Clubs who play on Memorial Park claimed they faced the threat of folding altogether if pitch hire charges were too high. Local football and cricket club representatives attended the crunch meeting on June 23. The council had accepted it had to make a decision on the issue which had been rumbling on since September.

Councillors heard representations from club representatives before discussing the matter, totting up running costs and concluding they had been under-charging for many years.

After much tooing and frowing to the exasperation of sports clubs representatives, councillors finally agreed on a 50 per cent increase and to scrap a 10 per cent early payment discount.

Sports club representatives from teams including Syston Juniors FC, Midland Syston St Peters and Leuva Patidar Cricket Club, who said it was effectively a 60 per cent increase, left the meeting in disgust.

Speaking after the meeting Ashley Whitehead, Midland Syston St Peters' reserve team manager, said: "Unless we find some sponsors my gut feeling is we will have to pack up. Now we have to find an extra £21.47 a match which isn't going to happen."