some great words posted by SWFC @ Owlstalk, sums up the clubs plight perfectly. Thank you Owlstalk "Everyone here will likely have heard of Ecclesall Rangers, the grassroots football club that has nurtured youth teams and talent in Sheffield for decades. Currently around 250 local (and even some not so local!) kids take part in teams attached to Ecclesall Rangers, from nursery teams for U7s to U18s. The organisation aims to expand into teams for young people with disabilities and adequately support girls teams. However, there are problems... The council essentially evicted the club in 2017 when they started changing the area around Bannerdale Playing Fields to create Mercia School (Academy), promising to provide funding and a new place for the teams. However, funding hasn't materialised and proposals always seem to be afterthoughts and inadequate. Teams of children were expected to play on rubbish fields where "professional dog walkers" turn up in vans and release dozens of dogs without clearing up the mess, or where fly-tippers chucked their rubbish all over the pitches and vandals were smashing bottles across the grass, etc. Ecclesall Rangers are now at a crossroads where, despite the hard work and financing from a dedicated group of individuals and volunteers, they are starting to struggle with the current position. They have plans, they have ideas, they have ambitions, they have reasonable expectations and all they want is for the council and their partners to back up their promises of enabling them to continue and provide some funding so they can provide a safe environment and adequate facilities for the kids and volunteers. They have started a petition, and it would be great if you could read and sign it to support grassroots football in Sheffield... for many years this club has done so much good for so many people with so little funding and reliant on goodwill... Imagine what could happen with an appropriate level of funding and facilities..! "