JUNIOR sports clubs are heading for financial crises unless more sponsorship and subsidies can be arranged, a football manageress has claimed.

Louise Innes, former coach of Darwen-based Wolstenholme Rink FC which has four squad teams and a training programme for youngsters, claims rising training and match fees are in danger of forcing some clubs to close down.

She said that her Wolstenholme club was lucky to have great sponsors who had doubled their contribution to the club to help meet the inflated costs, but she said other teams are not so lucky.

Mrs Innes said: "Four years ago we trained at Moorland High School and Vale High School in Darwen for free.

"Now we have to pay £17 an hour for training and £36 a game at Moorland.

"Our training fees alone are £75 a week and some clubs just can't afford that." Mrs Innes said the 100 boys who play for Wolstenholme teams are already having to pay weekly fees, and she fears any increased subscription would prevent children from less well off families joining clubs, hence leaving them to play in the streets.

She said: "Its not just football clubs that are suffering but netball and hockey too.

"We are not blaming the schools at all. It is sad when we think how many children are not going to be able to play football in the future.

"Lancashire County Council appears to be taking everything off us and we don't meet the criteria to apply for lottery grants."

A spokeswoman for Lancashire County Council said: "This is one of the budget proposals which came into force in April

"Previously there was funding to subsidise the use of schools for out of hours activities.

"The money that was there every year was cut because of severe government restraints on spending."

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