WITH Barry Town United having to call off a home game due to a waterlogged pitch, renewed calls to bring a 3G artificial pitch to Jenner Park have been made.

The cancellation of Barry Town's game against Ely Rangers on November 15 comes just weeks before a study into bringing a £350,000 all-weather 3G pitch to Jenner Park goes before the Vale of Glamorgan council's cabinet.

Barry Town club secretary David Cole has said that the club needs a solution to their pitch problems sooner rather than later.

He pointed out that, along with three other games Barry have seen cancelled this season, the fixture list has already extended into April - having previously been scheduled to finish in March.

And this is before the prospect of even worse weather over the Christmas period. The other clubs that share Jenner Park have also seen games cancelled this season due to an unplayable pitch.

"There is a huge problem with Jenner Park if it rains for several hours before a game," said David. "I think it's just due to a lack of maintenance over the years, the council have spent a lot of time trying to sort the pitch out.

He continued: "I know people don't like 3G pitches, but they are starting to become more common, especially in the Welsh league. I think the players would prefer to play on grass, but we are getting too many games postponed.

"I've been secretary at this football club for a long long time and in my time I have postponed probably 10 games in the last two years.

"There was only two postponements in the previous nine years, one for frost and one for snow.

"We haven't even got to the bad weather yet. If you think back to last year, very little football was played in December and January."

In response to problems at Jenner Park, the Vale council launched a study earlier this year, with plans proposed to install a state of the art artificial pitch in Jenner Park.

Vale MP Alun Cairns backed the plans saying that it was "wholly unacceptable" that Barry doesn’t have a 3G pitch.

Also vocal in his support of the idea was Plaid Cymru Councillor and long time Barry Town United FC fan Ian Johnson.

Not everyone was in support of the scheme though. Objections were raised by the Barry and Vale Harriers Athletic Club who felt that the pitch would cause the loss of their track and field facilities at the ground.

Councillor Gwyn John, the Vale's Cabinet Member for Sports Development, said at the time that: "The feasibility study will consider the potential benefits to all current and potential users of Jenner Park and so the views of the athletics club will weigh heavily in the decision making process."

A spokesman for the council confirmed that the feasibility study is now finished and a report will go before the Vale of Glamorgan Cabinet on Monday, December 15.