The veterans team for a village football club in North Hertfordshire is searching for a new home after their current agreement came to an end.

Lea Sports PSG, a football club in Pirton, used the Recreation Ground in Whitwell for their nine veterans home matches last season.

But St Paul's Walden Parish Council unanimously decided not to renew the agreement at a meeting on Wednesday, June 7, preferring to give extra room to the junior sides of their own local club.

A spokesperson for Lea Sports PSG described the team as being "shattered" by the news.

Their veterans team achieved promotion to the Premier Division of the Vets Super League in the 2022/23 season, but now has nowhere to play their home games for the 2023/24 season.

They are unable to use the pitch in Pirton itself as it is occupied by the Hitchin Sunday League team and Under 16s.

As a result, the team now faces the prospect of being disbanded and having to lose long-serving players who have made more than 300 appearances for the club.

Lea Sports PSG is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year, after being established  by a group of teachers in Luton in 1973.

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They moved to Pirton in 1995, with the 'PSG' in the name referring to the villages of Pirton, Shillington and Gravenhurst - not the famous French team!

While the club now has no connection to the teaching profession, it retains 'Lea' in its name - originally, that referred to the Local Education Authority.

Since moving to Pirton - a village with a population of around 1,300 - the club has gone from strength-to-strength, playing more than 8,000 matches in its history and and now running 15 teams across a range of age groups.

Cllr Tim Roberts, chair of St Paul's Walden Parish Council, told The Comet: "The Whitwell junior football club has grown considerably since last year and we are unfortunately unable to offer Lea Sports PSG Veterans a pitch this year.

"We hope they find another venue soon."

If you may have a pitch that could be hired to Lea Sports PSG Veterans for the coming season, you are invited to contact the club secretary, Steve Smith, on 07721 746872 or at secretary@leasports.com.