FOOTBALL pitches threatened with closure despite being used by hundreds of amateur players each week have been saved by a £150,000 grant.

The grant from the Football Foundation will go towards pitch drainage at the Prairie Playing Fields and modern changing facilities at the site.

The news comes after it was revealed that less than 50 per cent of games scheduled to be played at the Prairie took place last year due to poor drainage at the site.

It was thought the area would be doomed after a review of Burnley's football facilities.

The pitches are used by teams from Burnley and its surroundings areas including, Borrowdale, several pub teams and Burnley Boys club.

The Burnley and District League, the Burnley Sunday League, Warburtons Youth League and Burnley Ladies all use the Prairie fields.

The Football Foundation is a group funded by the FA Premier League, the Football Association, Sport England and the Government.

It is the country's largest sports charity with a £53million budget.

Burnley Council's executive member for leisure Barry Gutteridge used the terminology of the football commentator to describe his reaction to the news.

Coun Gutteridge said: "I am over the moon. It is fabulous news.

"Once the Prairie is up and running and all works are completed, it will be a great facility for future generations.

"This is good news for Burnley as a whole and not just for footballers."

Coun Gutteridge said that the scheme had the potential to take football to groups who would not normally take up the sport, like women and ethnic minorities, and improve social cohesion.

The grant was the culmination of the hard work of all the amateur league teams in Burnley who set up the Playing Pitch Partnership and submitted a bid to the Football Foundation.

The chairman of the Playing Pitch Partnership, John Pilling, has been involved with amateur football in Burnley since 1965.

He said: "This is all down to the people and the amateur leagues who have put in a lot of hard work putting this bid forward."

The Football Foundation's chief executive Peter Lee, said: "We are determined to maximise the role of football as a force for good in society.

"Never before have our communities had so much investment in grass roots football projects, highlighting the unique ability the game has to make a real difference throughout the country."