A DISGUSTED Sunday league manager has vowed to collect a 1,000 strong petition demanding Bolton Council improve the state of its pitches.

Geoff Morris, boss at Hare and Hounds Breightmet of the Bolton Sunday League, has become increasingly disillusioned with not only the condition of many pitches but by what he claims is bad organisation.

Mr Morris' petition comes hot on the heels of a boycott of council meetings by Bolton Sunday League officials because they too are fed up of complaining about poor pitches.

Leisure Services chief officer John Shepley says he will welcome the petition and use it as an oppotunity to thrash out the problems with Sunday League members.

The recent extreme weather conditions have led to a number of matches called off in recent weeks but Mr Morris believes there have been more postponed in Bolton than in other boroughs.

He is collecting data and statistics and will present his findings, along with the petition, at a Bolton Council Leisure Services football league meeting on December 5.

"I am just fed up with the way things are going," said Mr Morris. "This is our first year in the league and it is a farce. We pay £14 for our training facilities during the week and we have to cover that and other costs with our match fees, but the matches are hardly ever on.

"I accept the weather has been very bad lately but other boroughs seem to cope a lot better than Bolton do, which, considering we are one of the largest towns in Europe, is not acceptable."

Mr Morris organised his petition last night at a meeting of Sunday League officials and says everyone wanted to add their names.

"They all agree with what I'm doing," added Mr Morris. "I'm getting managers, players past and present and spectators to sign and I'm expecting to get at least a thousand signatures.

"The playing surfaces in Bolton have been declining for a long time. We are sick of matches being called off and we don't want to be fobbed off any longer with poor excuses.

"We want something done about it."

Mr Shepley, from Leisure Services, replied: "We would welcome the opportunity to share with the clubs and players the problems they have and discuss how we can improve things.

"Until I get the petition it is difficult to comment in detail. We will look at it as soon as it comes in."