COUNCILLORS have given their support to Wellington AFC getting a business to sponsor its football pitch and ground.

The club plays at Wellington Playing Field and officials have been in talks with local firm Carly Press, based at Chelston Business Park, about sponsoring the facilities.

It means that Wellington’s home ground could in future - if the sponsorship deal goes through – be known as the Carly Press Ground at Wellington Playing Field.

The club asked Wellington Town Council if it was ok to go-ahead with the initiative as it would bring in much-needed funds for the outfit whose men’s first team play in the Premier Division of the Western League.

Town clerk Dave Farrow, in a report which went before the council on October 7, said: “The club is in discussion with Carly Press to provide the sponsorship and as part of the offer would like to include naming rights of the ground so that the football ground would become the Carly Press Ground at Wellington Playing Field.”

But Cllr John Thorne was quick to oppose the idea of Wellington AFC having a sponsor for its home ground.

“I’m not happy about this,” he said. “It’s not a football stadium – it’s Wellington Playing Field. It’s a nonsense; the club doesn’t even own the ground.”

But Cllr Andrew Govier took a more philosophical approach to the sponsorship. “I don’t see a problem,” he said. “It’s a marketing thing – people will still call it the Playing Field.

“The club has got more than 30 teams down there and the club needs funding.”

Cllr Ross Henley intimated it would be an “own goal” if the council stopped the club from looking to make money.

“If the club was looking at getting a betting company, for example, then I would be opposing it,” he said.

An inspection of the Wellington AFC facilities by the Football Association earlier this year identified a number of improvements that needed to be made for the club to continue to play at its current level.

Improvements required included improved and extra stand capacity, resurfacing of footpaths and the ability to close the ground on matchdays.

Councillors backed the sponsorship.