A JUNIOR football club has hit out at the state of council-run pitches after branding them a disgrace and unfit to play on.

Mill Hill Junior Football Club were one of several clubs who kicked off their season on the small-side pitches at Witton Park two weeks ago – only to find that the grass and not been cut and were full of bare patches.

Council chiefs blamed the current state of the pitches on the recent poor weather and also teams using them without permission and vowed to work on them as soon as possible.

All matches at the Blackburn venue were cancelled last weekend and Mill Hill secretary Tony Regan said he was not satisfied with the situation.

He said: “We pay a lot of money to play on these pitches, a considerable amount more than teams from neighbouring boroughs, some of whom play for free.

“Blackburn with Darwen Council has had all summer to sort it out but as far as I can see they have done nothing.”

He added: “There were children there as young as five and six-years-old playing and the grass was half way up their legs. It made it almost impossible to run around let, alone pass the ball.

“They were unfit to play on and we haven’t be able to play on them since.”

Councillor Faryad Hussain, executive member for environmental improvement and sustainability, said work had been done on the pitches earlier in the summer but they have been damaged since.

“The grass had been cut and the pitches also renovated in June,” he said.

“However a number of games took place over the summer, without our approval, that damaged the “We did try to undertake full maintenance last week but could only complete limited tasks as the pitches were too wet from the bad weather and this would have created further damage.

“Once the weather lets up we will be out to see to them.”

He added: “We have though been struck with a 20 per cent cut to parks maintenance as a result of the unprecedented cuts to the Council’s budget.”

The council is coming to terms with having to cut its budget by more than £25m while up to 1,000 jobs are being cut across its services.

Mill Hill Junior Football Club would be willing to take over the upkeep of the site just as the East Lancashire Football Alliance is doing at Everton Playing Fields.

He said: “I have been in touch with the council about out club taking over and maintaining Witton Park but, as yet, I have heard nothing.

“The league is doing it as Everton and we can do it here, not just for Mill Hill but for every football club.

“We are a part of the community and we would make sure the pitches are in a condition that all of the community can use.”

Coun Hussain said the council will see how the current arrangement with the East Lancashire Football Alliance goes before including other sites.

He said: “We are currently working to progress self-management of Everton playing fields and will learn from this process to see if we can roll it out to other areas.”