With the European Championships kicking off tomorrow, a trade union has revealed that 926 public football pitches have been lost in the UK since 2010.
A Freedom of Information by the GMB found there are 846 fewer local authority owned or operated football pitches today than there were in 2010.
A further 80 pitches have been closed in that time.
GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison said: ‘The England and Scotland men’s teams are about to begin their European Championship campaigns, with the hopes of the two nations resting on their shoulders.
‘Yet before a ball has even been kicked, the next generation of footballers has already lost.
‘Losing almost 1,000 council football pitches could crush grass roots football in the UK and is yet another deeply depressing legacy of the Conservative’s austerity mission.’
