A FOOTBALL club has called foul over a dog mess problem that is blighting their recently improved pitch.

Dave Norris, vice chairman of Bromley Cross Football Club, says irresponsible dog owners are allowing their pets to relieve themselves on the pitch off John Street, at the back of Darwen Road.

The club recently gained funding from the Co-op and the FA for a tractor mower to improve the quality of the football pitch, where it hosts under-13s and under-17s games.

And it also received a £2,500 FA Grant for new aluminium goals, nets and a new container to store new dugouts the club raised money for.

But Mr Norris says that improving the community facility has made the task of keeping it free of dog mess even harder.

He said: “It’s weird, I think it is working against us. People see a nice, green, flat pitch, and want to use it. But there’s a banked hill around it, people could easily go on there.”

Mr Norris, who manages the under-17 Bromley Cross Warriors team adds that ‘no fouling’ signs are not deterring some dog walkers.

He said: “They are continuing to let their dogs carry on doing it right in front of our signs. It’s disgusting, they know it’s a children’s football pitch, it’s just not on.

“The lads have slid in it, and it’s not a pleasant experience. They must know kids are playing there twice a week. All we are trying to do is make it a better pitch and facility within the community.”

Mr Norris adds that ‘a lot of time and effort’ has gone into improving everything from the playing surface to the car park.

He continued: “It’s just frustrating when you are doing work for the kids, keeping the pitch in a good condition and you go down there to cut the grass and mounds of it are here, there and everywhere.”

“Sometimes it’s blatant, they must know their dogs have done it right in front of the locker rooms, where there’s a concrete floor.

I don’t want to give all dog walkers a bad name. If a person misses it once or twice, fair enough, but not missing it every time and letting their dog do what it wants where it wants. That’s not fair.”

Mr Norris is now calling for a a warden to visits the pitch to enforce the ‘no fouling’ rules and fine those who break it.