Leeds legends united ... in f ight to save pitches where they f irst played
A SQUAD of former Leeds United footballers have joined forces to prevent houses being built on sports pitches where they learned to play as youngsters.
Stars including former England international David Batty forged their fledgling careers playing for Leeds City Boys at the TV Harrison Ground, the proposed site for a development of 61 homes.
The land was left as ‘a gift to the children of Leeds’ in 1931 after Leeds headmaster and First World War hero Thomas Vernon Harrison led a community fundraising drive to buy it.
Campaigners say youngsters will lose a vital green space and the city will be stripped of part of its footballing history if the council plans go ahead.
Among the former players opposed to the proposed development is Noel Whelan, an ex-Leeds striker, who joined protesters at the site last week. He said: ‘ This ground was left to the people of Leeds and has a long history.
‘It was a privilege for me to play for Leeds City Boys here when I was a youngster learning the game.
‘I have fond memories and it must remain a place where kids can follow their dreams, like I did, of one day becoming a professional footballer.
‘I played here from under-11s to under-15s representing the city of Leeds. I remember going up against the likes of Nicky Butt who played for Manchester Boys here, so it’s not just Leeds lads who went on to have careers in football who played on this pitch. This is a place where the journey started for a lot of lads who became professionals.’
And Brian Deane, who scored 32 goals in 138 games for Leeds between 1993 and 1997, said: ‘It’s got so many iconic memories for a lot of people.
‘This is where I had my first taste of playing against teams outside of Leeds and it really meant something to me to represent the city.’
Other players who honed their skills at the TV Harrison Ground include ex- England s t r i ker Alan Smith and the late Paul Madeley, who made more than 500 appearances for Leeds over 17 years, as well as winning 24 international caps.
It’s said that legendary Leeds United manager Don Revie often visited the ground on scouting missions for the best young players.
The sports field, which fell into disrepair after 2000, has been brought back into use over recent years thanks to the effort of volunteers.
Campaigner David Williams said: ‘Leeds City Council ought to drop this ridiculous plan and leave this vital green space alone. This ground has an illustrious history in the city of Leeds and it was left as a gift to the children of Leeds. To take that away would be a terrible shame.’
Leeds Council did not respond to a request for comment.
The Mail on Sunday’s Save Our Parks campaign has urged councils and the Government to better protect green spaces.
Earlier this month, the National Trust and partners urged Ministers to invest £5.5 billion on parks which, they estimate, would give a boost to the nation’s physical and mental health worth £120 billion.