Grassroots football clubs in Gloucester have criticised a sharp increase in the cost of hiring council-owned grass pitches, saying the rise will squeeze volunteers, families and the poorest teams.
Big rise, little warning
Hiring a grass pitch at Plock Court for open-age football cost £45.93 in the 2025-26 season. For 2026-27 the fee has been raised to £70 — a 52% rise — prompting clubs to say they were not consulted and had no time to plan for the added expense.
Rising Stars Youth Football Club told its members on Facebook that grassroots teams were "never consulted" and described the increase as an "unprecedented city council price hike for hiring grass pitches in Gloucester." City of Gloucester Women’s Football Club, which leases five pitches in Tuffley from the council, said the first notice many clubs had was an email renewal from Ubico, the company that manages bookings on the council’s behalf.
"We are going to have to up our fees by £8 per child just to try and cover, or have contingency pots for winter training. That is purely just so we can afford the pitches for the next season."
The comment, from Charlotte Eakers of City of Gloucester WFC, underlines the practical impact: parents could face higher subscriptions, while volunteer-run teams may struggle to absorb increased running costs.
Council response and context
Gloucester City Council, which owns the pitches, defended the new charge, saying a £70 fee is in line with many other local authorities and is a "reasonable and proportionate rate." The council added that average charges for hiring local-authority-managed sports pitches across England are significantly higher than the rates it has charged historically, and emphasised the need to balance fairness to users with value for council taxpayers who fund the facilities.
Long-standing volunteers in the sport say they accept rising costs in principle but criticise the way the hike was communicated. Mark Cox, chairman of Minchinhampton Football Club, who has been involved with grassroots football for 40 years, said he could understand why costs had increased but felt the communication around the change had been poor.
Practical consequences for clubs
Clubs and organisers have highlighted several immediate consequences:
- Higher subs or event fees for players and parents
- Pressure on volunteer-run clubs to find contingency funds for training and matchdays
- Potential reduction in pitch time or team numbers if costs become unsustainable
The council’s position is that fees should be fair to users but also to the wider council-taxpaying public who subsidise leisure provision. Clubs counter that sudden, large increases make short-term planning difficult and risk excluding those on tight household budgets.
| Season | Open-age grass pitch at Plock Court |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 | £45.93 |
| 2026-27 | £70 |
Club leaders say they are seeking clearer forward plans from the council — for example, phased increases or multi-year pricing so clubs can budget — rather than a single, substantial rise announced at renewal time.
For many in Gloucester grassroots football provides more than sport: it is a community hub where volunteers, parents and young people meet across the week. How the council and clubs resolve the tension between rising costs and maintaining widespread access will shape local provision next season.
