A LOCAL youth football coach has hit out at the state of the pitches at the playing fields next to St Matthew’s Academy in Saltcoats.

And Stuart Roy says he is actively looking for other places for his two sides to play locally.

Stuart runs Cunninghame Youth 2009s and has two sides who play on the seven-a-side pitches every fortnight as well as using them for training during the Summer months.

But holes in the pitch, lack of grass and shoddy replacement grass has caused him to look elsewhere.

The last straw came when Stuart noticed a hole the size of his foot which was up to his ankle.

He told the Herald: “We trained there over the summer but have moved indoor over the past few weeks.

“They are happy to take our money but not keep the pitches up to scratch. A hole up to my ankles and grass patches just sat on the goal line. Absolutely shocking.

“It’s not the prices of the pitches that’s the problem, it is the state they are in. You can’t play football on stuff like that, I wouldn’t want to be playing on it and a child could get hurt.”

But North Ayrshire Council say that improvements are being made to the pitches which they say will bring them back to ‘optimal condition’.

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The pitches are currently undergoing renovation works. These works are being managed by Mitie.

“During the works some of the pitches will be withdrawn from use to allow the grass to establish.

“Due to the number of sports pitches and the anticipated demand for community lets, this should not present any issues with availability.

“We anticipate that the pitches will all be returned to optimal condition when works are concluded.”

Stuart has 22 children playing in his sides and it looks like they will soon be playing elsewhere.

He added: “I am looking at Ardeer Rec at the pitches down there. The pitches [at St Matthew’s] have never been in optimal condition. Some of it is looking better but there is no goals there yet, just grass.”