After 44 years, many playing on the Papplewick Green Estate playing fields, local grassroots football club Hucknall Sports have been given notice of eviction from Ashfield District Council and Nottingham Forest central defender, a player who born in Hucknall also played as a youngster for Hucknall Sports FC, is one that is leading the call to get the council’s decision over turned.

In a statement by the man himself, Worrall said

“Dear All,

Those that know me know that I’m not a politically minded man. In fact all I really know is football… and that had to start somewhere.

As it happened it started on Wigwam Lane Playing Fields in Hucknall, under the safe, watchful eye of my volunteer manager at Hucknall Sports Junior FC. This is a story that is echoed, in principle, by pretty much every pro English footballer up and down this country. Grass roots is where it all begins.

You can imagine therefore my disgust when I heard about the Ashfield District Council’s plan to evict Hucknall Sports (Community Football Club) from their home on Papplewick Green; a site that they’ve occupied for over 40 years, I order to accommodate a private, profit making company on their site.

Many will ask, particularly in the hype of the Euros, “Where the next Harry Kane or Raheem Sterling will come from if we don’t protect our kids playing fields and football clubs?” It’s a fair question, but for me it’s a secondary one!

What really matters is the 99.99% of kids that will never be a professional footballer.

For them, grassroots football isn’t a potential career path; it’s far more important than that. It’s where kids don’t have a phone in their hand or an iPad on their knee. Where there’s no WiFi and no PlayStation. It’s where they learn what being part of a team is all about, they learn to stay fit and healthy, they learn of accountability, how to win and lose graciously, how to dust themselves off and go again when things go wrong, how to support one another when it hits the fan. It’s not just the kids; a grass roots football club is where the lonely single parent makes new friends and gets support, it’s where the manager loves his/her lads or girls so much they’ll postpone their holiday as to not miss a game, it’s where no matter how much life has thrown at you in the week, you can come, forget it all and cheer something bigger than yourself for an hour or so. A grass roots football club, just like Hucknall Sports is the very heartbeat of a community.

Let’s forget the emotional attachment for a moment though. I grew up in these parts, I went to school here, I played football here and I know this town. I know that, like any other ex-mining community or suburb, anti-social behaviour is rife among young people, in most cases, not because they’re bad kids, simply because there’s nothing for them to do.

I am baffled why council, led by Ashfield Independents, an organisation allegedly with a sole purpose of making decisions in the interest of the community it serves, would think it’s a good idea or indeed even consider evicting a community football club, run solely by incredible volunteers, that has served over 6,000 children in the this town, at no expense to them or the taxpayer, from its rightful home of in excess of 40 years. I’m no genius but I know that to provide youth services that are equivalent to what Hucknall Sports provide would cost them tenfold any income that they may derive from the development of the site or whatever they plan to do to it. Will they take responsibility for the inevitable increase in obesity in the towns kids, vandalism and anti social behaviour? I suspect probably not. We don’t have to be psychic to see how this ends up and where it’s going do we?

The decision is short sighted, naïve and above all depriving this town’s kids of the opportunity to play football and be part of something that only grass roots can provide.

It’s bonkers, but it seems that as footballers in the modern era, we do have a voice and I believe that sometimes it’s right that we speak out against injustice and nonsense when we see it, whatever form it takes. We’ve seen the incredible efforts that Marcus Rashford has gone to to hold politicians to account for their decisions and actions and whilst this isn’t on that scale, I hope that I can use what profile I have to firstly encourage anyone who reads this and agrees with my points to stand up and be counted right now before it’s too late. Sign petitions, object to the planning application, email the council, chain yourself to the goal posts if you have to but don’t let this happen.

Secondly for those that have influence within te council to search your conscience and find some integrity. It’s public land that belongs to the community, not a private company. Just do the right thing. It’s as simple as that. You got it wrong, put your hands up and fix it.

Ashfield Council, if this eviction notice stands, the inevitable fallout will solely be on you. This isn’t about politics. It’s about the community that you were elected to protect and be an advocate for. Please do the right thing.

On behalf of hundreds of kids, parents, grandparents and future generations…

Yours sincerely

Joe Worrall – former Hucknall Sports Number 5”

To sign the petition on change.org please click here and remember to share to aware those decision makers that on this occasion, they have got things terribly wrong, and it’s not to late to reverse their greed and short sightedness.

*Main image @JoeWorrall5 The Forest footballer has called upon Ashfield Council to retract their decision.