THE sports facilities crisis in Welshpool is “nearing breaking point.”

The stark warning was issued by Welshpool Town Junior Club chairman Vaughan Harding this week after the town’s all weather surface at the Flash Leisure Centre was closed due to drainage problems.

Harding re-iterated calls for urgent investment into Welshpool sport and hit out at Powys County Council’ claims of securing football pitches to replace those lost to development at Salop Road.

“We are still waiting for a response from anyone at the county council with a date for a meeting to discuss this crisis which is now nearing breaking point,” said Harding.

“The pitch they have left us at Salop Road was inspected by a Central Wales Football Association official and deemed totally unplayable and dangerous in its current state.

“It has dog faeces everywhere with six inch deep holes which would cause serious injury in addition to metal tubes sticking up from the ground in places where the old goal posts were originally sunk.

“There is also an old tree with large branches covering 20 per cent of the playing surface which balls would hit anytime a ball was on that side of the pitch and while a lot of smaller debris is on the pitch.”

A majority of the club’s junior sides have now either folded or left the town with Harding hitting out at the council’s continued claim to have secured alternative land.

“Welshpool needs a new community 4G pitch for the children and the people of the town,” said Harding. “We have lost our three main pitches and now the all weather pitch is unplayable in September so the council must start listening.”

Meanwhile Paul Inns, secretary of the Mid and North Powys JFL, described the situation as "deplorable" and "farcical."

"At a time when the Football Association of Wales (FAW) is pushing clubs to increase player participation numbers, and benefits of exercise amongst the younger generation are obvious for all to see, it does seem farcical that no provision has been made to replace the principal playing fields lost as a result of the new school development in Welshpool.

"Whether this is due to financial constraints or simply lack of foresight, the situation is deplorable and requires urgent attention."

Inns warned failure to act now would lead to the demise of Welshpool Town Junior Football Club and the loss of more than 200 players to the game.

"As it stands, Welshpool Juniors Football Club, one of the largest in the area with more than 200 players, are struggling to fulfil fixtures and are reliant upon the goodwill of other local clubs whose resources in terms of pitch availability are already stretched and will become even more so as winter comes and the weather deteriorates.

"Those who are in a position to resolve this situation need to do so urgently before we see the demise of a well established junior football team and many youngsters drifting away from the game."