First phase of 'urgent' Scarborough Athletic pitch repairs under way

In June last year, North Yorkshire Council committed to securing the long-term future of the pitch at the home ground of Scarborough Athletic Football Club and Scarborough Ladies Football Club by supporting a programme of repairs.

A site survey conducted last year highlighted serious and unexpected structural issues with the 3G pitch dating back to when the facility was first constructed in 2017 for the former Scarborough Borough Council.

These issues need to be addressed before the pitch is re-laid.

Due to the severity of the findings, the pitch was unavailable for competitive fixtures for the 2025/26 season.

The council has since committed to ensuring the repairs are completed in time for competitive matches to resume in August this year for the start of next season.

The current playing surface is being removed by contractors this week, marking a significant milestone in the project.

This will then allow stabilisation works and drainage repairs to commence in the coming weeks, before a new pitch surface can be laid.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for leisure, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “This marks a very important moment in this project and one that I’m sure is welcomed by all users of the pitch, including Scarborough Athletic and Scarborough Ladies, their members, supporters and the wider football community.

“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that the pitch is repaired to an excellent standard, and that it is done so as swiftly as possible to minimise the impact on everyone.

“We know how important this is for not only the clubs and their supporters, but the wider communities in Scarborough and beyond.

"That’s why it’s great to start the new year on the front foot, and I look forward to seeing the progress over the coming weeks and months.

“We are continuing to work closely with the main contractor, Willmott Dixon, the football clubs and other key stakeholders to ensure that this project maintains this positive momentum and is completed on time, ready for the 2026/27 season.”

After discovering the structural issues last year, the council received a petition calling for the community football pitch to be repaired which received more than 3,300 signatures.

While the pitch is unavailable, Scarborough Athletic are playing their home fixtures at Bridlington Town’s ground during the 2025/26 season.

The temporary ground share agreement was approved last year by the National League and the Northern Premier League.