IN reply to your article in the BEN on September 29 regarding amateur soccer.

On Sunday, September 23, I went to Harper Green playing fields. The first thing to hit me was the silence, only one game was taking place three weeks into the season and the grass had not been cut.

In the 1999/2000 season the Bolton Sunday League had close on 50 teams playing in four divisions. Two years later we have 25 teams playing in three divisions. Why has this happened?

So many reasons. MSL must take some blame by not ploughing money they received back into grounds and pavilions. £300,000 being spent on Newhouse Farm is about five years too late and what's the point of more in the pipeline when there will be no clubs to play on the grounds.

Higher grade football

One other reason for decline could be after last year's weather, players and officials found other things to do, but the main reason comes down to money, and the price they have to pay to play football.

Amateur football is played at two levels. Saturday was more serious, lads played for different teams, while on Sunday they played together for the same team, be it a pub or works team. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Sunday football, its been part of my life for so long.

I was at Brook Street on September 30, where Stoneclough play, and they were working on the pitch. They left Bolton Combination before it sadly folded, because they wanted to play better, higher grade football. The reason they took the lease on was because they could not trust MSL to maintain the standard needed. Good Luck to them, they are doing a great job.

So come on Leisure Services, do all football clubs a favour and get our grounds to a standard Bolton can be proud of.

Bob Shuttleworth

President

Bolton Sunday League