ON behalf of St Joseph's football club, which runs five teams for players up to 15 years, we object to the rise in the cost of a game of football. The increase in the charge for pitches is 17 per cent - well above inflation. How can Hyndburn Council justify it?

The cost of running a team with a squad of 15 players over a season amounts to £500 per team. This covers kit, referees' fees, transport and training sessions.

Football gives kids an interest, provides discipline, encourages team spirit. This hike in the price of a pitch brings the cost of a game to £26.00, including the referee's fee.

The FA has decreed that organised football up until the age of 13 will be seven-a-side. This will further increase the price ratio per player.The pitches the council provides, with the odd exception, are of the lowest standard - rutted, uneven, badly maintained, and some no more than a dogs' toilet.

Every day we read about some mindless act of vandalism usually followed by some councillor wringing their hands in dismay. We can provide part of the answer. Help us to keep the price of a game within the reach of normal families and not make it a luxury for the few. Give the kids something to be proud of, for they are our future.

P BAGSHAW, Garden Street, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.