Local football and bonfire
Posted by Joel Booth, Monday, October 15, 2001The time is almost here again for that wonderful event for the local community - Hebden Bridge Bonfire! Thousands of people flock to the town for this annual event, all bringing money in for local businesses and raising money for local charities. The venue - Calder Holmes Park is usually caked in mud by 7pm and goes un-noticed throughout the night. That is untill the next local football match is to be played........
Wadsworth United and Hollins Holme both share the pitch and pay large annual fees to the council, only to have decent use of it for half the season. The pitch has become such poor quality that after November, most matches are called off or rearranged due to the substantial damage that is caused on bonfire night. The question of safety for local players needs to be asked - if you've got a spare few minutes, have a walk onto the park and see how flat the pitch is - many a time and players legs 'dissapeared from under them' whilst running down the wing!
I do not want the bonfire to stop beacsue of the business and money this creates for the community. However, does anyone else have views on this either as a local footballer or as a keen person involved in the community?