"Shocking" Shepway Pitch Threatens Hockey Festival

2.44.33pm GMT Tue 13th Nov 2007

kentnews.co.uk report that the future of the International Hockey Festival is in the balance after Kent and Sussex Regional league umpires deemed the facilities at Folkestone's Cheriton Road ground unplayable.

The festival, which is usually held at Easter and is the oldest festival in the country, is staged at the Cheriton Road sports ground. It used to attract teams from all around the world and in 1988 the Great Britain squad arrived to take part in the competition.

The festival is organised by Folkestone Optimist Hockey Club, who have been using the artificial pitch, which is owned by Shepway Council, since it was laid in 1987.

The club claims the pitch has deteriorated so badly that league have deemed it unplayable and the Men's 1st XI have been forced to play their games at the Towers School in Ashford. Chairman Steve Shaw said he is concerned the club's other nine teams will be unable to fulfil their fixtures, because other teams now refuse to play on the pitch.

He said: "Folkestone Optomists have been using the artificial pitch every Saturday since it was built in 1987. We pay £100 a game to use it, but nothing is put aside by Shepway Council for the maintenance of the pitch.

"The umpires have said it is unsuitable to play a high grade of league hockey on. There are great objections from our opposition to play on such a shocking pitch.

"The hockey festival used to be an international hockey event that attracted big teams from all around the country. The Great Britain squad have played at the ground, but there is no way something like that will happen again on that surface."

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Read the full story "Poor Pitch puts Hockey Festival under Threat" at kentnews.co.uk