruth Williams, Lead Councillor for City Management, said: “It’s great to see football back at Pinhoe Station Road Playing Fields. We’ve worked hard to improve the drainage and playing surface of the pitches, as they used to be dreadful, with puddles and mud.

“Obviously, it’s taken longer than we anticipated, mainly due to the problems with holes appearing in the surface, which we think were caused by foxes, so we can only apologise for the delay.”

Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure Services & Healthy Living and a Pinhoe ward councillor, added: “It’s wonderful to see youngsters enjoying the game once again. Football is immensely popular, so it’s great to see the smiles on the faces of those using this much-improved facility.”