A youth football club in Gloucestershire has been left without training facilities after trenches were dug across its pitches, a development that has sent shockwaves through the local sporting community.
The Churchdown Panthers Football Club, which uses the fields at the Dowty Sports and Social Club near Staverton, has seen its playing surface scarred by the excavation work carried out by the Ashville Group.
Club secretary Isobel Greaves described the damage as "devastating," while manager Ian Greaves called it "nothing short of vandalism" and warned that the pitches are now unusable.
Because of the destruction, the club has been forced to cancel friendly matches and is uncertain about its pre‑season preparations, leaving coaches and players scrambling for alternative arrangements.
Community Response and Future Plans
The Ashville Group, which owns the Dowty site and has submitted planning applications to transform more than 33 acres into a business park with a warehouse and offices, maintains that the pitches have been restored and will be available for use once planning permission is granted.
Richard Fishlock, strategic lead for active environments at Active Gloucestershire, stressed the broader importance of accessible sports facilities, noting that any future development must preserve easy‑to‑reach spaces for community activity and that the organization is exploring temporary venues to keep clubs like the Panthers afloat while longer‑term solutions are sought.