Amateur women’s football team kicked off training pitch and replaced by corporate men’s league | UK News

An amateur women’s team based in south London has accused pitch provider Hireapitch of a « blatant lack of respect and understanding » after they were kicked out of their training facility.

South London Laces FC has been training on Hireapitch’s Bermondsey facility for six months.

The club trained there every Tuesday, with almost 50 women turning up for two-hour sessions and they had a block booking to use the pitch until the end of April, which they were planning on extending further.

However, on 26 March they were notified they will no longer be able to use the pitches as they had been allocated to a corporate men’s league.

Another women’s football team and mixed lacrosse team have also been told they cannot use the pitch.

Hireapitch told Sky News the decision was « business » led and accused the club of having « moulded » it to be « a women’s issue ».

South London Laces FC had extended their block booking on 16 March after Hireapitch sent them a reminder.

It was due to end on 26 March and the club told Sky News they were in the process of further extending it but were waiting on funds to come in.

South London Laces FC had paid £800 for the block booking and Hireapitch did not offer them a refund. Instead, they were given credit and told they can use the pitches in Streatham on Wednesday nights.

The club were told by Hireapitch that it was a financial decision but founders Beth Towle and Emily Hill told Sky News they think the decision is « unfair ».

« We’ve paid them £800 for the block booking, that’s now been cancelled and over the course of six months we have spent thousands of pounds there, » Ms Towle said.

Ms Hill claimed: « We’ve been kicked off so men’s teams can play there. That went down horribly with us and the players.

« There are players that can’t make the alternative sessions and the pitch in Streatham is quite inaccessible. It doesn’t have changing facilities; we’ve been told to walk there in groups because it can be unsafe to walk there.

« To be honest, we didn’t want to lose our £800 as that’s massive for us. They point-blank don’t give refunds, even if it’s their decision to cancel.

« It’s just a blatant lack of respect and understanding. They said in their email that it’s a financial decision. But we pay £100 per hour to hire their pitch and it’s a price they’ve set. Giving us one week’s notice means we can’t plan ahead. »

Club has ‘moulded’ the issue, Hireapitch claims

In a statement to Sky News, Hireapitch’s co-owner Nilesh Pandit said the cancellation was a « business issue ».

« This issue has been bended and moulded by South London Laces to make this a women’s issue. It is not, » Mr Pandit said in a statement to Sky News.

« With the current climate since COVID, Hireapitch as a business have not recovered and we had to make strategic and financial changes to ensure our next financial year sees great income due to increasing rental obligations at facilities.

« As such corporate leagues, with the return of players work, has been our focus, not just men’s leagues. This unfortunately meant casual users have had to be displaced. South London Laces, with regret, have manipulated this situation and made this ‘a rights issue’. This is a business issue. »

Mr Pandit claimed the club do not understand the « dynamics of running a business of this grand nature », adding that Hireapitch runs over 200 venues in the UK with international expansion imminent.

He also alleged that « despite agreeing and being offered an alternative » South London Laces FC has « bullied us on social media ».

Hireapitch declined to comment when asked whether the corporate men’s league was charged a higher price for the booking than the previous incumbents but repeated the allegation that South London Laces continued to « bully and intimidate » the organisation online and it « proves our decision was correct ».

« We have to do what’s best for business and ensure we are staying afloat. They are not stating the facts and also turned up aggressively shouting at one of our male referees, » Mr Pandit said.

« In addition, they continue to post one-star reviews and continue to slander Hireapitch despite agreeing on a move. They have posted aggressively and our social media team have been frustrated and the sales team likewise when we all did our best to help them.

« They want to blame us. We understand they are frustrated but what they are doing is nothing short of schoolyard bullying. »

According to Hireapitch’s cancellation policy refunds are only provided if the company has to cancel a booking for « miscellaneous reasons ».

Club calls for government to change policy

Since finding the alternative location in Streatham, Hireapitch has cancelled that booking for South London Laces FC because of posts on social media.

Ms Towle said Hireapitch « cancelled our Streatham booking and now they’re ignoring us. They’ve just taken £800 of our money.

« £800 is a massive chunk of our budget. That’s well-earned money from our players that pay membership. »

The club said they are now attempting to create a coalition of community women’s teams to try and bring definitive policy change.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Football Association and Football Foundation have pledged £25m to build new sports facilities, prioritising women and girls.

Ms Towle said: « Realistically unless they can ensure equitable usage at facilities how will you police that and ensure clubs like us aren’t priced or pushed out the game.

« We are calling on organisations to ensure that clubs like us aren’t kicked off pitches because in the space of a year we’ve been kicked off three facilities. It doesn’t matter if you build facilities, there needs to be real policy change. »