Club cries foul after kids 'locked out' of ground in row

Plea for talks to resolve dispute

- Thomas Cooper

MORE than 200 footballers - some as young as six - have been kicked out of a sports ground, after the ‘locks were changed’

Florence FC says it has been barred from using Florence Sports and Social Club. It comes as relations between the football club and the venue's trustees have broken down. Now 212 players aged six to 16 are having to play home games at other locations.

Florence FC chairman Dan Jones, of Lightwood, said the dispute followed the social club asking it to sign a user agreement, and refusing its request to dicsuss the terms.

“I emailed the social club's trustees saying the agreement wasn't practical and that we wanted to come to a solution that would allow us to continue without disrupting the children enjoying the game,’ said Mr Jones.