A FOOTBALL club has been forced to rearrange a friendly match and training sessions after travellers moved onto a playing pitch in Bank Foot.

Caravans moved on to the football field at Carrbottom Recreation Ground in Carrbottom Road, Bankfoot, on Tuesday.

It means Great Horton FC, which plays home matches on the pitch, has had to rearrange a friendly match planned there for this Sunday.

The club starts its Bradford Sunday Alliance Football League Division 3A fixtures on August 24, starting with two away games.

Club manager Wayne Sykes said he and his team were frustrated by the travellers and has called for a railing to be built around the perimeter of the site.

He said: "It's disappointing and frustrating. It will affect us. They are actually on the pitch.

"What can we do about it? I don't know how long it will take to move them. It depends what mess they leave behind once they go.

"I'm quite disappointed really, we have trouble on the pitch all of the time. People go on their quad bikes on it as well.

"At the moment, the pitch is alright. We have contacted the council about it. We rent the pitch from the council for about £340 for the season. We have to pay for it out of our own money."

Great Horton's squad has also had to rearrange its weekly training session.

About 11 caravans were reported on the site yesterday.

Andrew Butterworth, club player and secretary, said: "It's annoying really. This could throw our season up in the air."

Wibsey councillor Ralph Berry (Lab) said Bradford Council had applied for a land possession order to Bradford County Court to get the travellers moved off the site.

He added: "We want people to be able to play sport there as they normally do.

"It's an open piece of land in the heart of the community. We have a chronic shortage of pitches as it is. We are trying to liaise with the group so they can move on.

"As soon as it happened we applied for a land possession order to Bradford County Court.

"We are keeping a regular eye on it. There has been no crime reported on there as it is."