Plans revealed for new Wigan junior football hub amid growing demand from youngsters

Standish Panthers have been searching for a permanent home in the village for 20 years and has been turning children away because of its lack of training facilities.

It now has the chance to transform land at Red Rock into a series of match day and training pitches.

Other football clubs, schools and sports would be invited to share the facility on greenbelt land, with access near the Bridge 63 pub off Red Rock Lane.

Standish Panthers was created in 2003 and has grown over the past 22 years to have more than 315 players registered.

An announcement by the club said: “After 20 years of searching, Standish Panthers Community Junior Football Club have the opportunity to build their own pitches.

"Standish Panthers are in early discussions with the council to create a sports hub for the community of Standish off Red Rock Lane.

"We have over 40 teams at junior and open age football playing in Standish, including Pine Villa and Standish St Wilfrid’s, with no facilities that can support junior boys and girls football along with OA and other sports that will use the facilities.

“The huge house-building programme across Standish has increased the number of children, both boys and girls, who want to play football for Standish football teams and there is an opportunity to support the demand.”

Since May, the Panthers have had 116 inquiries from prospective players, but have only been able to accept 18 due to the lack of training facilities.

The club added: “Standish Panthers are currently playing and training at 11 venues across the Wigan borough – and we are finding it increasingly hard to find pitches, as well as other teams in Standish.

“We are now in the fortunate position to have the opportunity to create our own football pitches at Red Rock Lane, which would have a huge impact on football and other sports in and around the Standish area to support the growing demand for boys and girls junior football with much-needed training facilities for the club to grow and more importantly to survive and other clubs in Standish.

“The proposals is to transform the land below the Leeds-Liverpool Canal into a series of pitches.

“We have engaged with experts who are are guiding us through a full planning application with regards to the position of the pitches, the importance of the base for the 4G to support other sports as well as the access, which we have engaged with a qualified traffic planning consultant to support and meet the Wigan highway requirements.

“The facilities will be made available to other local football clubs, rugby clubs and schools in the nearby area who will be able to train there in the week.

“We have a major challenge on our hands to get planning permission and to help achieve this we really need the support from the people of Standish.”

The club wants residents to give their views on the proposals through an online poll here.