An online petition has been launched to oppose moves to build houses on the site of the historic TV Harrison sports ground in Wortley.
The petition has so far clocked up more than 200 signatures in its first day and has set up by the campaign to save the Oldfield Lane ground, which has been earmarked for council housing.
As previously reported, most of the land is owned by the Leeds Schools Sports Association, which is selling the land to Leeds City Council to build local authority housing. The campaign recently received backing from ex-Leeds United stars Noel Whelan and Brian Deane, who started their careers as schoolboys at the ground.
One signee, Abigail Shaw, said:
“This land should be turned back in to a safe space for our children to play! There are too many new house being built around here not enough school places for the kids who live here, where would the children who move into the new houses be educated?”
Another, John Grimes, added:
“I went to Upper Wortley School in the mid 50s and this was our sports and football ground.”
Campaigners say the land was historically left to the children of Leeds to play sport on, but the council says the land has been left unoccupied for 14 years and that the pitches are unusable.
The petition can be signed here.
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