A football club is fighting to keep its ground after the company which owns the site announced it wants the site back.

Field Sports and Social Club in Paradise Green was set up more than 30 years ago by the packaging firm of the same name for its employees.

Over time the club has grown and now has dozens of members from the community as well as workers of the company, which is now known as Chesapeake.

Bosses at the firm have given the club notice to quit the site as they want the sports ground back to safeguard the 150 jobs remaining at the company’s Bradford site and to give the firm more flexibility.

A member of the club, who did not wish to be named as he also works for Chesapeake, said: “The land belongs to the company, but the club belongs to its members.

“We approached the company for a lease to enable us to apply for grants, but shortly after that they came back with plans to close the club. They’ve given us notice to be out by the end of the month.

“We’ve been told it’s because the club is a security risk and that they want to make the site more flexible. But at that point we were not aware the site was on the Council’s shortlist of possible waste sites.”

Following the notice to quit, members spotted a report in the Telegraph & Argus detailing a Bradford Council shortlist of potential locations for waste management plants.

They were shocked to discover that the Field Sports Club site at Hollingwood Lane was one of nine sites on the list.

“As far as we are concerned we are in talks with the company. Nothing is cut and dried,” said one member.

The club confirmed it was still business as usual and that all bookings would be honoured.

Bob Hallton, a spokesman for Chesapeake, said: “Over the last couple of years, with the scaling down of the Bradford operation, the club is increasingly being used by external people.

“We want as much flexibility at the site as possible so that we could use the land for a different purpose if necessary.”