Travellers' camp on field prevents FA Cup match day parking
A group heading for a major religious festival set up camp at The Grove fields
Fans arriving at for Halesowen Town’s FA Cup match were prevented from parking after travellers set up camp resulting in a councillor calling for a change to land eviction laws.
The Yeltz women were in action against Kingfisher Women football Club at the The Grove on Sunday. However, the 199 supporters were forced to park elsewhere due to the arrival of several caravans and accompanying trucks and vans on Friday at the field off Old Hawne Lane owned by the James Grove Recreation Ground Trust.
The preliminary game went ahead with the home side winning 4-0.
Belle Vue ward representative Councillor Simon Phipps posted on Facebook: “The travellers have now left the site and the James Grove Recreation Ground Trust have locked the gates.
“The council will be asked to help clear the rubbish bags that have been left behind. There is a large religious festival happening off Illey Lane just over the border in Bromsgrove District, where the various groups seem all to be heading to.
“I've spoken to marshalls there, who told me it is due to last for five days from tomorrow.”
“The charity trust that owns the land called in the council and the police who attended on Friday night and Saturday morning. The travellers told them that they would be leaving this morning, but they do not currently look in any rush to leave.
“The charity asked the police to consider using their powers to move them on so the land could be used for parking for today's Women's FA Cup game. Unfortunately they did not agree that was justified due to the size of the incursion. Therefore no parking will be available on the land.
“If the travellers don't leave today as they claim, the charity trust will be forced to start a civil process to evict them and reclaim the land with support from the council. That, along with any cleanup after they leave, will have to be funded out of charity funds that should be used for grants to local people for sport and recreation purposes, which is one of the biggest shames of this whole situation.
“The law as it stands gives so little power to land owners in these circumstances, and what powers authorities do have are so caveated and paired back they are effectively of little use. The law needs to be changed.”
Halesowen are through to the next round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup with Imogen Butler scoring three goals and Niamh Murphy.