A COUNCIL blunder has left an Ilkley football club without the use of its pitch - just weeks before the new season is scheduled to begin.

As preparations were being made, officials from Ilkley AFC were devastated to find that Bradford Council had scored an own goal by ploughing up the riverside pitch at West Holmes Field instead of aerating it.

Now the Harrogate League club will not be able to use the pitch until after Christmas at least - and then that will be dependant on growing conditions over the next few months.

Ilkley AFC manager Dave Houlston said: "We have recently had a brilliant relationship with the council people who look after parks."

He stressed: "Mr Cansfield who we deal with in Keighley has been most helpful and he left instructions with the Ilkley council depot to renovate the pitch by loosening the top surface to aerate it. Unfortunately, the wrong equipment was used and the pitch was ploughed up instead.

"It is too late now to do anything about it for the new season. It is tragic because Mr Cansfield and his staff have really worked hard for us and it is a pure misunderstanding within the council."

Mr Houlston, a qualified coach who has transformed football in Ilkley over recent seasons, said that the Ilkley AFC first team would now have to use a pitch on the inferior East Holmes Field which is subject to flooding.

"We do use pitches at Ilkley Grammar School's playing fields on Coutances Way but that pitch can only be used by one of our senior teams as all the junior teams play there as well.

"The Ilkley Youth AFC team, which has now become Ilkley AFC Reserves, will continue to use that pitch - it would not be fair to take it off them," added Mr Houlston.

Sunday League team Ilkley Dynamos AFC will also be without a pitch. Club secretary David Knaggs said: "We have been using the West Holmes pitch for 30 years - we hire the pitch off Bradford Met Council.

"At the end of the day it may be ready for the season. It's not our pitch and as far as we are concerned it's up to Bradford Council to make the decision."

Bradford Council's principal outdoor amenities manager, David Talbot, said: "We do apologise to Ilkley AFC and Ilkley Dynamos for any inconvenience.

"Unfortunately over the Spring Bank period, the pitch was rotavated by mistake.

"Since then the pitch has been cultivated and re-seeded. Additional top dressing and seeding works should be completed by the end of next week, weather permitting.

"Our outdoor recreation manager has been in regular contact with both teams and matches will be played at the nearby East Holmes field until the West Holmes pitch is ready."